Life Right Now #9

As I look outside my window: It’s chilly but sunny today. Unfortunately, I am absolutely exhausted.

Right now I am: Deep into Stray Kids content from 2018…

On my bedside table: All the manga still, plus Sweet Obsession, Kinky History, and Everything is Tuberculosis.

On my tv this week: Along with our regular television shows, I’ve been watching a ton of Stray Kids past content. I decided to go chronologically with my viewing. I’m nearing the end of the 2018…

Listening to: All the Stray Kids

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Chicken Ranch Tacos and Black Bean Soup

• Tuesday - Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup

• Wednesday - Out for Book Club

• Thursday - Chicken Tikka Masala

• Friday - Chili Verde

• Saturday - Garlic Shrimp Pasta

• Sunday - Huevos Rancheros

On my to do list: I imagine a ton of things, but as I didn’t really sleep last night, I’m ignoring most of my tasks in favor of things that are going to make me happy: reading, Stray Kids, KPop, coffee, and maybe some crafting.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Zoo Day

• Wednesday - Book Club

• Thursday - Enrichment Co-op; Academic Co-op Debrief

• Friday - Schramm Hike

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Hopefully I can get to my March Memory Planner pages this afternoon. We’ll see where I get…

My simple pleasures: Sleep would be nice

Looking around the house: Meh it’s fine…

From the camera: My new keychain! Wolfchan wearing the God’s Menu outfit!

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Title: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3)

Author: Heather Fawcett

Publisher: Orbit 2025

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Proper Noun in the Title

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project yet: studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world: How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

We come to the end of Emily Wilde’s storyline, and I really loved this quiet fantasy story. We pick up right where we left off from the second book. We spend most of our time in Faerie trying to understand Wendell’s realm and the dangers there. We get to met some interesting new characters and encounter old ones. We travel around Faerie while referencing so many stories and previous plot points. In general, I actually enjoyed the story. My one quibbling point about this book is the narration. At points, the narration becomes very dry and the story lags. But there is a minor point of issue. Overall, I really loved this series as an antidote to fast-paced fantasy.

Emily Wilde

• #1 Encyclopaedia of Faeries

• #2 Map of the Otherlands

• #3 Compendium of Lost Tales

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

Title: The Secret Book of Flora Lea

Author: Patti Callahan Henry

Publisher: Atria Books 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 355

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - An author that has a common name spelled in an uncommon way

Where I Got It: Library

In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.

But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.

Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?

Our book club selection for this month. I was hoping for a decent historical fiction featuring a mystery and family connections. I was pretty disappointed by the outcome of this one. The coincidences and “twists” of the story were too ridiculous and silly. It felt like it just got too saccharine. The author pulled at the reader’s heartstrings in a way that I do not appreciate. Beyond that, I had some technical writing issues. So many parts were a a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. I dislike. Finally, the weird anachronisms got to me after awhile. The British main characters talk in American vernacular at the time. Um no.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Parasyte Vol. 4 by Iwaaki Hitoshi

Title: Parasyte Vol. 4

Author: Iwaaki Hitoshi

Publisher: Del Rey 1992

Genre: Comics

Pages: 287

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

SIXTH SENSE: Shinichi, an ordinary high school student, is the only one who knows that aliens have invaded Earth and are controlling the minds of thousands of unwitting victims. It's a secret too dangerous to share . . . but too big to cover up. Then Shinichi meets Kana, a brave young girl with a strange gift that may allow her to detect the alien parasites. Has Shinichi at last found an ally to combat these creatures?

Another big death in this volume. I was so not expecting that to happen, but really, I guess I should have. Of course we need to keep the story’s tension rising. The parasites keep evolving and are now cooperating. Definitely not a good thing for the strictly human population on Earth. I’m very interested in how Shinichi is changing compared to the other parasite infected. I cannot even imagine where this story is going but I am excited to continue the journey.

Parasyte

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Weather issues caused co-op to relocate indoors this week. Not the best start to our semester.

• I have completely fallen down the Stray Kids web series hole. So many shows that I had to search through the Wiki to get the complete list and the airing dates. Currently in 2018 working through some of these shows. (Now I know where a ton of famous clips come from.)

• The colony of bees that live in my head that get angry sometimes and cause me problems seems to have all died. I think I am in the middle of a colony collapse. Not a good place to be…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Parasyte Vol. 3 by Iwaaki Hitoshi

Title: Parasyte Vol. 3

Author: Iwaaki Hitoshi

Publisher: Del Rey 1991

Genre: Comics

Pages: 283

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

ALIEN NATION: Aliens parasites have invaded Earth and taken over the minds of ordinary people. Shin has been infected with a parasite, but he still can think and act for himself. Now he's been approached by two mysterious victims of the invasion: Tamiya, a beautiful schoolteacher, and Shimada, another student. What do the aliens want with humanity? and with Shin?

And the story has begun to really get serious with this volume. We get to see how Shin has started to change and how his relationship with Migi has evolved. I love how we get to experience and puzzle out the changes along with our characters. The addition of a new character in Shimada added great tension and suspense. Loved how that chapter ended. Definitely still excited to keep reading.

Parasyte

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

Next up on the TBR pile:

Parasyte Vol. 2 by Iwaaki Hitoshi

Title: Parasyte Vol. 2

Author: Iwaaki Hitoshi

Publisher: Del Rey 1991

Genre: Comics

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

PERSONAL DEMON: Shin looks like an ordinary high school boy, but he has a terrible secret: an alien parasite has infected his body. This mysterious creature is ruthless, deadly, and utterly indifferent to human suffering . . . and it is beginning to assert itself over Shin. As Shin fights for control of his body, can he also hold on to his humanity?

This volume had some terrible gut punches. I was so not expecting the emotional weight in this one. I was flipping pages with an increasing sense of dread that was finally revealed on the page. I am really loving how this story is evolving and changing just as Migi and Shin are evolving and changing. And I’m really enjoying the subtle art involved in the differences between the humans and parasite-infected humans. Guess I’m deeply involved in this series now. And I just realized that there was an anime version of the series.

Parasyte

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

Next up on the TBR pile:

March 2025 Wrap-up

March TBR Pile (24/25):

1. Bookworms BC: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah ✓

2. Friend BC: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld ✓

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis ✓

4. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle ✓

5. Kid Book Club: The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan ✓

6. Kid Read Aloud: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin ✓

7. Kid Read Aloud: Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

8. Romance: A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley ✓

9. Romance: My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine ✓

10. Romance: Deep End by Ali Hazelwood ✓

11. Romance: The Demon’s Bargain by Katee Robert ✓

12. Fantasy: The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab ✓

13. Nonfiction: The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair ✓

14. SciFi: All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall ✓

15. SciFi: Fragments by Dan Wells ✓

16. SciFi: Ruins by Dan Wells ✓

17. Comics: Moonshine Vol. 2 ✓

18. Comics: Moonshine Vol. 3 ✓

19. Comics: Moonshine Vol. 4 ✓

20. Comics: Moonshine Vol. 5 ✓

21. Comics: Sex Criminals Vol. 1 ✓

22. Comics: Sex Criminals Vol. 2 ✓

23. Comics: Sex Criminals Vol. 3 ✓

24. Comics: Sex Criminals Vol. 4 ✓

25. Comics: Parasyte Vol. 1 ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 6526 pages
Pages Remaining: 171,522 pages

Current Read - Sex Criminals Vol. 5 and 6; Parasyte Vol. 2 and beyond; Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 1 and beyond

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (11) - It’s my birthday month which is always a good time for buying lots of books.

From online, I ordered

• Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

From Book of the Month, I ordered

• The Wedding People by Alison Espach

• Jane and Dan at the end of the World by Colleen Oakley

• Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

On my birthday day out, I bought (some kids books and homeschool resources that I’m not detailing here)

• Krakatoa by Simon Winchester

• Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall

• 1421 by Gavin Menzies

• Wicked Pursuit by Katee Robert

• Divine Intervention by KM Virtues

• Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

• Lady Mechanika Vol. 8

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 289

• Books Read: 0

• Books Acquired: 11

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 300

April TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: (not reading)

2. Friend BC: The Secret Book of Flora Lee by Patti Callahan Henry

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Dawn by Octavia Butler

4. Kid Book Club: (not reading)

5. Kid Read Aloud: Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

6. Kid Read Aloud: Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

7. Romance: The Demon’s Queen by Katee Robert

8. Fantasy: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

9. Comics: Sex Criminals Vol. 5

10. Comics: Sex Criminals Vol. 6

11. Comics: Parasyte Vol. 2

12. Comics: Parasyte Vol. 3

13. Comics: Parasyte Vol. 4

14. Comics: Parasyte Vol. 5

15. Comics: Parasyte Vol. 6

16. Comics: Parasyte Vol. 7

17. Comics: Parayste Vol. 8

18. Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 1

19. Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 2

20. Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 3

21. Comics: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1 01

22. Comics: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1 02

23. Comics: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1 03

Movies Watched

• No Country for Old Men

• Nosferatu

• Stardust - Rewatch with the kids

TV Shows Watched

• Last Week Tonight

• Clone High (2022)

• The Bachelor

• Below Deck: Down Under

• Interview with a Vampire S1

• Dimension 20: Fantasy High S1

• Um, Actually

• Alice in Borderland S1

• SKZ Code S1

• Kingpin Katie

• Stray Kids Survival Show

• Stray Kids Two Kids Room (2019) Vol. 1-3

Comments - My reading has suffered from my current mental state, but I did find a work around: MANGA! I checked out multiple manga series and have been slowly working through them. I think April is going to be a month of manga.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W27: Spring Finally Arrived!

What We Studied

After a March filled with weird weather, this week finally cooperated and we took full advantage. Our schoolwork was shortened to spend multiple days outside with friends. It was well worth it to boost our general mental health. Apparently I took like no photos this week. All of our photos in this post were ones that Arthur took at Heron Haven.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G5 for his language arts this year. Arthur took a break from novels to focus on some short stories. We also covered more grammar and extra language arts assignments.

• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G1 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 2 and random books that we have around the house. We started a fun book of a young girl and an intelligent squirrel. So much comedy in this story. We love it.

• Poetry: The Tree That Time Built

• Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 1. Effectively this is Singapore’s 6th grade math text. We got back into our math textbook and started a chapter about the Area and Circumference of Circles.

• Math in Focus Course 1 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 2B and 3A. We moved onto 3A starting slow to easy back into our lessons. Taking it slow but moving along.

• Singapore Primary 3A

• Primarily Logic

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Early Modern History Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 this year. We covered a section about the potato famine in Ireland and then social reform movements. We also watched more PBS Eons vides. Getting closer to finishing the entire series.

• Curiosity Chronicles Early Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

Quentin is using History Quest Middle Times with Build Your Library Level 2 as his main history curriculum. We covered a chapter focused on New Ideas for Europe, exploring the Reformation and the Scientific Revolution. We have one more chapter left in the curriculum.

• History Quest Middle Times

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

Science

Arthur finished his RSO Biology 1 course with the end of the academic co-op. We switched gears and focused on reading some more chapters from the Story of Science. We only have about six chapters left in the book. I also want to work through a few Blossom & Root Bookseeds this late spring.

• Story of Science Vol. 3 by Joy Hakim

Quentin is using RSO Earth & Environment and RSO Astronomy 1 as a base. Of course, we have a ton of extra science resources laying around the house. And I will be hosting some one-off science exploration days that align with the units. We covered climate and climate change.

• RSO Earth and Environment

• DK First Earth Encyclopedia

Academic Co-op

With the cancellation, our spring semester has ended.

Art and Music

Art will be very sporadic this year, but we do have some fun excursions planned. And I will incorporate art projects into a lot of other subjects and unit studies.

For music, we are using Music Lab: We Rock! as our spine. Each week we will be learning about a different rock musician and focus on a particular song. I have also created Spotify playlists so we can listen on the go. We listened to Parliament-Funkadelic and Hall & Oates this week. Arthur preferred the funk and Quentin preferred H&O, which was surprising. I love seeing how they have such different opinions about different bands.

• Music Lab: We Rock!

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

Field Trip/Activities

On Friday, we got back into our nature walk routine with a visit to Heron Haven. Our last few attempts have been thwarted by weather issues. It was lovely to explore the wetland and spot signs of spring and some animals. We had a good group of multiple families join us allowing for some socializing time for the kids and the adults.

High

Thursday we had our enrichment kick-off playdate. We were supposed to be at Chalco, but the Papio RND had closed the playground for a field trip (hate when they do that and do not post anywhere in advance). We had to scramble to relocate and made it to Zorinsky. Not my favorite park, but most of the families joined us for some great playtime. It was also a chance for some of the new families to meet the old families. Love seeing our little community come together and form relationships.

Low

We had another playdate on Friday afternoon downtown. Nine families RSVPed and only three (including myself) actually showed up. Very disappointed in all these families who claim to want to community and just never show up to anything but make posts in the FB group about needing friends and activities. So come? Frustrating.

Next Week

• Finishing our read alouds

• Moving forward with our math textbooks

• Traveling to the United States and then War in Europe (A) and Elizabethan Times (Q) for history

• Exploring astrophysics (A) and soil (Q) for science

• Listening to Queen for music!

• Going to Lincoln to explore Morrill Hall and whatever else we decide to do while there

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Aurora "Dreams"

I just absolutely adore her voice!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #8

As I look outside my window: Another pretty gloomy day…

Right now I am: Making my big brain dump to-do list. Haven’t done one of these for awhile.

Thinking and pondering: Which project should I work on today? Maybe the retreat tasks?

On my bedside table: All the manga. My reading is still a bit broken, so I’m focused on manga series to keep me going.

On my tv this week: Beyond finishing Dimension 20 S1 with J, I consumed a ton of Stray Kids content. I went and found the Survival Show and watched the entire thing.

Listening to: Stray Kids only

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Grilled Cheese

• Tuesday - Leftovers

• Wednesday - Cajun Stuffed Chicken

• Thursday - Garlic Shrimp Pasta

• Friday - Pizza Night

• Saturday - Crab Coconut Curry

• Sunday - Salmon

On my to do list: So many tasks, mostly admin task the homeschool groups and updating records and such. But I also need to just clean out some piles of random crap and get my April curriculum in a better order.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Lincoln Day

• Wednesday - Platte River State Park hike

• Thursday - Enrichment Co-op

• Friday - Home Day

• Saturday - Co-op Book Club

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Maybe name tags for the retreat…

My simple pleasures: Stray Kids everything, pumpkin spice faux lattes

Looking around the house: I took care of some random piles in the living room so that looks much nicer. And the laundry is put away, which means it’s time to do more laundry.

From the camera: I was terrible at taking photos this week. Thankfully Arthur grabbed some great shots at Heron Haven on Friday.

Sex Criminals Vol. 4: Fourgy

Title: Sex Criminal Vol. 4: Fourgy

Author: Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky

Publisher: Image Comics 2017

Genre: Comics

Pages: 136

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Everybody's favorite sex-having, time-freezing, bank-robbing crew of lovable love-misfits come together and ask themselves the big question: are we still into this? THE ANSWER MIGHT SURPRISE YOU (if you think the answer is no). Collects SEX CRIMINALS #16-20

I’m feeling very meh about this series right now. There are a few elements that I enjoy, such as the humor and comedy. But, I’m kinda bored with the main storyline. I feel like this story is getting too complicated and straying away from the clever premise. I’m still going to keep reading (there’s only two more trades), but I’m not super into it right now. I’m more interested in my manga series right now.

Sex Criminals

• Volume 1: One Weird Trick

• Volume 2: Two Worlds, One Cop

• Volume 3: Three the Hard Way

• Volume 4: Fourgy

• Volume 5: Five-Fingered Discount

• Volume 6: Six Criminals

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Demon's Bargain by Katee Robert

Title: The Demon’s Bargain (A Deal with a Demon #5)

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Trinkets & Tales 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 123

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Quarter of a Century - 2022; She reads Romance - Erotic

Where It Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 7

Lenora made a mistake. She trusted the wrong man, and in a moment of weakness, he stole a family heirloom from her. Her only chance to get it back will be during Samhain, when the Shadow Market opens and magical folk gather for three days to celebrate, and unfortunately she can’t do it alone. She needs a demon.

Ramanu’s entire existence is making bargains. They’re a bargainer demon, after all. They’ve had their eye on Lenora for some time now, so they’re pleased when she summons them to help with her little thief problem…especially because it means spending time in close proximity with her.

Lenora thought she could get away with a bargain that didn’t require seven years of service, but when Ramanu informs her those are the terms, she decides to go it alone…even though the demon wants to tag along to the market. But as the clock ticks down and all Lenora’s attempts to reclaim her amulet fail, making a deal with Ramanu might be the only option she has…

And they might take her heart right along with her soul.

The library finally got this book in circulation, and I finally got it off hold. Thank goodness! I was really hoping that Ramanu would get his own story. This one was a bit different as there wasn’t a bargain made to kick off the story. Instead, we meet a witch who summons a demon to help get back her magical necklace. Lenora is a prickly character, but I appreciate her take charge attitude and Ramona’s soft-boy bodyguard position. The story is super short, but lots of fun and very spicy. Excited to finish out the series with Azazel’s story.

A Deal with a Demon

• #1 The Dragon’s Bride

• #2 The Kraken’s Sacrifice

• #3 The Gargoyle’s Captive

• #4 The Succubus’s Prize

• #5 The Demon’s Bargain

• #6 The Demon’s Queen

Next up on the TBR pile:

Sex Criminals Vol. 3: Three the Hard Way

Title: Sex Criminal Vol. 3: Three the Hard Way

Author: Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky

Publisher: Image Comics 2016

Genre: Comics

Pages: 132

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

So it turns out Jon and Suzie aren't alone — other people around the world, like them, freeze time when they climax. A self-appointed group wants to regulate and control them through fear and intimidation. Jon and Suzie are falling in love and want their freak flags to fly, but if they're going to fight back they can't do it alone. And really, isn't that a metaphor for the whole series? That we might all be alone but we're all alone together? I think so. If you read only one comic with a semen-demon in it this year, please make it SEX CRIMINALS V3: THREE THE HARD WAY. Collecting issues #11-15.

Oh my goodness! The fairy! Absolutely killed me in this volume. To be honest, most of the storyline, I flipped through pretty fast. But I had to stop and laugh out loud at the appearance of the fairy. I did appreciate that Ana and Suzie made peace with each other. I must say that I don’t really care about Rach and Robert at all. But that’s okay. I will keep reading.

Sex Criminals

• Volume 1: One Weird Trick

• Volume 2: Two Worlds, One Cop

• Volume 3: Three the Hard Way

• Volume 4: Fourgy

• Volume 5: Five-Fingered Discount

• Volume 6: Six Criminals

Next up on the TBR pile:

Sex Criminals Vol. 2: Two Worlds, One Cop

Title: Sex Criminal Vol. 2: Two Worlds, One Cop

Author: Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky

Publisher: Image Comics 2015

Genre: Comics

Pages: 128

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

The second storyline from the Eisner-award winning SEX CRIMINALS finds the honeymoon to be over for Jon and Suzie. Once the thrill of new lust fades, where do you go? Come along and laff and love with Matt and Chip as they brimp back ceaselessly against the past. Collects SEX CRIMINALS # 6-10.

I’m still interested in this series, but my goodness, Suzie and Jon cannot catch a break. We get more information about some of the other characters, and meet more people that our main characters know. I appreciate the expansion of the world and cast of characters. But the best part was the ridiculous background art. It made me laugh multiple times. I just hope that we really make some headway in the storyline in the next volume.

Sex Criminals

• Volume 1: One Weird Trick

• Volume 2: Two Worlds, One Cop

• Volume 3: Three the Hard Way

• Volume 4: Fourgy

• Volume 5: Five-Fingered Discount

• Volume 6: Six Criminals

Next up on the TBR pile:

Sex Criminals Vol. 1: One Weird Trick

Title: Sex Criminal Vol. 1: One Weird Trick

Author: Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky

Publisher: Image Comics 2014

Genre: Comics

Pages: 128

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Suzie's just a regular gal with an irregular gift: when she has sex, she stops time. One day she meets Jon and it turns out he has the same ability. And sooner or later they get around to using their gifts to do what we'd ALL do: rob a couple banks.

Another comic series that came up as a recommendation and I had to check out. We dive into a very weird story involving a lot of adult conversations and situations. And yet, there is a huge amount of humor and tongue-in-cheek dialogue. I loved see two misfit characters find each other and then discovery each other’s secrets. The sections where the main characters talked directly to the audience were such fun moments. I am interested to see what happens next in the story.

Sex Criminals

• Volume 1: One Weird Trick

• Volume 2: Two Worlds, One Cop

• Volume 3: Three the Hard Way

• Volume 4: Fourgy

• Volume 5: Five-Fingered Discount

• Volume 6: Six Criminals

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ruins by Dan Wells

Title: Ruins (Partials Sequence #3)

Author: Dan Wells

Publisher: Balzar + Bray 2014

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 464

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Quarter of a Century - 2014

Where I Got It: Library

Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand.

There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost.

I finished the trilogy, but I will admit to being a bit disappointed here. The last book introduced way too many elements and cluttered the storyline. I wanted to see Kira and company come back together and reveal the secrets, but instead, for most of the story they are scattered even further. The inclusion of the gilled Partials took me slightly over the edge and made me roll my eyes. I kept pushing through the story and then we reach the climax and there was just too much confused action on the page. I wanted to see a bit more of laying out of the secret and the final choices of the characters. It was fine. I wasn’t incredibly angry about the ending, but it definitely could have been better.

Partials Sequence:

• #1 Partials

• #2 Fragments

• #3 Ruins

Next up on the TBR pile:

Parasyte Vol. 1 by Iwaaki Hitoshi

Title: Parasyte Vol. 1

Author: Iwaaki Hitoshi

Publisher: Del Rey 1990

Genre: Comics

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

SILENT INVASION: They arrive in silence and darkness. They descend from the skies. They have a hunger for human flesh. They are everywhere. They are parasites, alien creatures who must invade-and take control of-a human host to survive. And once they have infected their victims, they can assume any deadly form they choose: monsters with giant teeth, winged demons, creatures with blades for hands. But most have chosen to conceal their lethal purpose behind ordinary human faces. So no one knows their secret-except an ordinary high school student. Shin is battling for control of his own body against an alien parasite, but can he find a way to warn humanity of the horrors to come?

Another fun manga series that’s been on my radar for awhile and I finally started. I was intrigued by the alien horror premise and dove in without knowing much more than that. Overall, I really enjoy this first volume where we meet Shin and his new “friend.” We see the duo attempt to navigate life but then others come into play. I loved seeing how the “friend” and Shin interacted. The horror aspects were light and yet a whole lot of fun. I’m excited to see how the next volume moves the story and the horror forward.

Parasyte

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #4

Reading: My brain is a bit broken and so I have turned to manga to help myself out. Currently, I’m reading multiple series, but my current obsession is Parasyte.

Watching: We started watching Alice in Borderland S1 and I am so in love with the series.

Listening: All Stray Kids all the time!

Making: I got back into making scones this week and now I just want all of the scones. So good! My lemon poppy seed mini scones are still my favorite to make and eat.

Feeling: My sleep has been trash lately and I am so incredibly tired.

Planning: We’re heading to Indiana at the end of April for Alex’s college graduation. I’m planning a stopover in Chicago before and another after to hit a few museums.

Loving: Stray Kids dropped their new Mixtape a few days ago and I am absolutely obsessed! “Escape” is my absolute favorite song, but all four new songs are good. “Truman” is really growing on me, but will not be surpassing “Escape” as my favorite. Definitely love my Bang Chan/Hyunjin pairing!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W26: Weather Again!

What We Studied

We had a full week planned with multiple activities and the last week of Academic Co-op. Unfortunately, a blizzard hit us on Tuesday night cancelling our Wednesday Joslyn visit and Thursday co-op meeting. Oh well. At least we finished up a ton of schoolwork.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G5 for his language arts this year. Arthur took a break from novels to focus on some short stories. We also covered more grammar and extra language arts assignments.

• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G1 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 2 and random books that we have around the house. We started a fun book of a young girl and an intelligent squirrel. So much comedy in this story. We love it.

• Poetry: The Tree That Time Built

• Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 1. Effectively this is Singapore’s 6th grade math text. We got back into our math textbook and started a chapter about the Area and Circumference of Circles.

• Math in Focus Course 1 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 2B and 3A. We moved onto 3A starting slow to easy back into our lessons. Taking it slow but moving along.

• Singapore Primary 3A

• Primarily Logic

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Early Modern History Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 this year. We covered two more sections of history focusing on Victorian Britain and British Imperialism. We actually only have two more sections left in the curriculum. We also watched more PBS Eons vides. Getting closer to finishing the entire series.

• Curiosity Chronicles Early Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Victorian Servant, by Fiona MacDonald

• You Wouldn’t Want to Work in a Victorian Mill!, by John Malam

Quentin is using History Quest Middle Times with Build Your Library Level 2 as his main history curriculum. We covered two chapters exploring the Mughal Empire and the Ottoman Empire. We have two more chapters left in the curriculum.

• History Quest Middle Times

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• DK Explorers

• Taj Mahal by Cynthia Kennedy Hanzel

• Where is the Taj Mahal? by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler

Science

Arthur is using RSO Biology 1 this year has the main science text. Our academic coop will also be using RSO Biology 1 as a basis for the fall and spring semester courses, so we will be just supplementing at home. We will also be doing some of Blossom & Root’s Book Seeds and various other small units in between. We read some more chapters from the Story of Science.

• RSO Biology 1

• Story of Science Vol. 3 by Joy Hakim

Quentin is using RSO Earth & Environment and RSO Astronomy 1 as a base. Of course, we have a ton of extra science resources laying around the house. And I will be hosting some one-off science exploration days that align with the units. We covered extreme weather which was appropriate given the blizzard.

• RSO Earth and Environment

• DK First Earth Encyclopedia

• DK Eyewitness: Weather

• Wind by Grace Hansen

• What on Earth? Wind by Isabel Thomas

• Cloud or Fog? by Kelly Doudna

• Hail or Freezing Rain? by Josh Plattner

• Extreme Weather by Ann O. Squire

• A Child's Introduction to the Environment

• Hurricane or Waterspout? by Josh Plattner

• Tornado Alert by Franklyn M. Branley

• Tornado or Dust Devil? by Josh Plattner

• Tornadoes by Gail Gibbons

• Tidal Wave or Tsunami? by Kelly Doudna

• Winter Storm or Blizzard? by Kelly Doudna

• All About Heat Waves and Droughts by Steve Tomecek

Academic Co-op

With the cancellation, our spring semester has ended.

Art and Music

Art will be very sporadic this year, but we do have some fun excursions planned. And I will incorporate art projects into a lot of other subjects and unit studies.

For music, we are using Music Lab: We Rock! as our spine. Each week we will be learning about a different rock musician and focus on a particular song. I have also created Spotify playlists so we can listen on the go. We covered Madonna this week. The boys were not huge fans, but it was better than last week’s selections.

• Music Lab: We Rock!

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

Field Trip/Activities

On Friday, we attended board game club at a local coffee shop. I had a nice time chatting with other homeschool moms.

High

Tuesday we renewed our Fontenelle Forest membership to meet up with friends to play at the new nature play area. And then we went on a nice walk on the boardwalk. It was lovely to get out in nature, especially as a blizzard came in that night. .

Low

Sad that we couldn’t finish out our Academic Co-op semester.

Next Week

• Finishing our read alouds

• Moving forward with our math textbooks

• Traveling to the Ireland (A) and Europe (Q) for history

• Exploring astrophysics (A) and climate (Q) for science

• Listening to Parliament-Funkadelic and Hatt & Oates

• Going to the park for a playdate and the nature preserve for a hike

Next up on the TBR pile: