Homeschool W29: A Normal Week I Guess

What We Studied

We pushed through and finished a pretty normal week for us. My body decided to make me cancel Friday’s hike, but we did engage in a few other activities this week.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G5 for his language arts this year. Arthur started and finished the June Co-op Book Club selection. I was feeling in the mood for some good adventure fantasy and this one looked perfect. Arthur ended up not loving the second half, but I did. We also covered more grammar and extra language arts assignments.

• Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

• 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 continued reading a classic.

• Poetry: Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmer’s Market by Michelle Schaub

• Matilda by Roald Dahl

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 completed a chapter about Statistics. Only one more chapter to go!

• Math in Focus Course 1 Book B

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. Beyond random documentaries and museum visits, we will be pausing our history study until August.

Quentin is using History Quest Middle Times with Build Your Library Level 2 as his main history curriculum. We will be pausing history until August.

Science

Arthur finished his RSO Biology 1 course with the end of the academic co-op. We switched gears a bit and covered a few BookSeeds from Blossom & Root.

Quentin finished RSO Earth & Environment and RSO Astronomy 1 as a base. He started a side unit about oceans. We got through multiple topics and watched a few episodes of Blue Planet to reinforce.

• A First Book of the Sea by Nicola Davies

• Ocean by Stacy McAnulty

• Oceans by Peter Benoit

• Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman

• DK Earth's Incredible Oceans by Jess French

• DK Ocean

• Discover the Oceans: Southern Ocean by Emily Rose Oachs

• Discover the Oceans: Pacific Ocean by Emily Rose Oachs

• Discover the Oceans: Indian Ocean by Emily Rose Oachs

• Discover the Oceans: Atlantic Ocean by Emily Rose Oachs

• Discover the Oceans: Arctic Ocean by Emily Rose Oachs

• How Deep is the Ocean? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

• Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barb Rosenstock and Katherine Roy

• Diving Deep: Using Machines to Explore the Ocean by Michelle Cusolito

• Sandy Feet! Whose Feet? Footprints At the Shore by Susan Wood

• Seashores by Cathryn Sill

• DK Shell

• Seashells: More Than a Home by Melissa Stewart

• A Nature Walk at the Beach by Louise and Richard Spilsbury

• Tide Pool by Louise Spilsbury

• A Turtle's View of the Ocean Blue by Catherine Barr

• Coral Reefs by Precious McKenzie

• One Night in the Coral Sea by Sneed B. Collard III

• Coral Reefs by Cathryn Sill

• Seagrass Dreams by Kathleen M. Hanes

Enrichment Co-op

We covered our third week of co-op. The transition to a new park worked well. The classes seemed to go really well. Arthur learned about sugar chemistry. Quentin learned about the scientific method through experiments with Peeps.

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 Fleetwood Mac to finish the New Rock Sound chapter. The boys were not huge fans (I do not understand this sentiment). We moved onto the New Wave chapter with Roxy Music and Devo. Boys weren’t super excited about these bands but we had fun discussing how different they are from the last chapter’s bands.

• Music Lab: We Rock!

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

Field Trip/Activities

Wednesday we had our monthly exploration at Joslyn Art Museum. The kids focused on light and shadow by taking pictures in the outdoor sculpture gardens. I think Arthur had more fun chatting with friends than taking pictures, but it was a lovely day to look at some art.

High

We got so much schoolwork done this week. We are in a great position to take off from school the two weeks we are in Indiana. And when we come back, our load will be light.

Low

Very sad to miss our Friday hike at Platte River State Park. My body was revolting and I just couldn’t bring myself to drive down there and then hike.

Next Week

• Reading more literature

• Moving forward with our math textbooks; very close to being done

• Exploring the ocean (Q) for science

• Listening to Blondie and David Bowie for music!

• Transitioning to a more summer routine of activities and schoolwork

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Nothing More "We're All Gonna Die"

Loving the new song from a favorite band of mine.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 4

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 4

Author: Gege Akutami

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2019

Genre: Comics

Pages: 200

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

While investigating a strange set of mysterious deaths, Itadori meets Junpei, a troubled kid who is often bullied at school. However, Junpei is also befriended by the culprit behind the bloody incident—Mahito, a mischievous cursed spirit! Mahito sets in motion a devious plan involving Junpei, hoping to ensnare Itadori as well.

Hmmm…. I really assumed that Junpei would be a character that would hang around for longer in this series. I thought we were going to get a bit more emotional conflict with Itadori and Junpei being on opposite sides. But we quickly get rid of Junpei and focus back on the conflict between Mahito and the Sorcerers. I am interested in the lore that was revealed and how this will play into the larger storyline.

Jujutsu Kaisen

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

• Volume 9

• Volume 10

• Volume 11

• Volume 12

• Volume 13

• Volume 14

• Volume 15

• Volume 16

• Volume 17

• Volume 18

• Volume 19

• Volume 20

• Volume 21

• Volume 22

• Volume 23

• Volume 24

• Volume 25

Next up on the TBR pile:

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

Title: Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

Author: John Green

Publisher: Crash Course Books 2025

Genre: Nonfiction - Science, History

Pages: 208

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Nonfiction Reader

Where I Got It: Preordered in 2025!

Tuberculosis has been entwined with hu­manity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.

In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John be­came fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequi­ties that allow this curable, preventable infec­tious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year.

In Everything Is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world—and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.

I really appreciate John Green’s ability to weave hard science and history with emotional human stories and somehow not make it seem trite or manipulative. We get a comprehensive history of tuberculosis, its place in society, and current state. We get some beautiful and tragic human stories weaving in and out. I really loved hearing personal stories of dealing with the disease. Along the way, Green also includes his own commentary about his obsession with tuberculosis. I absolutely loved this short book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams

Title: Her Last Flight

Author: Beatriz Williams

Publisher: William Morrow 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Read Around the USA - Hawaii

Where I Got It: Won on Goodreads

In 1947, photographer and war correspondent Janey Everett arrives at a remote surfing village on the Hawaiian island of Kauai to research a planned biography of forgotten aviation pioneer Sam Mallory, who joined the loyalist forces in the Spanish Civil War and never returned. Obsessed with Sam’s fate, Janey has tracked down Irene Lindquist, the owner of a local island-hopping airline, whom she believes might actually be the legendary Irene Foster, Mallory’s onetime student and flying partner. Foster’s disappearance during a round-the-world flight in 1937 remains one of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries. 

At first, the flinty Mrs. Lindquist denies any connection to Foster. But Janey informs her that the wreck of Sam Mallory’s airplane has recently been discovered in a Spanish desert, and piece by piece, the details of Foster’s extraordinary life emerge: from the beginnings of her flying career in Southern California, to her complicated, passionate relationship with Mallory, to the collapse of her marriage to her aggressive career manager, the publishing scion George Morrow.

As Irene spins her tale to its searing conclusion, Janey’s past gathers its own power. The duel between the two women takes a heartstopping turn. To whom does Mallory rightfully belong? Can we ever come to terms with the loss of those we love, and the lives we might have lived?

I was excited to read this book based on a few previous Williams’ books. Unfortunately, this one did not really land for me. I was intrigued by the topic of female aviators. The idea that this was partially based on Amelia Earhart pulled me in also. But then I started reading it and was immediately turned off by the main characters. Irene and Janey are in turns annoying and infuriating. I don’t always need to have amazing characters to connect with, but these two were really frustrating. Beyond those two characters, I didn’t ever buy the “romance” between Irene and Same. It just seemed like they were two people in close proximity, but no real relationship was shown. And don’t get me started on the big “twist” revealed near the end. I just wasn’t into this book at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Exploring the local art museum with other homeschool families is always so delightful. It helps that it was a beautiful day yesterday.

• Finally going beyond just Stray Kids in my Kpop obsession. But don’t worry, I still love my Stray Kids so much.

• I really need to focus on a brain dump this week to help get it all out. I have so many projects in progress and need to organize a bit.

• Went to the Asian Market yesterday for kimchi and came out with my new favorite treat: Green Tea Samanco! So good!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert

Title: Sweet Obsession (Dark Olympus #8)

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2025

Genre: Romance

Pages: 336

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; She Reads Romance - Queer

Spice Rating: 6

Icarus may not have flown particularly close to the sun, but he has fallen…right into the rough hands of Olympus's own Poseidon. Being held captive by the gentle giant wouldn't be so bad if Olympus wasn't on the eve of destruction…or if Poseidon stopped looking at him with those irresistibly stormy eyes.

Poseidon doesn't have time to babysit his increasingly bratty prisoner, but he has no choice: Olympus is officially at war, and someone has to keep their best bargaining chip out of harm's way. The thing is, the longer Poseidon is with Icarus, the more he starts to care for his sworn enemy...and the more he realizes that Icarus isn't the villain he's been made out to be. There's a warmth to him, a vulnerability, that Poseidon finds difficult to ignore or deny.

Now with Circe and the Aeaens at the gate and Olympus a hair's breadth away from falling, Poseidon will have to make a difficult choice: about himself, about his allegiances, and about the man who woke his heart from its long slumber only to threaten to break it for good...

Fully admit that this isn’t my favorite pairing. Honestly I was more interested in the large plot line about Circe’s invasion than the romance between Poseidon and Icarus. They are fine as characters, but I didn’t find either one to be particularly compelling. I appreciate the topics and relationships that Robert’s is exploring, but not my favorite. The inclusion of a Dom/Sub relationship was interesting, but again, not my favorite. It’s just not my favorite romance kink. The rest of the plot keep me engaged and wanting to know more. I am very very interested in reading the next book. In fact, I’ve been waiting since after Neon Gods to see Zeus and Hera’s story played out.

Dark Olympus

• #0.5 Stone Heart

• #1 Neon Gods

• #1.5 Hades and Hades

• #2 Electric Idol

• #2.5 Zeus and Hera

• #3 Wicked Beauty

• #4 Radiant Sun

• #5 Cruel Seduction

• #6 Midnight Ruin

• #7 Dark Restraint

• #8 Sweet Obsession

• #9 Tender Cruelty

• #10 Shattered Gods

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 3

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 2

Author: Gege Akutami

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2018

Genre: Comics

Pages: 192

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

Tensions are high as the Goodwill Event between the Tokyo and Kyoto campuses of Jujutsu High approaches. But before the competition can even begin, a couple of Kyoto students confront Fushiguro and Kugisaki. Meanwhile, Yuji’s training gets interrupted by a mysterious crime involving grotesque bodily alterations caused by a cursed spirit...

Oh…. I am really getting into this series now. We get to see new characters and lots of plot development. I am very interested to see how the two different jujutsu schools operate and approach the coming crisis. We get a little glimpse of this when the mini showdown between the students, but I just know that more is coming. And then we get the larger curse crisis. I cannot wait to see how the story evolves and how Sukuna plays into everything. We do get some emotional weight with a new character. Let’s see how this plays out.

Jujutsu Kaisen

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

• Volume 9

• Volume 10

• Volume 11

• Volume 12

• Volume 13

• Volume 14

• Volume 15

• Volume 16

• Volume 17

• Volume 18

• Volume 19

• Volume 20

• Volume 21

• Volume 22

• Volume 23

• Volume 24

• Volume 25

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 2

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 2

Author: Gege Akutami

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2018

Genre: Comics

Pages: 192

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna were lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

When a cursed womb appears at a detention facility, Jujutsu High dispatches Itadori and the other first-years to handle the situation. However, the curse they encounter is far stronger than they ever expected! Itadori and friends now have two options: run and maybe live, or fight and die. While they are distracted, powerful curses with mysterious designs on Jujutsu High and Satoru Gojo are gathering…

So much plot was put forward in this volume. We get to see the aftermath of the battle in the detention facility and crucially the fate of Itadori. I’m very much interested in how they work him back into the collection of characters in this and subsequent volumes. Beyond him, we get to learn so much more about curse breaking and the various techniques used by characters. Satoru Gojo is of particular interest. There are so many mysterious hints dropped in this volume. I cannot wait for more to revealed. On to the next volume!

Jujutsu Kaisen

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

• Volume 9

• Volume 10

• Volume 11

• Volume 12

• Volume 13

• Volume 14

• Volume 15

• Volume 16

• Volume 17

• Volume 18

• Volume 19

• Volume 20

• Volume 21

• Volume 22

• Volume 23

• Volume 24

• Volume 25

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W28: We're Getting to the End

What We Studied

We had a normal week and a flex week. Basically it means that we came other the end of my preplanned weeks. I like to take a flex week to catch up on anything we pushed to the side and plan the next few weeks. This flex week was a bit different as we are nearing the end of the big school year. I spent time planning our activities as some of our curriculum is basically done.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G5 for his language arts this year. Arthur started the June Co-op Book Club selection. I was feeling in the mood for some good adventure fantasy and this one looked perfect. We’re about halfway through it and very much enjoying the story and characters. We also covered more grammar and extra language arts assignments.

• Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

• 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 finished our comedy book and started a classic.

• Poetry: Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O’Neill

• Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

• Matilda by Roald Dahl

• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

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. Arthur finished the history curriculum with a chapter about Manifest Destiny in the US and Social Reforms movements around the world. Beyond random documentaries and museum visits, we will be pausing our history study until August.

• 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 finished the chapters with one focusing on Elizabethan Times. We will be pausing history until August.

• History Quest Middle Times

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare by Diane Stanley

• Shakespeare's Theatre by Andrew Langley

• The Tudors: Kings, Queen, Scribes, and Ferrets by Marcia Williams

• Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England by Diane Stanley

Science

Arthur finished his RSO Biology 1 course with the end of the academic co-op. We finished the Story of Science Vol. 3. We switched gears a bit and covered a few BookSeeds from Blossom & Root.

• Story of Science Vol. 3 by Joy Hakim

• One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul

• The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins

Quentin finished RSO Earth & Environment and RSO Astronomy 1 as a base. He joined Arthur in the BookSeeds. As a bonus we did a review of the biomes of earth before concluding our RSO focus. We are also adding an oceanography unit for the rest of April and maybe into May.

• RSO Earth and Environment

• DK First Earth Encyclopedia

• What on Earth? Trees by Kevin Warwick

• Muse: Secrets of Trees

• We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow

• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

• Many Biomes, One Earth by Sneed B. Collard III

• Desert Biome by Grace Hansen

• A Day in the Life of the Desert: 6 Desert Habitats, 108 Species, and How to Save Them by Roxie Munro

• Deserts by Gail Gibbons

• Forest Biome by Grace Hansen

• Over and Under the Rainforest by Kate Messner

• Tundra Biome by Grace Hansen

• Marine Biome by Grace Hansen

Enrichment Co-op

We kicked off Enrichment Co-op with the first week of April. Arthur’s class learned about chemistry by making bouncy balls and colors by experimenting with chromatography. Quentin’s class was all about soil for the two weeks.

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 Queen, Heart, Bruce Springsteen, Kiss, and Journey. There was favorite was Queen (as it should be!) followed by Heart and Journey. They were not big fans of The Boss and Kiss, but that tracks.

• Music Lab: We Rock!

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

Field Trip/Activities

We traveled to Lincoln for a Morrill Hall visit focusing on our favorite exhibits there. It was our first time using our membership at the museum, but we have used the reciporcal benefits all across the midwest. We will be renewing this pass at the end of May and plan to go back to Morrill Hall at least once more this summer. After the museum, the friends we were with joined us at Lost in Fun for an afternoon of free play.

High

On Friday, we finally got back into our biweekly nature hikes! I had been craving some time out in the woods and we made it to Schramm. One other family joined us for the 3 mile hike. The rangers have thinned the trees in preparation for planting oaks in their place. (A lot of the existing trees were not native to Nebraska; oaks are native.) The trails were a bit strange, but we made it through. I was thoroughly tired and sweaty, but it was a great walk.

Low

Not a big low, but co-op this past week was a bit of a chore. It was warm enough outside, but the wind was fierce! We had to battle flying everything while attempting to complete the activities. I got home and my lips were completely wind burnt.

Next Week

• Continuing our read alouds

• Moving forward with our math textbooks

• Exploring more BookSeeds and the ocean (Q) for science

• Listening to Fleetwood Mac for music!

• Transitioning to a more summer routine of activities and schoolwork

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - The Lumineers "Same Old Song"

Completely missed that The Lumineers had a new album out.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #10

As I look outside my window: It’s fairly sunny outside but the wind is still pretty high.

Right now I am: Winding down the day… and deciding which television show to watch.

On my bedside table: All the manga still

On my tv this week: We watched a few movies and continued all our usual shows. For me, I am now in late 2019 with Stray Kids content. Making my way through all the shows.

Listening to: I’m still all about my Stray Kids, but have branched out to other Kpop artists. I downloaded a few girl groups like Blackpink, Babymonster, Twice, and Aespa. I’m enjoying the more edgy stuff and less the poppy stuff.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Chicken Tikka Masala

• Tuesday - Teriyaki Shrimp and Rice

• Wednesday - Apple Cheddar Stuffed Chicken

• Thursday - Green Chile and Pepper Jack Enchiladas

• Friday - Caribbean Salmon Quinoa Bowls

• Saturday - Garlic Shrimp Pasta

• Sunday - Bourbon Steak

On my to do list: I imagine that I have a ton of admin tasks for co-op. But the most pressing tasks are to finish planning our Indiana trip and planning the co-op Field Day.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Acorn Acres Playdate

• Wednesday - Joslyn Art Explorers

• Thursday - Enrichment Co-op

• Friday - Platte River State Park Hike

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: I want to finish my March Memory Planner pages and get started on the Retreat Nametags.

My simple pleasures: Coffee, sleep, Stray Kids

From the camera: Schramm looks very different right now with the tree thinning and restoration process. But it was still so beautiful.

Kinky History by Esmé Louise James

Title: Kinky History: A Rollicking Journey Through Our Sexual Past, Present, and Future

Author: Esmé Louise James

Publisher: Tarcher 2024

Genre: Nonfiction - History, Science

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Reader

Where I Got It: Library

Contrary to popular belief, our predecessors had all sorts of obscene hobbies long before Christian Greyhit the scene. In this enlightening romp, learn about the first instances of homosexuality on record from the ancient world and the diverse history of nonbinary gender; encounter a thousand years’ worth of hilarious and horrifying contraceptive methods; consider the positive and negative effects of the widespread availability of pornography in the digital age—and how our relationship to it changed during the pandemic; take a sneaky riffle through centuries of bedside drawers; and discover the dirty little secrets of luminaries such as Julius Caesar, James Joyce, Albert Einstein, and Virginia Woolf.

Esmé Louise James also identifies the key tipping points that directly inform current beliefs around sex to place the past in conversation with the present. By educating ourselves about the weird, wonderful, and varied spectrum of human sexuality and experience, we can normalize and destigmatize sex, write people of marginalized sexual identities back into the pages of history, and build toward a more liberated future..

A friend recommended the author based on her Instagram reels. I started following her and loved her little historical tidbits. And then I found out that she wrote a book and had to immediately read it. Diving in, James writes just like her instagram voice, funny and yet full of information. We go on an exploration of sex in history dispelling many myths along the way. I loved the inclusion of various historical figures as attendees of our dinner party. They added an interesting human element to the statistics and deep research. This book is not for those afraid of talking about sex in detail. And yet, I think that it should be required reading for adults. Having honest conversations with each other should be number one. I really enjoyed this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Parasyte Vol. 8 by Iwaaki Hitoshi

Title: Parasyte Vol. 8

Author: Iwaaki Hitoshi

Publisher: Del Rey

Genre: Comics

Pages: 

Rating: /5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Book to Movie

Where I Got It: Library

MONSTER TWIST: Shinichi vows to destroy Goto, one of the deadliest of the alien parasites that have invaded Earth-and people's bodies. But at the moment of truth, Shinichi discovers something unexpected in his heart: sympathy for the monster. Soon Shinichi, who harbors his own alien parasite, will come to a stunning realization about the dark side of human nature-and his own soul. This is the final volume of Parasyte. Includes special extras after the story!

And we finally get to the end. I truly loved how this story ended. It had the emotional weight that I was looking for without being super pessimistic. We get to see Shinichi and Migi really grow and come into their own. They are separate entities, but clearly very connected (and not just physically). We get to see Shinichi take on responsibility for Migi and even for all the parasites. While big comic/manga series are a lot of fun, I really enjoyed how this was a contained story with a conclusion. And now, J and I can watch the anime version.

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. 7 by Iwaaki Hitoshi

Title: Parasyte Vol. 7

Author: Iwaaki Hitoshi

Publisher: Del Rey

Genre: Comics

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

ENDGAME: Shinichi is both man and monster. He's an ordinary high school student whose body has been invaded by an alien parasite. And he alone knows a terrible secret: The aliens are plotting the destruction of humankind. Now Shinichi is the target-for both the government and the alien invaders-in a hunt that will lead to a terrifying, bloody showdown. . . . Includes special extras after the story!

Most of this volume is taken up with a large action sequence between Shinichi and a parasite infected human. We get to really ramp up the action sequences and see just how deadly the parasites can be. I was very intrigued by how the stand off with the police and the parasites was going to go. This volume did not disappoint.

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. 6 by Iwaaki Hitoshi

Title: Parasyte Vol. 6

Author: Iwaaki Hitoshi

Publisher: Del Rey 1993

Genre: Comics

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

ENEMY MINE: Shinichi has been hiding his true nature from the world: His body has been colonized by an alien being, and now he's half-human, half-alien. The other alien invaders, led by the cruel and beautiful Tamura, have discovered his secret. Shinichi is a threat to their plan to destroy the human race-a threat that these ruthless creatures will no longer ignore . . .

It feels like we really are entering the endgame of this series. We really start to understand exactly what the parasite infected humans are aiming for. And we get to see Shinichi coming to terms with this own “friend.” I enjoyed the discussions that the two of them have. They lend an air of philosophical discussion in between the action sequences. I am very eager to see how this all ends.

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. 5 by Iwaaki Hitoshi

Title: Parasyte Vol. 5

Author: Iwaaki Hitoshi

Publisher: Del Rey 1992

Genre: Comics

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

MONSTER: Shinichi was just an ordinary high school student, until his body was invaded by a parasite, a horrifying alien being. Now Shinichi is a monster with a human face . . . and a human conscience. He is unlike anything else in the world-part man, part alien, and caught in a desperate struggle to save his own soul.

I think we hit the low point of the series. This volume really slows down the story to check-in with the other parasite characters and eventually engage in one big fight. We get a few little scenes of interest between Shinichi and Migi, but mostly, I was just flipping pages to see what happened next. Still fully into this series, but this volume almost felt like a bit of a pause in the storyline.

Parasyte

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Demon's Queen by Katee Robert

Title: The Demon’s Queen (A Deal with a Demon #6)

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Trinkets & Tales LLC 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 164

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Paranormal; Cover Lover - Illustrated Scene

Where It Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 7

Eve’s life might not be perfect, but it’s hers. She has money, freedom, and a client list that she’s handpicked over the years. If sometimes she gets a little too attached to those clients? Well, that’s her problem. After a stressful day, she’s looking forward to dinner and a long night with Azazel…until he asks her to sign a contract under the guise of roleplay—and then kidnaps her to another realm.

Azazel has been in love with Eve for years, but he knows his place. The window to offer her a contract has long since closed, so he takes her in the only way he can—as her client. Until one of his enemies realizes exactly how much Eve means to him…forcing him to lie to her to protect her.

Unfortunately for Azazel, Eve isn’t thankful for the protection. She may be stuck in the demon realm with her new captor, but she’s going to make him choke on every moment they spend together.

Too bad her heart is more in the mix than she’d ever admit…

Finally! We finally get Azazel and Eve’s story! I’ve been waiting this entire series for this pairing and it does not disappoint. We get to see a woman who came from nothing and found something like a life who then gets basically kidnapped to the demon realm. But thankfully, her captor is Azazel who, even though he missteps many times, truly cares about Eve. I loved seeing these two characters circle each other before finally professing their feelings. We get great cameos from many other characters in the series. We also get the opposite side of scenes from my of the books adding to the full series story. Sad that this series is at an end, but have really enjoyed the ride.

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:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 1

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 1

Author: Gege Akutami

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2018

Genre: Comics

Pages: 192

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

Although Yuji Itadori looks like your average teenager, his immense physical strength is something to behold! Every sports club wants him to join, but Itadori would rather hang out with the school outcasts in the Occult Research Club. One day, the club manages to get their hands on a sealed cursed object. Little do they know the terror they’ll unleash when they break the seal…

I finally started this series! And it really starts off with a bang! We get introduced to our main characters and the action starts right away. I loved puzzling things out with Itadori and trying to understand the world we’ve been thrown in. The inclusion of our Sensei and other students really helped round out the introduction story. We got a few great action sequences and some world-building in this volume. I cannot wait to continue with this series, and eventually watch the anime.

Jujutsu Kaisen

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

• Volume 9

• Volume 10

• Volume 11

• Volume 12

• Volume 13

• Volume 14

• Volume 15

• Volume 16

• Volume 17

• Volume 18

• Volume 19

• Volume 20

• Volume 21

• Volume 22

• Volume 23

• Volume 24

• Volume 25

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #5

Reading: Finally got and started reading Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert. Not sure if it is one of my favorites in this series, but I am enjoying it.

Watching: I’m into 2019 with my Stray Kids content. I’m finding all those silly little clips that get used in compilation videos. Now I know where they came from.

Listening: I moved beyond Stray Kids to dabble in some other Kpop groups. On the way, I dowloaded some BlackPink albums and found Jennie’s new album. Really digging it!

Making: I started making the name tags for the retreat. I always love digging into my paper stash and finding some cute designs.

Feeling: I have not slept well in weeks lately. I’m just tired.

Planning: I need to get started on planning my Enrichment lessons for May. I have no idea what th do for a lesson, but I imagine I need to just google some things for a few minutes to find some great ideas.

Loving: Enjoying Stray Kids has really kept me afloat lately. They are a lifesaver.

Next up on the TBR pile: