2024 Reading Challenges

Another year, another attempt at reading challenges. Once again, I’m going to try to complete a variety of challenges. At the same time, I really want to keep my mood reading to direct my reading. Let’s see if I can combine the two.

2024 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge

• UnRead Shelf Project

• Kid Read Alouds

• 52 Book Club

• She Reads Romance

• COYER

• Decades

• Library Love

• Lifetime

• Nonfiction Reader

• In Case You Missed It

• Clock

• Fairytale

Goodreads Challenge (200) - I’m sticking with my usual 200 books for this overall goal. Last year, I ended up going far past my goal and read 272 books. I don’t necessarily want to up my year goal, so I’m going to stick with 200.

UnRead Shelf (50) - My sixth year attempt to control my Unread Shelf. Let’s see if I can do a better job of it this year. I’m not going to make a Top 10 list, but I do want to read 50 books off my shelf. Currently, I have 324 books on that shelf.

Kid Read Alouds (20) - Continuing with this challenge again this year. We have some great read aloud choices for the spring semester. And I’m sure that I’ll pick some great titles for the fall semester.

52 Book Club (52) - I am often tempted by big diverse prompt challenges, but I lot I have issues with the prompts. This one seems to be more in line with how I read. And I like the one book a week idea. So I’m going to attempt this one! You can find more information at The 52 Book Club.

She Reads Romance (36) - My romance challenge from last year seems to have disappeared, so I had to chose a new one. This one has a good mix of genres and tropes to look for. You can find more information at She Reads Romance.

COYER (Clean Out Your E-Reader) (20) - Goodness knows that I have too many books on my Kindle app. It’s time to start attempting to reduce that number. More information at Because Reading.

Decades (12) - A new to me challenge from The Book Girls’ Guide. In this one, I’ll be hitting books set in different decades.

Lifetime (12) - A new to me challenge from The Book Girls’ Guide. In this one, I’ll be hitting books with characters of different ages.

In Case You Missed It (12) - A new to me challenge from The Book Girls’ Guide. In this one, I’ll be hitting books from a variety of previous published years.

Nonfiction Reader (12) - Last year, I realized that my nonfiction reading was practically nonexistent. I want to change that for 2024. So I’m joining the nonfiction book challenge hosted by Book’d Out.

Library Love (60) - Of course I’m going to sign up of a Library Book Challenge. I love using the library, so this one is going to be an easy challenge for me. This particular one is hosted by Books of My Heart.

Clock (12) - Read books with numbers 1-12 in the title. This sounded like a fun silly challenge. You can find more information at Jo Linsdell.

Fairytale Retelling (12) - I love a good fairytale retelling, so I had to join this one. You can find more information at Charity Rau.

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I also decided to create my own spice meter for romance books. A 1-5 scale seemed too limiting for the types of books I read. So I expanded it to 8 levels with corresponding explanations. I will be rating all of my romance books on this new scale.

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My rating system:

• 5 stars - loved it, will tell everyone (or almost everyone) to read it

• 4 stars - liked it, would recommend to certain people

• 3 stars - okay book, but maybe not something i would recommend, maybe not a book for me, but I see merit

• 2 stars - disliked it

• 1 star - finished the book, but hated it! will rant to anyone about why I hated this one

Timekeeper by Tara Sim

Title: Timekeeper

Author: Tara Sim

Publisher: Sky Pony Press 2016

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 414

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Lifetime - Teenage Characters

“I was in an accident. I got out. I'm safe now.” An alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, where a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.

A prodigy mechanic who can repair not only clockwork, but time itself, determined to rescue his father from a Stopped town.

A series of mysterious bombings that could jeopardize all of England.

A boy who would give anything to relive his past, and one who would give anything to live at all.

A romance that will shake the very foundations of time.

The first book in a dazzling new steampunk-fantasy trilogy, Timekeeper introduces a magical world of mythology and innovation that readers will never want to leave.

My mom has been wanting me to read this book for almost a year. I finally put it on my short list TBR and enjoyed it. This has a very melancholy feel to it mixed in with the fantasy and steampunk elements. I wouldn’t say that the melancholy lessened my enjoyment, but I was expecting something a bit more upbeat and glittering. Once I settled into the story, I really fell for Danny and his attempt at finding a better life for himself. Once we realize exactly who Colton is, the story kicks in and I was very interested to see where the story went. This was an intriguing story about time and love.

Timekeeper

• #1 Timekeeper

• #2 Chainbreaker

• #3 Firestarter

Next up on the TBR pile:

2024 Goals and Resolutions

Checking in with my 2023 Goals and Resolutions

House Goals/Resolutions

• Organize My Craft Room/Library ✓

• Make Progress with One Home Project - Um… well house project really took a backseat to a lot of things this year.

Life Goals/Resolutions

• Complete 52 Hikes - We got so close! We’re ending the year at 44 hikes. I think that’s a great number even if I didn’t hit 52.

• Add More Vegetarian Dishes to Our Rotation ✓

• Take Care of My Medical Issues ✓

Reading Goals/Resolutions

• Read 200 Books/60,000 Books ✓

• Clear Off 50 Books from My UnRead Shelf - Nope, but that’s okay.

• Skip at Least 50% of BOTM Months ✓

Homeschool Goals/Resolutions

• Create a Long-Term Plan for Homeschool Curriculum ✓

• Continue to Organize the Coop, But Also Delegate for Growth ✓

And now on to 2024…

House Goals/Resolutions

• Paint the living room (and maybe playroom) - Other projects haven’t progressed as far I had hoped, and I’m oh so sick of the walls in the living room and playroom. I convinced J to paint those two rooms at least in the spring.

• Downsize the playroom - The kids aren’t playing with as many tows as they were, so I want to downsize the playroom and start the transition to study/homeschool/video game room.

Life Goals/Resolutions

• Complete 52 Hikes -We’re going to attempt this one again in 2024. I’m really trying to be more and more intentional with our outside time.

• Add More Vegetarian Dishes to Our Rotation - Adding this one on our resolution list again next year. It’s been a great experiment, but I want to do more.

• Work on a Better Budget - I really want to retool our expenses for 2024 and work out a bitter budget.

Reading Goals/Resolutions

• Read 200 Books/60,000 Books - Going with the same thing as last year.

• Clear Off 50 Books from My UnRead Shelf - Going to try again.

• Skip at Least 50% of BOTM Months - This was a great goal and I really did stick with it. If I’m not super excited about the selections, I’m going to skip that month.

Homeschool Goals/Resolutions

• Be a Leader for the Secular Homeschool Community - I want to help others in the area lead the community of secular homeschoolers. There’s not that many of us and we should be inclusive and supportive.

• Move the Coop into the Next Era - I have some dreams and plans that I would love to see come to fruition in 2024.

• Complete Another Year of Homeschooling - We’ve got some great things are going and I want to keep it up in 2024.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Title: Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1)

Author: Matt Dinniman

Publisher: 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 446

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - More Than 40 Chapters

The apocalypse will be televised!

A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible. 

In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth - from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds - collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground.

The buildings and all the people inside have all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot. A dungeon so enormous, it circles the entire globe.

Only a few dare venture inside. But once you're in, you can't get out. And what's worse, each level has a time limit. You have but days to find a staircase to the next level down, or it's game over. In this game, it's not about your strength or your dexterity. It's about your followers, your views. Your clout. It's about building an audience and killing those goblins with style. 

You can't just survive here. You gotta survive big.

You gotta fight with vigor, with excitement. You gotta make them stand up and cheer. And if you do have that "it" factor, you may just find yourself with a following. That's the only way to truly survive in this game - with the help of the loot boxes dropped upon you by the generous benefactors watching from across the galaxy.

They call it Dungeon Crawler World. But for Carl, it's anything but a game.

J has been trying to get me to start reading this series for a few months now. I just wasn’t really in the mood for an RPG style narration until now. Once I started, I really couldn’t put this one down. Carl and Princess Doughnut are great protagonists that you can’t help but root for. As they stumble their way through Levels 1 and 2 of the dungeon causing chaos in their wake, I was on pins and needles desperate to see what was around the next corner. I really felt like we were in a video game encountering obstacles and bosses, figuring out puzzles, and attempting to survive just one more hour. Meeting other crawlers added the human element in a decidedly non-human environment. I can’t wait to read (or listen, the audio performance is great) the next book in the series.

Dungeon Crawler Carl

• #1 Dungeon Crawler Carl

• #2 Carl’s Doomsday Scenario

• #3 The Dungeon' Anarchist’s Cookbooks

• #4 The Gate of the Feral Gods

• #5 The Butcher’s Masquerade

• #6 The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

Next up on the TBR pile:

2023 Reading Challenges Roundup: Completed and Failed

For 2023, I brought back reading challenges into my life. Let’s see which ones I actually finished.

Completed Challenges

Goodreads
Goal 272/200 Books 100%

COYER (Clean Out Your E-Reader)
Goal 20/20 Books 100%

1. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (1/21/23)

2. The Vampire Villain by Melody Raven (4/6/23)

3. The Library of the Unwritten by AJ Hackwith (5/24/23)

4. Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon (5/25/23)

5. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (6/15/23)

6. The Bees by Laline Paull (7/22/23)

7. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (7/19/23)

8. Wasted Words by Staci Hart (7/27/23)

9. 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard (9/7/23)

10. Devil to Pay by Jeaniene Frost (9/1/23)

11. Home for the Holidays by Jeaniene Frost (9/1/23)

12. Cinders by Michelle D. Argyle (9/13/23)

13. The Haunting of Winchester Mansion by Alexandria Clarke (9/27/23)

14. Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti (10/6/23)

15. Ark by Veronica Roth (11/24/23)

16. Summer Frost by Blake Crouch (11/24/23)

17. Emergency Skin by NK Jemisin (11/24/23)

18. You Have Arrived at Your Destination by Amor Towles (11/25/23)

19. The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay (11/25/23)

20. Randomize by Andy Weir (11/25/23)

Seasonal - Fall
Goal 25/25 Books 100%

1. 5 Books in a Series ✓

   • Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost (9/23/23)

   • Into the Fire by Jeaniene Frost (10/5/23)

   • A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (10/4/23)

   • Preacher Vol. 1 (10/22/23)

   • Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark (11/2/23)

2. 5 Spooky Books ✓

   • Mister Magic by Kiersten White (9/24/23)

   • Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie (10/10/23)

   • This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham (10/7/23)

   • The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry (10/20/23)

   • The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher (10/13/23)

3. 5 Kindle/Ebooks ✓

   • The Haunting of Winchester Mansion by Alexandria Clarke (9/27/23)

   • Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti (10/6/23)

   • Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (10/14/23)

   • Ark by Veronica Roth (11/24/23)

   • Summer Frost by Blake Crouch (11/24/23)

4. 3 Kid Read Alouds ✓

   • Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk (10/4/23)

   • Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales by Kiersten White (10/11/23)

   • Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (10/21/23)

5. 3 Nonfiction ✓

   • The Kingdom of Prep by Maggie Bullock (9/22/23)

   • Savage Appetites by Rachel Monroe (10/19/23)

   • Unlikeable Female Characters by Anna Bogutskaya (11/15/23)

6. 2 Audiobooks ✓

   • Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw (10/21/23)

   • White Cat by Holly Black (10/26/23)

7. 2 Random Library Picks ✓

   • Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (9/28/23)

   • The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead (9/29/23)

Seasonal - Summer
Goal 25/25 Books 100%

1. 3 Unread Shelf Books ✓

   • This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (7/14/23)

   • Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost (7/26/23)

   • Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (9/21/23)

2. 3 Buddy Reads / Book Club Selections ✓

   • The Bees by Laline Paull (7/22/23)

   • Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman (7/15/23)

   • Anatomy by Dana Schwartz (7/25/23)

3. 3 MG/YA Books ✓

   • Don’t Turn Out the Lights (6/29/23)

   • Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings (6/29/23)

   • Camp Red Moon by R.L. Stine (7/21/23)

4. 3 Kid Read Alouds ✓

   • Wildoak by CC Harrington (8/24/23)

   • The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (9/13/23)

   • Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien (8/18/23)

5. 3 Audiobooks ✓

   • The Curator by Owen King (6/27/23)

   • Starship Titanic by Douglas Adams and Terry Jones (6/28/23)

   • The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (6/29/23)

6. 3 Retreat Purchases or Recs ✓

   • Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A Snyder (7/19/23)

   • Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (7/22/23)

   • Break Your Glass Slippers by Amanda Lovelace (8/15/23)

7. 3 Nonfiction ✓

   • Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy (7/25/23)

   • Hey Hun by Emily Lynn Paulson (8/2/23)

   • The Things We Make by Bill Hammack (9/8/23)

8. 2 Books in a Series ✓

   • The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George (6/24/23)

   • Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (7/19/23)

9. 2 Random Library Choices ✓

   • Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse (7/3/23)

   • The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox (7/7/23)

Kid Read Alouds
Goal 20/20 Books 100%

1. Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans by Russell Ginns (1/11/23)

2. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (1/20/23)

3. The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin (1/19/23)

4. Winterhouse by Ben Guterson (2/9/23)

5. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (2/3/23)

6. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dagliesh (1/23/23)

7. Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate (2/16/23)

8. A True Home by Kallie George (2/23/23)

9. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis (3/8/23)

10. Argos by Ralph Hardy (3/11/23)

11. The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne (3/22/23)

12. The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix (4/8/23)

13. Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca (4/14/23)

14. The Greatest Gift by Kallie George (4/11/23)

15. The Last Shadow Warrior by Sam Subity (5/14/23)

16. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (6/5/23)

17. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater (5/18/23)

18. The Deceivers by Margaret Peterson Haddix (6/4/23)

19. Wildoak by CC Harrington (8/24/23)

20. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien (8/18/23)

Seasonal - Winter
Goal 25/25 Books 100%

1. 5 Graphic Novels/Comic Trades

   • Ducks by Kate Beaton (1/11/23)

   • Lore, Olympus Vol. 3 by Rachel Smythe (1/25/23)

   • The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona (1/22/23)

   • Lady Mechanika Vol. 7 (1/27/23)

   • The Dollhouse Family (1/28/23)

2. 5 Scifi/Fantasy Books

   • Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert (1/11/23)

   • Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter (1/13/23)

   • The End and Other Beginnings by Veronica Roth (1/18/23)

   • One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (1/20/23)

   • Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire (2/4/23)

3. 3 Buddy Reads (CR and Nerdy Bookish Friends)

   • The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (1/21/23)

   • Babel by RF Kaung (2/22/23)

   • A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (3/18/23)

4. 3 Nonfiction Books

   • Paradise Falls by Keith O’Brien (1/16/23)

   • A Literary Education by Emily Cook (1/24/23)

   • Death in the Air by Kate Winkler Dawson (2/25/23)

5. 3 Romance

   • Misadventures of a Curvy Girl by Sierra Simone (1/12/23)

   • It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey (1/26/23)

   • Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath (2/5/23)

6. 2 Classics

   • Timemaster by Robert L. Forward (2/24/23)

   • The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald (3/14/23)

7. 2 Middle Grade

   • Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack (1/25/23)

   • Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack (2/3/23)

8. 2 Historical Fiction

   • Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (2/14/23)

   • The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron (3/18/23)

Failed Challenges

UnRead Shelf
Goal 28/50 Books 56%

1. January: Comfort - Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (1/19/23)

2. February: Courage - Babel by R.F. Kuang (2/22/23)

3. March: Enough - The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald (3/14/23)

4. April: Delight - Crossings by Alex Landragin (4/29/23)

5. May: Curious - Cinders & Sparrows by Stefan Bachmann (5/12/23)

6. June: Explore - Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen (6/17/23)

7. July: Joy - Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (7/8/23)

8. August: Immerse - The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker (8/18/23)

9. September: Remember - Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manasala (9/21/23)

10. October: Influence - The Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas (10/18/23)

11. November: Nurture - Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters (11/21/23)

12. One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (1/20/23)

13. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (1/24/23)

14. At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost (1/27/23)

15. Lady Mechanika Vol. 7 (1/27/23)

16. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee (3/23/23)

17. Weyward by Emilia Hart (3/28/23)

18. The Night Ship by Jess Kidd (4/8/23)

19. Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost (4/21/23)

20. First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost (4/28/23)

21. Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young (7/5/23)

22. This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (7/14/23)

23. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (7/12/23)

24. Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A Snyder (7/19/23)

25. Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost (7/26/23)

26. Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert (9/19/23)

27. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (10/24/23)

28. Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott (10/29/23)

Book of the Month Cleanout
Goal 11/12 Books 91.7%

1. Babel by R.F. Kuang (2/22/23)

2. Weyward by Emilia Hart (3/28/23)

3. Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen (6/17/23)

4. Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young (7/5/23)

5. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (7/8/23)

6. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (7/12/23)

7. The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker (8/18/23)

8. Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manasala (9/21/23)

9. The Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas (10/18/23)

10. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (10/24/23)

11. Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott (10/29/23)

The 52 Book Club
Goal 46/52 Books 88.5%

1. A Book with a Subtitle - You Need to Lose Weight by Aubrey Gordon (3/26/23)

2. Featuring an Inheritance - Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath (2/11/23)

3. Title Starting with “G” - The Getaway by Lamar Giles (3/30/23)

4. Title Starting with “H” - Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey (2/28/23)

5. Title Starting with “I” - Icebreaker by Hannah Grace (6/25/23)

6. Under 200 Pages - Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire (2/4/23)

7. A City or Country Name in Title - The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews (5/5/23)

8. Dystopian Fiction - The Stranded by Sarah Daniels (3/4/23)

9. A Book with a Dedication - A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (5/4/23)

10. Takes Place During the Roaring Twenties - The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald (3/14/23)

11. A Book About Secrets - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (1/24/23)

12. High Fantasy - The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (1/21/23)

13. Published Posthumously - Starship Titanic by Douglas Adams and Terry Jones (6/28/23)

14. A Survival Story - A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs (2/8/23)

15. Set in Australia - Acid for the Children by Flea (3/22/23)

16. Featuring One of the “Seven Deadly Sins” - Priest by Sierra Simone (1/31/23)

17. By a Caribbean Author

18. Set During a War Other Than WWI or WWII - Timeline by Michael Crichton (9/16/23)

19. Typographic Cover - VenCo by Cherie Dimaline (5/30/23)

20. A Book About Siblings - Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca (2/10/23)

21. A Second-Hand Book - Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters (11/21/23)

22. A Body-Positive Message - A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone (2/9/23)

23. An Alliterative Title - Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce (5/27/23)

24. Nordic Noir

25. A Fashionable Character - A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (5/26/23)

26. Has an Epilogue - The Deal by Elle Kennedy (1/13/23)

27. Newbery Medal Winner - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (9/13/23)

28. Includes a Funeral - Immortality by Dana Schwartz (7/28/23)

29. Sends You Down a Rabbit Hole - The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher (4/25/23)

30. An Author with a Same Name Town as You - The First Bright Thing by JR Dawson (8/23/23)

31. Set in a Workplace - Come as You Are by Jess K. Hardy (2/23/23)

32. Published by Macmillan - The First Bright Thing by JR Dawson (8/23/23)

33. A Banned Book

34. Featuring Mythology - The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi (3/8/23)

35. A Book You Meant to Read Last Year - The Mistake by Elle Kennedy (2/25/23)

36. Chapters have Cliffhangers - Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty (3/3/23)

37. Written in Present Tense - Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack (2/3/23)

38. An Enemies-to-Lovers Plot - Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (7/13/23)

39. The Final Book in a Series - The Dire King by William Ritter (1/28/23)

40. Written by a Comedian

41. A Character Who is a Refugee - Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang (8/16/23)

42. Time in the Title - The End and Other Beginnings by Veronica Roth (1/18/23)

43. A Book “Everyone” has Read - The Mountain the Sea by Ray Nayler (3/11/23)

44. A Contemporary Setting - How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder (5/20/23)

45. First Word in the Book is “The” - The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill (4/26/23)

46. Script Font on the Spine - Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal (5/23/23)

47. Set in the City of Dublin

48. A Book by Octavia E. Butler

49. Books on the Cover - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (8/4/23)

50. Related to the Word “Murder” - Silent Came the Monster by Amy Hill Hearth (7/29/23)

51. Doesn't Fit Any of the Other 51 Prompts - Ducks by Kate Beaton (1/11/23)

52. Published in 2023 - The Drift by CJ Tudor (3/25/23)

Romanceopoly
Goal 37/39 Books 94.9%

1. Sleuth Street (Mystery/Thriller where main character is a detective or PI) - My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey (3/15/23)

2. Library (Free Choice) - Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath (2/11/23)

3. Killer Crescent (Mystery/Thriller of choice) - Radiant Sin by Katee Robert (4/5/23)

4. The Bar (Main character works at or owns a bar) - Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis (2/15/23)

5. Winter (Winter holiday book) - A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone (2/9/23)

6. Flirts Corner (Contemporary author you haven’t tried before) - Come as You Are by Jess K. Hardy (2/23/23)

7. BFF’s House (Friends to Lovers) - Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey (2/28/23)

8. Amour Avenue (Contemporary romance with an Illustrated cover) - Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca (2/10/23)

9. Passion Place (Slow Burn or Instant Heat Contemporary Romance) - Priest by Sierra Simone (1/31/23)

10. Post Office (Set in a different country) - The Secret Society of Tea and Treason by India Holton (6/7/23)

11. Courtship Row (Read a historical romance with a clinch cover) - Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian (8/9/23)

12. Burger Joint (Read a book where one of the main characters is in the food industry, for example, a chef, food critic or a restaurant or food truck owner) - When in Rome by Sarah Adams (5/9/23)

13. The Cobbles (Historical romance with a rake) - Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath (2/5/23)

14. Past Eaves (Read the historical romance that catches your interest) - The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews (5/5/23)

15. Spring (Read a book that has an animal on the cover) - Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (4/15/23)

16. Fang Alley (Paranormal where one of the main characters is a vampire) - Court of the Vampire Queen (1/11/23)

17. Library (Free Choice) - The Score by Elle Kennedy (3/24/23)

18. Fated Folly (Read a paranormal romance with a bit of magic in it) - Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost (9/12/23)

19. The Vault (Paranormal with the main character on the cover) - Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (1/19/23)

20. Haunted House (Read a monster romance or something spooky) - The Dragon’s Bride by Katee Robert (11/3/23)

21. Ever Afters St. (Read a sapphic romance) -

22. Farmers Market (Where one of the main characters is a farmer or rancher or cowboy) - Misadventure of a Curvy Girl by Sierra Simone (1/12/23)

23. Rainbow Row (Read a romance featuring an LGBTQIA+ main character) - The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles (8/8/23)

24. Lovers Lane (Read a male/male romance) - The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian (6/9/23)

25. Summer (Water on the Cover; Set at the Beach) - It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey (1/26/23)

26. Action Avenue (Read a fantasy from your TBR) - The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell (4/8/23)

27. City Lane (Read a fantasy that doesn’t involve magic) - Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert (9/19/23)

28. The Gym (Read the longest book on your TBR) - Snowed in for Christmas by Jaqueline Snowe (12/2/23)

29. Journeys End (Read a fantasy with a cover that takes your breath away) - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (8/4/23)

30. Emergency Services (Main Character is a part of emergency services {I’m counting Archer’s job}) - Accidentally on Purpose by Jill Shalvis (2/17/23)

31. Campus Corner (Set in college/university) - The Deal by Elle Kennedy (1/13/23)

32. Soldier Street (Read a book where one of the main characters are in the military) - Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas by Joanne Kennedy (12/21/23)

33. Library (Free Choice) - How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder (5/20/23)

34. Beau Boulevard (Read a young adult book of your choice) - The Prince and the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell (10/26/23)

35. Autumn (Read a book that has either: A red or gold cover; or, Has trees and leaves on the cover; or, Has a cozy vibe) - Role Playing by Cathy Yardley (11/29/23)

36. The Office (Read a romance where the characters meet at work) - The Fine Print by Lauren Asher (5/17/23)

37. Star Harbour (Read a sci fi where one of the main characters is an alien) -

38. Coffee Shop (Read a book that has been recommended to you!) - A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair (4/11/23)

39. Outer Space (Read a sci fi with the “mars needs women” trope) - Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon (5/25/23)

Finishing the Series
Goal 8/10 Books 80%

1. ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas ✓

   • A Court of Silver Flames (10/4/23)

2. Jackaby by William Ritter ✓

   • Ghostly Echoes (1/11/23)

   • The Dire King (1/28/23)

3. Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost ✓

   • Halfway to the Grave (1/19/23)

   • Happily Never After (8/12/23)

   • One Foot in the Grave (1/20/23)

   • At Grave’s End (1/27/23)

   • Destined for an Early Grave (4/21/23)

   • This Side of the Grave (7/14/23)

   • One Grave at a Time (8/29/23)

   • Up from the Grave (9/15/23)

4. Heartbreaker Bay by Jill Shalvis ✓

   • Sweet Little Lies (2/15/23)

   • Accidentally on Purpose (2/17/23)

   • Chasing Christmas Eve (2/18/23)

   • Holiday Wishes (2/21/23)

   • About that Kiss (3/9/23)

   • Hot Winter Nights (3/29/23)

   • Playing for Keeps (8/5/23)

   • Wrapped Up in You (8/11/23)

5. Night Huntress World ✓

   • First Drop of Crimson (4/28/23)

   • Eternal Kiss of Darkness (7/26/23)

6. Night Prince ✓

   • Once Burned (9/6/23)

   • Twice Tempted (9/12/23)

   • Bound by Flames (9/23/23)

   • Into the Fire (10/5/23)

7. The Austens

   • Wasted Words (7/27/23)

   • A Thousand Letters

   • Love, Hannah

   • Love Notes

   • Pride and Papercuts

8. The Doomsday Books

   • The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (8/8/23)

   • A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel

9. Regency Imposters ✓

   • Unmasked by the Marquess (8/9/23)

   • A Duke in Disguise (8/24/23)

   • A Delicate Deception (11/18/23)

10. The Sinister Summer ✓

    • Vampiric Vacation (8/12/23)

    • Camp Creepy (8/25/23)

    • Menacing Manor (8/30/23)

Seasonal - Spring
Goal 23/25 Books 80%

1. 5 Scifi/Fantasy Books ✓

   • The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee (3/23/23)

   • The Night Ship by Jess Kidd (4/8/23)

   • The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill (4/26/23)

   • Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth (5/10/23)

   • Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (5/18/23)

2. 5 Romance ✓

   • The Score by Elle Kennedy (3/24/23)

   • Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis (3/29/23)

   • Radiant Sin by Katee Robert (4/5/23)

   • The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell (4/8/23)

   • A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair (4/11/23)

3. 5 Middle Grade Books

   • Cinders & Sparrows by Stefan Bachmann (5/12/23)

   • Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier (6/6/23)

   • Silver People by Margarita Engle (6/11/23)

   • TBD

   • TBD

4. 4 Kindle Books ✓

   • The Vampire Villain by Melody Raven (4/6/23)

   • Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (4/15/23)

   • Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradel (5/23/23)

   • I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (5/17/23)

5. 3 Nonfiction Books ✓

   • Acid for the Children by Flea (3/22/23)

   • You Need to Lose Weight by Aubrey Gordon (3/26/23)

   • Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski (4/22/23)

6. 3 Buddy Reads / Book Club Selections ✓

   • The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (4/14/23)

   • The Library of the Unwritten by AJ Hackwith (5/24/23)

   • The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (6/15/23)

January 2024 Life Goals

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

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Complete our Christmas Bucket List - We didn’t get to everything, but had a great holiday season.

• Travel to Indiana for Christmas ✓

• Finalize Reading Retreat Plans - Still working on some the details.

• Prep Blog for 2024 ✓

• Solidify Art and Geometry Plan (Coop) - Almost there…

• Get the Spring Semester in Order (Homeschool) ✓

January Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Emails for Retreats (January and June)

• Finalize Coop Plans for Spring

• Get Started on our 52 Hikes for the Year

Next up on the TBR pile:

2023 Wrap-up

Favorite Books of the Year:

1. Babel by RF Kuang

2. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

3. The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Naylor

4. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

5. The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

6. Weyward by Emilia Hart

7. Camp Creepy by Kierstin White (really the second, third, and fourth books of the Sinister Summer series)

8. Come as Your Are by Emily Nagoski

9. The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton

10. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

Honorable Mentions: The HM category is reserved for rereads that I really loved.

• Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

• A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

• A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Total Books Read – 272 books

Total Pages Read – 85,397 pages

I averaged 7116 pages per month.  My lowest month was April with only 5506 pages.  My highest month was June with 8690 pages.  I hope to read 75,000 pages next year.

Book Rating Stats 

• 5 stars —62 books

• 4 stars —126 books

• 3 stars — 70 books

• 2 stars — 14 books

• 1 star — 0 books

• DNFs — 0 books

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Bucket List Finish

We didn’t finish this list, but I’m very much okay with that this year. We needed to take everything a little easier this year. I’m grateful for the slower pace.

Read 10 Holiday Romances (10/10) ✓

• Snowed In by Jaqueline Snowe

• The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score

• A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

• Love in a Blizzard by Britney M. Mills

• White Lie Christmas by Karla Doyle

• A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

• Miss Kane’s Christmas by Caroline Mickelson

• Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas by Joanne Kennedy

• The Worst Christmas Ever? by Rebecca Paulinyi

• Fall for the Rockstar at Christmas by Lyndsey Gallagher

Coop Christmas Party! ✓

Decorate the Mini Tree ✓

Letter to Santa ✓

Christmas Movies x3 (1/3)

• White Christmas

Make Paper Snowflakes ✓

Go See Santa at Cabela’s ✓

Go See Werner Park Lights ✓

Hot Chocolate Bar ✓ - We all agreed that the Salted Caramel was the clear winner.

Meet the Reindeer - We missed them by two days. I didn’t realize that they had a limited stay this year.

Go for a Winter Hike

Puzzle Day ✓

Make Gingerbread Cookies ✓ Also, we decorated a pre-built gingerbread house.

Visit Zoolightful at the Zoo ✓ with bonus Santa meeting

Drive around and see the lights ✓

Fantasy of Lights ✓

Dinner at Coney Island and Visit to Santa Lights ✓

Christmas music dance party ✓

Watch The Grinch

Make Peppermint Bark

Christmas Advent Books ✓

• Merry Christmas, Peanut! by Terry Border

• Who’s that Knocking on Christmas Eve? by Jan Brett

• A Very Quacky Christmas by Frances Watts and Ann James

• Santa Claws by Laura Leuck

• Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood

• Maple and Willow’s Christmas Tree by Lori Nichols

• Little Bear’s Special Friend by Claire Freedman

• The Nutcracker’s Night Before Christmas by Keith Brockett

• The 12 Days of Christmas by Greg Pizzoli

• The Nutcracker retold by John Cech

• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree by Vikki VanSickle

• It’s Christmas by Tracey Corderoy

• Clark the Shark Loves Christmas by Bruce Hale

• Was That Christmas? by Hilary McKay

• Bears Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson

• The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy

• Who’ll Pull Santa’s Sleigh Tonight? by Laura Rader

• The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains by Annie Silvestro

• The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg

• Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry

• The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray

• The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson

• The Littlest Elf by Brandi Dougherty

• The Littlest Reindeer by Brandi Dougherty

• If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff

• How to Catch an Elf by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton

• One Snowy Morning by Kevin Tseng

• I’m Going to Build a Snowman by Jashar Swan

Find a New Christmas Album

Have a Candy Cane Hunt

Go Sledding

Send out Christmas cards

Try a new holiday drink

Make a snowglobe

Make Christmas cocktails

Create my December Daily base pages

Read A Christmas Carol ✓

Bonus: We checked out the very large Christmas tree at the Durham.

Bonus: We had to stop at Albanese on our way to Indiana. This year they had a whole moose on a ski mountain display. Loved it!

Bonus: The Fort Wayne Zoo did a whole Christmas daytime thing and we had to check it out. Years ago, they used to have lights at night. This year, they just had some special displays and certain animals were out. Plus free carousel and train rides.

Next Up on the TBR Pile:

December 2023 Wrap-up

December TBR Pilev (22/25):

1. Bookworms BC: None

2. Friend BC: None

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson ✓

4. Kid Read Aloud: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle ✓

5. Kid Read Aloud: The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown ✓

6. Kid Book Club: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

7. Nonfiction: Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar ✓

8. Romance: Snowed in for Christmas by Jaqueline Snowe ✓

9. Romance: Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London ✓

10. Romance: Gray Hair Don’t Care by Karen Booth ✓

11. Romance: The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score ✓

12. Romance: A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews ✓

13. Romance: Love in a Blizzard by Britney M. Mills ✓

14. Romance: White Lie Christmas by Karla Doyle ✓

15. Romance: A Winter in New York by Josie Silver ✓

16. Romance: That Kind of Guy by Talia Hibbert ✓

17. Romance: Miss Kane’s Christmas by Caroline Mickelson ✓

18. Romance: A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn ✓

19. Romance: Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas by Joanne Kennedy ✓

20. Romance: The Worst Christmas Ever? by Rebecca Paulinyi ✓

21. Romance: The Stopover by TL Swan ✓

22. Romance: Falling for the Rockstar at Christmas by Lyndsey Gallagher ✓

23. Thriller: Whalefall by Daniel Kraus ✓

24. Fantasy: Magical Midlife Madness by KF Breene ✓

25. Fantasy: Under the Smokestrewn Sky by A. Deborah Baker ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 6250 pages
Pages Remaining: 274,988 pages

Current Read - Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros; Timekeeper by Tara Sim

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (3):

For the book club’s Christmas Book and Bottle Exchange, I ended up with Pinot Noir by Mads Molnar. Looks like an interesting mystery/action story.

I actually found two BOTM selections that I really wanted.

• The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen

• The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 337

• Books Read: 0

• Books Acquired: 3

• Books Unshelved: 4

• Finishing Number: 336

January TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: Mrs. Sherlock Holmes by Brad Ricca

2. Friend BC: The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

4. Kid Read Aloud: Charlotte’s Web by EB White

5. Kid Read Aloud: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

6. Kid Book Club: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

7. Fantasy: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

8. Fantasy: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

9. Fantasy: Timekeeper by Tara Sim

10. Fantasy: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

11. Science Fiction: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Movies Watched

• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

• Newsies

• Solaris (1972)

• Silent Night

TV Shows Watched

• Doctor Who

• Below Deck: Med

• Bachelor in Paradise

• Slow Horses S3

• Obliterated S1

• Rick & Morty

• Archer - Series finale! I can’t believe that show aired for 14 seasons!

• One Piece S1

• Lockwood and Co. S1

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians S1

Comments - Ending my year on a high note for my reading and media watching. Looking forward to what 2024 will bring.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Falling for the Rockstar at Christmas by Lyndsey Gallagher

Title: Falling for the Rockstar at Christmas (Sexton Sisters #1)

Author: Lyndsey Gallagher

Publisher: 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 356

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Meter: 5

Ten years ago, I inherited our family castle and sole care of my youngest sister. More Cinderella, than Sleeping Beauty, at the mere age of twenty-eight I have a teenager to raise and a hotel to run. If the hotel is to survive past Christmas, I need a lottery win, a miracle, or Prince Charming himself to sweep in with a humongous… wad of cash.

When my super successful middle sister announces she’s coming home for the holiday season, I’m determined to put my problems aside and make this the most fabulous Christmas ever. Especially as it might just be the last one in our family home.

I didn’t factor in the return of my first love, Ryan Cooper. Back then he was the boy next door. Now, he’s a world famous singer/song writer. We were supposed to go the States together. He left without me. Now he’s back. Rumour is he has writers block. Apparently this is a last-ditch attempt to find inspiration before his record label pulls the plug permanently.

And guess where he wants to stay? You have it in one- the most inspiring castle hotel in Dublin’s fair city.

Every woman in the city wants to pull this Hollywood Christmas cracker. Except me.I’m going to avoid him at all costs.

Easier said than done when he’s parading around under my roof, with enough heat exuding from his molten eyes to melt every square inch of snow from the peaks of the Dublin mountains...

A breezy decent Christmas romance to end my year’s reading. This is another one of those random free Kindle reads that I grabbed. At first, I was very concerned that our main characters were going to be 18 year olds. Thankfully, only the first chapter is set at that time and then we jump ahead ten years. Much better… From there, we have two characters rediscovering love and lots of added obstacles (of course). Overall, this was fine and breezy. Nothing too ground breaking. And I’m sure that I will forget about this book in a month, but sometimes that’s okay.

Sexton Sisters

• #1 Falling for the Rockstar at Christmas

• #2 Falling for my Forbidden Fling

• #3 Falling for My Bodyguard

Next up on the TBR pile:

Under the Smokestrewn Sky by A. Deborah Baker

Title: Under the Smokestrewn Sky (The Up and Under #4)

Author: A. Deborah Baker

Publisher: Tordotcom 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 195

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Since stumbling from their world into the Up and Under, Avery and Zib have walked the improbable road across forests, seas and skies, finding friends in the unlikeliest of places and enemies great in number, as they make their way toward the Impossible City in the hope of finding their way home.

But the final part of their journey is filled with danger and demise. Not everyone will make it through unscathed. Not everyone will make it through alive.

We finally come to the end of Avery and Zib’s adventures in The Up and Under. Overall, I really enjoyed this series so much. There’s a bit of Alice in Wonderland in there, a bit of The Wizard of Oz, and so much wit and introspection from Seanan McGuire. Adding Jack to the mix in the last book really completed the group for the last adventure. The reveal involving the Crow Girl was just about the most perfect way to continue the story and bring the threads together. I appreciate the fact that we get a definite end to the storyline. Seeing the characters find their places was the perfect way to conclude. I’ll be excited to see what McGuire writes next.

The Up and Under

• #1 Over the Woodward Wall

• #2 Along the Saltwise Sea

• #3 Into the Windwracked Wilds

• #4 Under the Smokestrewn Sky

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Stopover by TL Swan

Title: The Stopover (Miles High Club #1)

Author: TL Swan

Publisher: Montlake Romance 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 481

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

I was upgraded to first class on a flight from London to New York. The food, champagne, and service were impeccable. The blue-eyed man sitting next to me, even better. He was suave and intelligent. We talked and laughed, and something clicked. Fate took over and the plane was grounded, and we had an unexpected stopover for the night. With no plans, we made our own. We danced and laughed our way around Boston and had a night of crazy passion that no woman would ever forget. That was twelve months ago, and I haven’t heard from him—until today. I started a new job and met the CEO. You can imagine my surprise to see those naughty blue eyes dance with delight when he saw me across the mahogany desk. But I’m not that carefree girl anymore. My life has changed, I have responsibilities. I just got an email. He wants to see me in his office for a private meeting at 8:00 a.m. Naughty blue eyes have no place in the workplace. What kind of private meeting does he have in mind?

I picked this one up as a contender for Dirty Book Month, but I realized that I just couldn’t handle the drama within the storyline. Jameson was much too much an arrogant alpha male for me to root for him. I couldn’t believe some of the things that he did to and around Emily. She was way too immature most of the story. I was very annoyed by her constant whining and need to argue with Jameson. In the end, I didn’t feel like the characters actually resolved any of their fundamental differences. Their big problems were just swept under the rug. I was much too stressed out after reading this story. Not my cup of tea at all.

Miles High Club

• #1 The Stopover

• #2 The Takeover

• #3 The Casanova

• #4 The Do-Over

Next up on the TBR pile:

Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas by Joanne Kennedy

Title: Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas (Blue Sky #2)

Author: Joanne Kennedy

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Soldier Street

Spice Meter: 4

Book 2 in award-winning author Joanne Kennedy's new Blue Sky Cowboys series, Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas is an emotional, compelling story from a master of the genre. Joanne Kennedy's sexy cowboy romances feature the rugged and lonely Wyoming range, where the nearest neighbors are miles away and the climate is brutal for man and beast. This beautiful and sensuous tale takes place at the holidays, when a lonely cowboy is more desperate than ever to connect with the woman of his dreams.

Nope nope nope. I kept reading this thinking that I was going to enjoy a fun cowboy Christmas romance. Instead, I just kept getting more and more frustrated over the characters inability to talk to each other. Miscommunication is not one of my preferred tropes and it just kept going on and on. I couldn’t handle the constant circular arguments and conversations. This book could have been a third of the length and retained the important bits. I just wasn’t interested in the couple or the story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn

Title: A Not So Meet Cute (Cane Brothers #1)

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publisher: 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 404

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Spice Meter:  5

How did you two meet? The quintessential question asked to every couple. And the answer is usually some bubbly, lovey dovey tale of being struck in the bum by Cupid’s arrow.
My meet cute (well not so meet cute) is slightly different. I was trolling a wealthy neighborhood in Beverly Hills, searching for someone to take me as their bride, you know, to make my arch nemesis jealous who consequently just fired me.
He was stomping around the block like some sort of gorgeous ogre, mumbling about a business deal gone wrong and attempting to finagle his way out of it.
And that's when we bumped into each other.
There were no sparks.
Not even a hint of blossoming love.
But next thing I knew, I was scarfing down free chips and guac, listening to this man lay out all of his problems which led to his big ask . . . he wanted me to be his Vivian Ward, you know, from Pretty Woman--minus the frisky behavior.
We're talking about living in a mansion, intimate double dates, and pretending we were head over heels in love . . . and engaged. Can you imagine?
The absolute audacity.
But people do crazy things when they’re desperate. And I reeked of desperation. So, I struck up a deal.
My one big mistake, though . . . big . . . HUGE? I accidentally fell for the incomparable Huxley Cane.

Another story of a rich bachelor hiring a girlfriend and then falling for her. It may be a common trope in romance, but I also really enjoy it. Hux and Lottie were such a fun couple. Their banter is spot on and so is the ridiculous situations they find themselves in. It is utter fiction and yet it was such a great ride. The scenes with Dave and Ellie were so cringe-worthy, but played perfectly. I couldn’t wait to see what silly situation Hux and Lottie would get themselves into next. Honestly, I sped through this book enjoying every page. This isn’t life-changing romance, but it sure is fun.,

Cane Brothers

• #1 A Not So Meet Cute

• #2 So Not Meant to Be

• #3 A Long Time Coming

Next up on the TBR pile:

Miss Kane's Christmas by Caroline Mickelson

Title: Miss Kane’s Christmas (Christmas Central #1)

Author: Caroline Mickelson

Publisher: Bon Accord Press 2012

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 154

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Meter: 1

With Christmas only three days away, Carol Claus agrees to her father’s request that she leave the North Pole on a mission to help save Christmas. Joining single father Ben Hanson and his children for the holidays seems an easy enough task until Santa informs her that Ben is the man behind the disturbing new book ‘Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa Claus is a Bad Idea’. Posing as Miss Kane, the children’s new nanny, Carol pulls out all the stops to show Ben how fun Christmas can be, all the while struggling to understand how one man could hate the holidays so much. How could she, Santa’s only daughter, be so attracted to a man who refuses to believe her father exists? **Please note - this book was formerly titled 'Carol's Christmas'.

Cute little Christmas romance, but I must say that this one was just a little too cutesy for my tastes. We didn’t get enough setup and exploration of the characters for me to really love this one. Carol is fine, but she was much too much of a 2D character. Fine for an afternoon’s reading, but that’s it.

Christmas Central

• #1 Miss Kane’s Christmas

• #2 Mrs. Saint Nick

• #3 The Return of Kris Kringle

• #4 The North Pole Prize

• #5 The Christmas Makeover

• #6 Eve’s Christmas Wedding

• #7 A Very Marisol Christmas

Next up on the TBR pile:

That Kind of Guy by Talia Hibbert

Title: That Kind of Guy (Ravenswood #3)

Author: Talia Hibbert

Publisher: Nixon House 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 272

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Meter: 5

She wants a fake relationship. He needs something real.

If there’s one thing Rae can’t stand, it’s pity. She’s forty, frazzled, and fed up—so attending an awards ceremony alone while her ex swans about with his new wife? Not an option. To avoid total humiliation, Rae needs a date of her own. And her young, hot-as-hell new best friend is the perfect candidate…

Zach Davis, king of casual hookups, has a secret: the notorious womaniser craves emotional connection, and anonymous encounters leave him feeling hollow. After years of performance, Zach’s desperate to be himself. So why does he agree to play Rae’s fake boyfriend? And why does it feel so easy?

When the line between pretence and desire blurs, Zach’s forced to face an unexpected truth: there’s nothing phoney about his need for Rae. But the jaded divorcée’s been hurt by playboy men before. Can a weekend of faking it prove that Zach’s for real?

I think I finally found the selection for dirty book month! I have previously read Hibbert and loved her inclusion of a variety of characters, not just skinny and “normal” people finding romance. This is one of her previous books, but I was pulled to it because of the older protagonist. Once I started the book, I immediately fell for Zach and Rae. I loved the idea of a woman finding her place after divorce and finding it with a misunderstood man. Their sexual tension was palpable throughout the first half of the book. I usually want to see steamy scenes earlier in the book, but this was the right balance of tension and action. And then we get to the conversations between the characters. I loved how Zach and Rae finally reveal themselves to each other and come to a beautiful understanding.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W16: We're Ready for a Break!

What We Studied

We are definitely ready for Christmas break! It’s been a hectic couple of weeks to finish this semester and I’m ready to be done for a bit. We ended up finishing this semester with a flex week that turned into a week that we used to finish up some lessons and books.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur started and finished a unit on Norse mythology. We then moved on to starting the next coop book club selection. 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

• Reading Explorer: Intro

• Norse Mythology

• The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown

• A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Quentin got back into the Blossom & Root curriculum with two tales and their variations. I’m really enjoying the format for this year. He also worked on some basic grammar.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Fairy Tales Collection

• The Other Side of the Story

• Cinderella by Jenna Mueller

• Cinderella by Barbara McClintock

• Cinderella by Marcia Brown

• Cinderstella: A Tale of Planets not Princes by Brenda S. Miles and Susan D. Sweet

• Cinderella by Michele Marineau

• Cinderella and the Furry Slippers by Davide Cali

• Cinderella and a Mouse Called Fred by Deborah Hopkinson

• Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood

• Cinderella with Dogs by Linda Bailey

• Cinderella's Rat by Susan Meddaugh

• Rose Red & Snow White by Ruth Sanderson

• Jo Bright and the Seven Bots by Deborah Underwood

• Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies by Christian Tremmer

• Zoey and Sassafras: The Pod and the Bog by Asia Citro

• The Little Red Elf by Barbara Barbieri McGrath

• Reading Beauty by Deborah Underwood

Math

Arthur came close to finishing Singapore 5A. but not quite finished. We have one more unit. I’m going to wait until January to finish it up and move on to 5B.

• Singapore Common Core 5A

• Orbiting with Logic

• Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter by Cindy Neuscwander

Quentin’s all about review right now. I don’t anticipate starting Singapore 2A until January. We also continued our logic book.

• Lollipop Logic Book 3

• Tinkeractive Math Grade 1

Social Studies

Arthur covered more about immigration and urbanization.

• 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

• A Different Mirror for Young People

• This is Our Land: A History of American Immigration

• The House that Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams by Tanya Lee Stone.

• Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story by Leslea Newman

• Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom

Quentin learned about the ancient Babylonian, Assyrian, and Persian Empires.

• 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

• DK Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories

• Mesopotamia by Sunita Apte

• Ancient Babylon by Karen Bush Gibson

• Lost Cities by Giles Laroche

• The Assyrians by Elaine Landau

• Ancient Persia by Don Nardo

Q’s Cinderella books

ELA, Math, and Science

A’s Math and ELA; Q’s ELA

Science

Arthur continued covering specific elements with our Chemistry class. We’re still loving our little coop class.

• RSO Chemistry

• DK Super Simple Chemistry

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

• DK The Elements

Quentin continued invertebrates and covered reptiles.

• RSO Life

• DK Oversimple Biology

• Reptiles by Ann O. Squire

• DK Eyewitness: Reptile

• Retiles Everywhere by Britta Teckentrup

STEAM Coop

Arthur completed his exploration of board games. The kids made some great games and we got to playtest on the last week. Quentin finished out the semester studying architecture. We’ll be back in January.

A’s ELA and Math

Q’s Math, ELA, and Science

A’s ELA and History

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We got back into it covering four artists (Paul Klee, Henri Rousseau, Henri Matisse, Franz Marc) and four composers (Beethoven, Vivaldi, Handel, Tchaikovsky). We managed to have some great free art sessions while listening to various composers. I’m hoping to keep the momentum going in January.

• 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

• Iconic Composers by Nicholas Csicsko & Emi Ferguson

• 13 Art Movements Children Should Know

• 13 Artists Children Should Know

• The 39 Apartments of Ludwig van Beethoven by Jonah Winter

• Ludwig van Beethoven by Mike Venezia

• What Music! The Fifty-year Friendship Between Beethoven and Nannette Streicher, Who Built His Pianos by Laurie Lawlor

• The Story of Paintings by Mick Manning & Brita Granström Pg. 50-51

• Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge Pg. 82

• Henri Rousseau by Mike Venezia

• The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel

• Dreaming Pictures Paul Klee

• Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra by Stephan Costanza

• The Story Orchestra: Four Seasons in One Day

• Oooh! Matisse by Mil Niepold

• Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter

• The Iridescence of Birds by Patricia MacLachlan

• Henri Matisse by Mike Venezia

• Colorful Dreamer by Marjorie Blain Parker

• Matisse's Garden by Samantha Friedman

• Handel: Who Knew What He Liked by T Anderson

Q’s ELA and History

Art and Music

Field Trip

We had a wonderful tour of the Nebraska State Capitol with an emphasis on the art included in the building. I really loved getting more information about this beautiful building. We were even there when they were bringing in the Christmas tree and got to see them set it up.

High

• After our State Capitol tour, some friends joined the boys at Lost in Fun in Lincoln for an entire afternoon of playtime. Sometimes the boys just need unfettered play time with friends and this was the perfect day to do it. Bonus: Lost in Fun was one of our GetOut Pass items, so it was no extra money to go. The next day, we used another GetOut Pass to mini golf at Medieval Putt.

Low

• I’m feeling very tired… it’s been a semester.

Next Week - Break time until January!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Worst Christmas Ever? by Rebecca Paulinyi

Title: The Worst Christmas Ever? (South West #1)

Author: Rebecca Paulinyi

Publisher: 2018

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 194

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Spice Meter: 4

When Shirley 'Lee' Jones returns home from an awful day at the office, the last thing she expects to find is her husband in bed with another woman. Six weeks until Christmas, and Lee finds the life she had so carefully planned has been utterly decimated.

Hurt, angry and confused, Lee makes a whirlwind decision to drive her problems away and ends up in Totnes, an eccentric town in the heart of Devon. As Christmas approaches, Lee tries to figure out what path her life will follow now, as she looks at it from the perspective of a soon-to-be 31-year-old divorcée.

Can she ever return to her normal life? Or is a new reality - and a new man - on the horizon?

Finding herself and flirting with the handsome local police officer might just make this the best Christmas ever.

A very cute Christmas story about a woman finding her place after a devastation revelation. At first, I was unsure if this really would be a romance as it seemed to have a different tone. But eventually we did get there. Lee is a great character to follow as she upends her life and move to the South West. I fell in love with the village of Totnes and would love to read more about the inhabitants. Small towns at Christmas are my reading kryptonite. It’s a cute little pick-me-up kind of story.

South West

• #0.5 Deadlines and Dates

• #1 The Worst Christmas Ever?

• #2 Lawyers and Lattes

• #3 Feeling the Fireworks

• #4 The Best Christmas Ever

• #5 Trouble in Tartan

• #6 Summer of Sunshine

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #38

As I look outside my window:

Right now I am:

Thinking and pondering:

On my bedside table:

On my tv this week:

Listening to:

On the menu for this week:

• Monday -

• Tuesday -

• Wednesday -

• Thursday -

• Friday -

• Saturday

• Sunday -

On my to do list:

Happening this week:

• Monday -

• Tuesday -

• Wednesday -

• Thursday -

• Friday -

• Saturday -

• Sunday -

What I am creating:

My simple pleasures:

Looking around the house:

From the camera:

The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson

Title: The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe

Author: Kij Johnson

Publisher: Tor Dot Com 2016

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 166

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Professor Vellitt Boe teaches at the prestigious Ulthar Women’s College. When one of her most gifted students elopes with a dreamer from the waking world, Vellitt must retrieve her.

Such a strange retelling of a Lovecraft story. Another great read for my Nerdy Bookish Friends book club. I took this book very slow, savoring each section as I followed Boe into the unknown in pursuit of her student. The story unfolds like a dream itself, challenging the reader to determine what is real and what is fiction. Slowly, we meet more horrors in the dreaming world until Boe reaches the gate to the waking world. I’m excited to talk with all my book club friends about this book on Sunday.

Next up on the TBR pile: