Life Right Now #29

Right now I am: Grabbing my sweater to head on out to the coop steering committee meeting. This will be our first one and I’m excited to start chatting about the future of the coop.

On my bedside table: The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry; Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

On my tv this week: We continued our spooky movie month with some great selections including a rewatch of the original Candyman.

Listening to: Mostly just a mix of music, but I did start an audio book. Not sure if I like it yet…

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Salsa Chicken

• Tuesday - Baked Potato Soup

• Wednesday - Family Night at Vala’s

• Thursday - Lemon Ginger Turmeric Chicken and Rice Soup

• Friday - Orecchiette with Sausage, Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

• Saturday - Chicken Tortillas Soup

• Sunday - Roast Pork Cubano

On my to do list: I finished cleaning out the boys’ clothes yesterday, so I’m moving on to my clothes. It’s going to be a project, but I will feel so much better when it’s finished!

Happening this week:

• Monday - Chemistry Class

• Tuesday - Vala’s Day

• Wednesday - Playdate with a friend; Vala’s Family Night

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Nature Hike; Friend’s Birthday Party

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Nerdy Bookish Friends Zoom

What I am creating: The birthday party and recovery took it out of me. I would love to get to my September and October Memory Planner pages today and throughout this week, but we’ll see if I have time…

My simple pleasures: Raspberry Italian Soda, rainy days, spooky movies, spooky books

Looking around the house: I would like to finish cleaning off the weird hall table today, but otherwise things are in good shape. For the party, I cleaned off part of the kitchen counters and I’m really loving the feel. I’m going to try and keep everything as cleared off as I can.

From the camera: After our nature hike, we went hunting for fossils. Q was super excited to find some.

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Title: Nettle & Bone

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Tor Books 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 245

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

This isn't the kind of fairytale where the princess marries a prince.
It's the one where she kills him.

Marra never wanted to be a hero.

As the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter, she escaped the traditional fate of princesses, to be married away for the sake of an uncaring throne. But her sister wasn’t so fortunate—and after years of silence, Marra is done watching her suffer at the hands of a powerful and abusive prince.

Seeking help for her rescue mission, Marra is offered the tools she needs, but only if she can complete three seemingly impossible tasks:
—build a dog of bones
—sew a cloak of nettles
—capture moonlight in a jar

But, as is the way in tales of princes and witches, doing the impossible is only the beginning.

Hero or not—now joined by a disgraced ex-knight, a reluctant fairy godmother, an enigmatic gravewitch and her fowl familiar—Marra might finally have the courage to save her sister, and topple a throne.

Following yesterday’s fairy tale retelling, I had picked up this other fairy tale inspired book by T. Kingfisher. After a very straight forward tale, I loved how this one completely changed the script. Marra isn’t the damsel who is searching for a love but to save her sister. I loved seeing Marra reach out to a motley crew of characters to help her on her quest. The story unfolds as a great quest with glimpses into other worlds and the magical. I really enjoyed this slim novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher

Title: The Seventh Bride

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: 47North 2015

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 226

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Young Rhea is a miller’s daughter of low birth, so she is understandably surprised when a mysterious nobleman, Lord Crevan, shows up on her doorstep and proposes marriage. Since commoners don’t turn down lords—no matter how sinister they may seem—Rhea is forced to agree to the engagement.

Lord Crevan demands that Rhea visit his remote manor before their wedding. Upon arrival, she discovers that not only was her betrothed married six times before, but his previous wives are all imprisoned in his enchanted castle. Determined not to share their same fate, Rhea asserts her desire for freedom. In answer, Lord Crevan gives Rhea a series of magical tasks to complete, with the threat “Come back before dawn, or else I’ll marry you.”

With time running out and each task more dangerous and bizarre than the last, Rhea must use her resourcefulness, compassion, and bravery to rally the other wives and defeat the sorcerer before he binds her to him forever.

I’m slowly working my way through all of T. Kingfisher’s books and I finally grabbed this Bluebeard retelling. I loved how we are just thrown into an unknown land full of unknown dangers. We get to see the entire story unfold from Rhea’s perspective and hers is very limited. She’s never been away from the mill and the small village. And yet, she explores her new prison and learns its secrets in time to save everyone. This is a typical fairy tale set-up and follow-through but with FMC that grows greatly throughout the pages. I really enjoyed this book. Meeting Lord Crevan’s wives was my favorite part. So much fun!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• The boys’ birthday party is over… time to turn to all the other projects and tasks I put to the side for a few weeks.

• Diving deep into spooky movie month and spooky book month. I love this time of the year.

• We’ve now been to Vala’s five times this year. Hoping for a total of eight visits. Not tired of it yet!

• Hoping that the rain holds off this morning for coop. I really really don’t want to host in my house today.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales by Kiersten White

Title: Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: Scholastic 2017

Genre: MG Horror

Pages: 224

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Once upon a time, a girl skipped into the forest and became a zombie.Wait, no, that's not how this story is supposed to go. Let's try again.Once upon a time, a boy did a horrible job as a sheep-sitter and burned his tongue on stolen pie.No, children in these stories are always good and virtuous. From the top.Once upon a time, a king and queen tried to find a princess for their son to marry, and he wound up fleeing from a group of very hairy vampires.Hmmm...What about, once upon a time, a bunch of fairy tales got twisted around to be completely hilarious, a tiny bit icky, and delightfully spooky scarytales... in other words, exactly what fairy tales were meant to be. Grab some flaming torches, maybe don't accept that bowl of pease porridge, and get ready for a wickedly fun ride with acclaimed author Kiersten White and fairy tales like you've never heard them before.

I grabbed this one for me to read during spooky book month, but ended up reading it to the kids for our night time read. It was the perfect choice for a bit of spookiness without proper horror. Instead we get some fractured fairy tales featuring some classic horror tropes and monsters. All with White’s unique brand of humor throughout. I absolutely adored the idea of the awareness of the narrator for both the reader and the characters in the stories. The little asides were just perfect. The stories themselves are fun twists on the classic stories. My favorite was definitely Red Hiding Hood as a zombie horde leader. This was the perfect read for this month and such a delightful library find.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie

Title: Episode Thirteen

Author: Craig DiLouie

Publisher: Redhook 2023

Genre: Horror

Pages: 437

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Fade to Black is the newest hit ghost hunting reality TV show. Led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin, it delivers weekly hauntings investigated by a dedicated team of ghost hunting experts.

Episode Thirteen takes them to every ghost hunter's holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This brooding, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. It's also famously haunted, and the team hopes their scientific techniques and high tech gear will prove it. But as the house begins to reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of. A story told in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, and correspondence, this is the story of Episode Thirteen—and how everything went terribly, horribly wrong.

Very creepy descent into the mysteries of a haunted house that ended with a bit whomp whomp instead of a satisfying ending. I was very creeped out while reading this book at night in bed. None of the characters are extremely lovable, but they are very intriguing with their own backgrounds and roles within the show. I must say that Jessica was my least favorite in that she never settled on her role within the show and I wanted to see her more clearly. Beyond that nit picking about Jessica, I started to root for the team as a whole after the incident with the apparition in the room upstairs. From there, things start to fall apart for the team, and I was more into the book. Once the team went into the well, I was speeding through the pages to the end. However the ending just wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t feel satisfied by the ultimate ambiguous nature of the finish. I wanted just a little bit more.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Spiritbox "Jaded"

Very much into this newer song by Spiritbox. I love how the singer can change her voice so much.

Next up on the TBR pile:

This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham

Title: This Delicious Death

Author: Kayla Cottingham

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 2023

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 290

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Two years ago, a small percentage of population underwent a transformation known as the Hollowing. Those affected were only able to survive by consuming human flesh. The people who went without quickly became feral, turning on their friends and family. Luckily, scientists were able to create a synthetic version of human meat that would satisfy their hunger. As a result, humanity slowly began to return to normal.

Cut to Zoey, Celeste, Valeria, and Jasmine, four hollow girls living in Southern California. As a last hurrah before graduation they decide to attend a musical festival in the heart of the desert. They have a cooler filled with seltzer, vodka, and Synflesh… and are ready to party. 

But on the first night of the festival Val goes feral and ends up killing and eating a boy in one of the bands. As other festival guests start disappearing around them the girls soon discover someone is targeting people like them. And if they can't figure out how to stop it, and soon, no one at the festival is getting out alive.

Well that was delightfully fun! A very YA (but don’t let that scare you off) horror romp set at a music festival in the desert. The teenagers felt very much like Zillenial teeneagers, but not in a terrible way. I actually really liked getting a look at the younger generations outlook on life through the lenses of a pseudo-zombie storyline. Thankfully this book gets right into the weird and the spooky not dwelling on a ton of exposition right away Instead, we dive right into the music festival and then learn about the characters backstories through chapter starters. Overall a fun romp for spooky month.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti

Title: Girls of Brackenhill

Author: Kate Moretti

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer 2020

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 316

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; COYER

When Hannah Maloney’s aunt dies in a car accident, she returns to her family’s castle in the Catskills and the epicenter of a childhood trauma: her sister’s unsolved disappearance. It’s been seventeen years, and though desperate to start a new life with her fiancé, Hannah is compelled to question the events of her last summer at Brackenhill.

When a human bone is found near the estate, Hannah is convinced it belongs to her long-lost sister. She launches her own investigation into that magical summer that ended in a nightmare. As strange happenings plague the castle, Hannah uncovers disturbing details about the past and startling realizations about her own repressed childhood memories.

Fueled by guilt over her sister’s vanishing, Hannah becomes obsessed with discovering what happened all those years ago, but by the time Hannah realizes some mysteries are best left buried, it’s too late to stop digging. Overwhelmed by what she has exposed, Hannah isn’t sure her new life can survive her old ghosts.

Ultimately, the twist at the end really annoyed me. In general, I steer away from mystery/thrillers as I often guess the twist or it’s so off the wall that it’s just not believable. For whatever reason, this one was on my recommended list (maybe from the podcast I like?) and I picked up for spooky season. We get some spookiness right towards the beginning, but this book quickly veers into very humdrum murder territory. I thought Hannah was an interesting main character, but by the end, I was not rooting for her at all. What is is with all these thrillers where the FMC is with someone boring, but instead of just breaking up with them goes out and cheats on them or does something truly horrible? Very much dislike that trope. Anyhoo, the house was not given enough atmospheric tension for my liking and I came away from the book pretty disappointed.

Next up on the TBR pile:

In the Fire by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Into the Fire (Night Prince #4)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: HarperCollins 2017

Genre: Romance

Pages: 375

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Finishing the Series

In the explosive finale to New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost’s Night Prince series, Vlad is in danger of losing his bride to an enemy whose powers might prove greater than the Prince of Vampires’ . . .In the wrong hands,  love can be a deadly weapon

For nearly six hundred years, Vlad Tepesh cared for nothing, so he had nothing to lose. His brutal reputation ensured that all but the most foolhardy stayed away. Now, falling in love with Leila has put him at the mercy of his passions. And one adversary has found a devastating way to use Vlad’s new bride against him.

A powerful spell links Leila to the necromancer Mircea. If he suffers or dies, so does she. Magic is forbidden to vampires, so Vlad and Leila enlist an unlikely guide as they search for a way to break the spell. But an ancient enemy lies in wait, capable of turning Vlad and Leila’s closest friends against them . . . and finally tearing the lovers apart forever.

We get to the conclusion of Vlad and Leila’s story. And I must that I think this series could have been one book less. I enjoyed this volume. I liked wrapping up their story and uncovering all the mysteries. But when I look back at the series as a whole, I think it really should have been shorter. The third book especially suffered from pacing. Anyway, we get to finally see what Leila’s childhood accident really means and uncover the secrets of her past. We see Leila and Vlad somewhat becoming more open with each other, although I was mighty angry at Vlad for the bit about Mencheres in this one. My biggest plus in this book was the inclusion of Ian as a character. We have seen him throughout the larger Night Huntress world, but usually as an antagonist. His introduction to Cat was quite memorable even if you kinda wanted to stake him in the heart. Obviously this series sets Ian up to have his own spin-off series featuring his demon enemy and Veritas, the Law Guardian. I am excited to move on and read those books soon.

Night Prince

• #1 Once Burned

• #2 Twice Tempted

• #3 Bound by Flames

• #4 Into the Fire

Next up on the TBR pile:

Eat the Rich by Sarah Gailey

Title: Eat the Rich

Author: Sarah Gailey, Pius Bak, Roman Titov

Publisher: BOOM! Studios 2021

Genre: Comics

Pages: 128

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

WELCOME TO CRESTFALL BLUFFS! With law school and her whole life ahead of her, Joey plans to spend the summer with her boyfriend Astor at his seemingly perfect family home. But beneath all the affluent perfection lies a dark, deadly rot… something all the locals live in quiet fear of. As summer lingers, Joey uncovers the macabre history of Crestfall Bluffs, and the ruthlessness and secrecy lying in wait behind the idyllic lives of the one percent. Who can Joey save? Who wants to be saved? And can she even survive to tell the tale? The bold, horrifying psychological thriller from Hugo Award-winning author Sarah Gailey (The Echo Wife, Magic For Liars) and artist Pius Bak (Firefly, The Magicians) with colorist Roman Titov and letterer Cardinal Rae. Collects Eat the Rich #1-5.

Creepy little story where I think it’s going to one way and it goes another. I’ve really become a fan of Sarah Gailey’s work in the past few years. It’s great to see them try something a little different with a graphic novel. I sped through this slim volume in an afternoon simultaneously horrified by the contents and wanting to know more. Very gory commentary of our society and I really enjoyed it.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Silver Flames (ACOTAR #4)

Author:Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 757

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Finishing the Series

Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.

Up until this volume, I adored this series. I loved seeing Feyre find her place and make a family. I loved the political dealings between all the factions. I loved the romance of it all. But then we get to this volume and I am very disappointed. I really really disliked Nesta from her first appearance and I’ve never warmed up her all. She was so incredibly hateful towards Feyre and everyone else throughout the entire series that I just couldn’t connect to her. Even when we get an incredibly long book focused on her, I still don’t care. I really disliked how she treated Cassian. Even with her connections to Emerie and Gwen, I didn’t care about Nesta. I would have loved to have had the story focused on Emerie and Gwen or even Elain. Instead. I pushed myself through 750 pages of whiny angry Nesta. Even the spicy scenes couldn't temp me to give it a higher rating. So much was left undone at the end of this book. I just couldn’t.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

• #1 A Court of Thorns and Roses

• #2 A Court of Mist and Fury

• #3 A Court of Wings and Ruin

• #3.5 A Court of Frost and Starlight

• #4 A Court of Silver Flames

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #19

Reading: I picked up Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie from a list of truly terrifying novels and it’s living up to its reputation. Very, very spooky read for this week.

Watching: J had me start watching Preacher last month and we’ve been loving it so far. Onto season 2 right now.

Listening: When I get an hour or so, I queue up an episode of 99PI or Hello from the Magic Tavern. I’m to 2016 with those shows! Only many many years to go…

Making: For this year’s birthday party, our theme is an art party! I’m busing prepping the art stations all around the house. I have five stations to get ready in time for Saturday’s big event.

Feeling: Between the party, coop, regular activities, and general gigantic to do list, I am a bit stressed right now. I’m going to feel so much better after this weekend. I love doing a big themed party every year, but it is a lot of work.

Planning: Obviously I’m finalizing the birthday party plans. I have a shortlist of supplies to still buy (mostly things I forgot last week) and all the food to prep including baking two simple cakes.

Loving: So far this year, we’ve been to Vala’s three times! I still absolutely love it there. And as we are homeschoolers, buying season passes actually makes sense and is definitely worth the cost. I have five more visits scheduled between now and Halloween. Plus J has to go with us once.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W7: An Exhausting Week

Math & ELA Monday

What We Studied

Another week, another instance of me over-scheduling events and exhausting myself. The kids seem okay. I’m just so tired after last week…

A’s Science

ELA with Apple Until

Literature and Poetry

Arthur kept reading Echo Mountain. This is a gem of a book, but be forewarned, there are lots of big topics discussed. I’m really enjoying a book that I’ve never read before. Beyond the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills and starting our writing journey. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

• Poetry for Young People: American Poetry

• Poetry for Young People: African American Poetry

• Reading Explorer: Intro

• Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

Quentin finished our current Zoey and Sassafras book. I decided to mini theme unit about fall and apples to celebrate the season. So we spent our extra time reading picture books about those topics instead of diving into a new big read aloud. He also worked on some basic grammar.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Zoey and Sassafras 4: Caterflies and Ice by Asia Citro

• Where I Live: Poems About My Home, My Street, and My Town

• Apple Picking Day by Candice Ransom

• My Autumn Book by Wong Herbert Yee

• Fall Weather Fun by Martha E.H. Rustad

• Leaf by Leaf: Autumn Poems

• Hello Autumn Shelley Rotner

• The Apple Orchard Riddle by Margaret McNamara

• A is for Autumn by Robert Maass

• Apples by Gail Gibbons

• Kit and Kaboodle Visit the Farm by Michelle Portice

• Enough Apples by Kim Kane and Lucia Masciullo

• Apples A to Z by Margaret McNamara

• Apples to Applesauce by Inez Snyder

• It's Fall by Celeste Bishop

• Amelia Bedelia's First Apple Pie by Herman Parish

• Apples by Jacqueline Farmer

• Fall Apple Fun by Marta E.H. Rustad

• Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka

• Leaves by David Ezra Stein

Zipline Fun

Math

Arthur continued to dive into Singapore 5A. We are definitely going to slow down our math lessons a bit to make sure that Arthur achieves mastery. We also continued our next logic book.

• Singapore Common Core 5A

• Orbiting with Logic

Quentin continued working toward the end of Singapore 1B with a unit on math to 120. I’m still debating if we should take a small review break after finishing 1B and before beginning 2A. We also continued our logic book.

• Lollipop Logic Book 3

• Singapore Common Core 1B

Apple Unit

Q ELA and Science

Social Studies

Arthur jumped back into BYL 6 and History Quest: US History with Reconstruction. We covered the time period and the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. Our curriculum also had us take a step back to reconnect with Native Americans before and during the Civil War. We will be continuing with that storyline next week.

• DK American History

• We were There Too! Young People in US History

• Words that Build a Nation

• Heart and Soul

• Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States

• Red Cloud: A Lakota Story of War and Surrender by S.D. Nelson

Quentin covered the invention of writing with a focus on cuneiform. We took it easy and didn’t immediately jump into the next unit. We will get there.

• History Quest Early Times

• DK When on Earth?

• Human Wold

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK A Child Through Time

• A History of Western Art

• DK Science Year by Year

• The Genius of the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages by Izzi Howell

• Mesopotamia by Sunita Apte

A’s ELA/Math/Science

Science

Arthur is embarking upon RSO Chemistry this year. We will be doing the experiment portions with a group of coop friends. This week’s class focused on reviewing atoms and elements and taking a look at the first ten Elements on the periodic table. The experiments this week were not anything exciting, but the kids did get to play Periodic Table Battleship. We also covered two chapters in our Story of Science all about Galileo.

• RSO Chemistry

• DK Super Simple Chemistry

• Story of Science Vol. 2: Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim

• STEMQuest: Astonishing Atoms and Matter Mayhem

• DK The Elements

Quentin caught back up for science with mini units on cnidaria and earthworms.

• RSO Life

• DK Oversimple Biology

• Jellyfish by Kristen Rajczak

• Jellyfish by Mari Schuh

• Jellyfish by Grace Hansen

• How Old is a Whale? Animal Life Spans from the Mayfly to the Immortal Jellyfish by Lily Murray

• Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer

• This is a Book to Read with a Worm by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen

• Earthworms by Lisa J. Amstutz

• Thank You, Earthworms by Emma Huddleston

• Le's Look at Earthworms by Suzanne Paul Dell'Oro

STEAM Coop

Arthur’s class finished out their 2-week dive into drawing with another great lesson on shading and shapes. He was so excited to take home the sketchbook and writing tools. Quentin’s class was taught by me and we focused on leaves and art. I had the kids make a chalk pastels silhouette of a leaf. We then scoured the park for treasures and made our own leaf men a la Lois Ehlert’s classic book. I’m very excited to not teach for the next weeks as we transition to our winter building and I prep for my board game unit starting in November.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

And I continued not fitting in these subjects. I just could’t seem to get it to fit in our schedueles. I suspect this will be an issue until November, but hoping we can slide it in at least half of the weeks.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• Modern Art Adventures by Maja Pitamic and Jill Laidlaw

• 13 American Artists Children Should Know

• A Child's Introduction to Art

• Women in Art by Rachel Ignotofsky

• We are Artists by Kari Herbert

Field Trip

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent at Vala’s enjoying the pumpkin patch. It was Quentin’s birthday on Tuesday and he picked the patch. For his birthday dinner, he chose the Chinese buffet. Very yummy all around!

High

Thursday night, Arthur attended his first homeschool dance. A member of our HS community started organizing three yearly dances last school year. Thankfully she has continued it. The kids (6-18) get to have a safe space to hang out and dance the night away. As Arthur is 9, I got to drop him off for his two hour dance period. I popped down the street to the cider house to read and enjoy a spiced apple cider before having to pick him up. He loved it! And he even won one of the raffles collecting a 2 liter bottle of root beer. He was in heaven!

Low

Friday morning we were supposed to do our usual nature hike. I drove all the way before realizing that I had forgotten my wallet home. We had to turn around and drive all the way home. No nature hike for us. Pretty disappointing and threw off our whole day.

Next Week

• Finishing Echo Mountain

• Deciding on Q’s next read aloud

• Finishing 1B for Math (Q) and taking the next lessons in 5A slowly (A)

• Getting back into our history texts

• All the birthday party prep!

Music Monday - blink-182 "More Than You Know"

Finally, we get new music Mark, Tom, and Travis. I’m so excited about their new album!

Next up on the TBR pile:

October 2023 Life Goals

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

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Plan the Boys’ Birthday Party ✓

• Finish Out Our Summer Bucket List ✓ - We didn’t do great due to illness, but some things were check off.

• Start Our Fall Bucket List ✓ - Focusing on our favorites this year.

October Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Figure Out Christmas Plans

• Visit Vala’s 5x

• Make a TBR for the Rest of the Year (Hit the shortlist TBR choices!)

Next up on the TBR pile:

September 2023 Wrap-up

September TBR Pile (28/29):

1. Bookworms BC: The Mermaid by Christina Henry (already read)

2. Friend BC: Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen ✓

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Timeline by Michael Crichton ✓

4. Kid Read Aloud: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate ✓

5. Kid Read Aloud: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan ✓

6. Kid Book Club: The Last Human by Lee Bacon ✓

7. Romance: Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost ✓

8. Romance: Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost ✓

9. Romance: Devil to Pay by Jeaniene Frost (short story no review) ✓

10. Romance: Home for the Holidays by Jeaniene Frost (novella no review) ✓

11. Romance: Up from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost ✓

12. Romance: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center ✓

13. Romance: Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert ✓

14. Romance: Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost ✓

15. Romance: The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead ✓

16. Fantasy: Cinders by Michelle D. Argyle ✓

17. Fantasy: The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davies ✓

18. Fnbtasy: The Islands of Elsewhere by Heather Fawcett ✓

19. Fantasy: Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher ✓

20. Nonfiction: The Things We Make by Bill Hammock ✓

21. Nonfiction: The Kingdom of Prep by Maggie Bullock ✓

22. Thriller: 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard ✓

23. Mystery: Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala ✓

24. Horror: Mister Magic by Kiersten White ✓

25. Horror: The Haunting of Winchester Mansion by Alexandria Clarke ✓

26. Comic: Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge ✓

27. Comic: The Changeling King by Ethan M. Aldridge ✓

28. Comic: Once & Future Vol. 5 ✓

29. Comic: Lore Olympus Vol. 4 ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 8387 pages
Pages Remaining: 294,899 pages

Current Read - A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (1) - I finally picked up Katee Robert’s newest volume in the Dark Olympus series. Really proud of my book buying restraint this month.

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 339

• Books Read: 2

• Books Acquired: 1

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 338

October TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (already read)

2. Friend BC: Savage Appetites by Rachel Monroe

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Canas

4. Kid Read Aloud: Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

5. Kid Book Club: Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mulllaly Hunt

6. Fantasy: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

7. Romance: Into the Fire by Jeaniene Frost

Movies Watched

• Rogue One - Rewatched after finishing Andor. Still a really good contained Star Wars film.

• Local Hero - A quirky character study from 1983.

• Speed Racer - Family movie night

TV Shows Watched

• Andor

• Below Deck: Down Under

• Lower Decks S4

• Foundation S2

• Killing It S2

• Misfits S4-5

• Archer S

• Only Murders in the Building S3

• Fleabag S2

• Starstruck S3

• Preacher S1

Comments -

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

Title: The Boyfriend Candidate

Author: Ashley Winstead

Publisher: Graydon House 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Spice Rating: 5

As a shy school librarian, Alexis Stone is comfortable keeping out of the spotlight. But when she’s dumped for being too meek—in bed!—she decides she needs to change. And what better way to kick-start her new more adventurous life than with her first one-night stand?

Enter Logan, the gorgeous, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at a hotel bar. Audacious and filterless, Logan is Alexis’s opposite—and boy, do opposites attract! Just as she’s about to fulfill her hookup wish, the hotel catches fire in a freak lightning storm. In their rush to escape, Logan is discovered carrying her into the street, where people are waiting with cameras. Cameras Logan promptly—and shockingly—flees.

Alexis is bewildered until suddenly pictures of her and Logan escaping the fire are all over the internet. Turns out Logan is none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot candidate challenging the Texas governor’s seat. The salacious scandal is poised to sink his career—and jeopardize Alexis’s job—until a solution is proposed: he and Alexis could pretend to be in a relationship until election day…in two months. What could possibly go wrong?

A note about the spice rating: I would consider this one a 5, but that 5-ness doesn’t come into the story until about 80% of the way through the book. There’s just a lot of romcom tension before that point.

This was a good romcom style romance story complete with meet-cute, different worlds, forced proximity, and a very sexy if confusing MMC. I grabbed this one off the library’s new releases shelf just wanting something light and fluffy for the week. It definitely fits the bill. We get a fun romp of a story with two interesting main characters. I do think the book does suffer from not having the other main character’s point of view. I’ve found that I really enjoy the back and forth narrative style. This one is strictly told from Alexis’s point of view. This is realistic fiction although I did have a hard time buying the political situation in Texas. Just not that realistic. Suspending that, I sped through this book rooting for Alexis and Logan the entire time.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Title: Thornhedge

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Tor Books 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 116

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

There's a princess trapped in a tower. This isn't her story.

Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?

But nothing with fairies is ever simple.

Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He's heard there's a curse here that needs breaking, but it's a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…

A lovely fracture fairy tale full of great writing and a fast-paced plot. This little story gives us another perspective on the Sleeping Beauty tale. We get to fall for Toadling in all her other-worldly quirk. We see Toadling connect with a human. And we learn about just how Toadling came to be the guard for an overgrown keep and a sleeping form. I loved how Kingfisher took the Sleeping Beauty story and turned it on its head. I have a real weakness for the “what if the princess was evil?” type of fracture fairy tale. This slim novella was tons of fun with a satisfying ending.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Haunting of Winchester Mansion by Alexandria Clarke

Title: The Haunting of Winchester Mansion

Author: Alexandria Clarke

Publisher: 2019

Genre: Horror Mystery

Pages: 440

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; COYER

In the small town of Black Bay, a vacant, forgotten house sits atop an overlooking bluff.

When Bailey and Bodhi Taylor move in and begin renovations, the house seems perfect. But things move on their own, screams echo from the basement, and Bailey sees a shadowy figure out of the corner of her eye. Is the house haunted? And if it is, what does the ghost want with Bailey?

CW: Child death

Well that was a bust for me. I was hoping for some creepy supernatural mystery a la Darcy Coates. Instead, we get a very lackluster mundane mystery with a few supernatural bits. I called the murderer within the first 50 pages and then felt myself becoming more and more bored over the course of the last 400 pages. The story was way too long and drawn out for what it was. The main characters frustrated me. I was not happy about their backstory and the casual way it was dropped. Seriously needed a content warning there… Add in the weird way the story was broken up and edited and I was very annoyed by it. I suspect that this was three novellas that were then smashed into one big book. If you are going to do that, please edit the transitions better. Very annoying.

Next up on the TBR pile: