It’s a K-Pop summer! After doing my Top 10 Stray Kids songs, I decided to focus on some other K-Pop groups and people that I enjoy.
Somehow I randomly discovered Taemin (of SHINee fam) and his solo work. I really really fell for this song. Had to include in my K-Pop summer list.
How about a live performance version?
Next up on the TBR pile:
As I look outside my window: Bright, sunny, going to be extremely hot today. I think I will stay inside thank you very much!
Right now I am: Mentally preparing myself to help the boys get their closet in order. It’s a big task, full of reminders and nagging.
On my bedside table: I decided to return most of my checked out library books. Fan fiction is still the thing I want to keep reading all the time. But I do have some comic volumes to read (Jujutsu Kaisen, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, Lore Olympus) and some book club selections I need to get to soon.
On my tv this week: J and I finished Resident Alien. Four seasons of pure fun! We also kept up with our currently airing shows (Foundation, It’s Always Sunny, Rick and Morty). I have one more episode of Hometown Cha-cha-cha. Hopefully I can find some time to watch today or tomorrow.
Listening to: Nothing new this week for me. Still obsessively listening to my K-Pop playlist and random Bring Me the Horizon albums. Very different I know, but I love both.
On the menu for this week:
Monday - Teriyaki Shrimp
Tuesday - Fish with Lemon Sauce
Wednesday - Breakfast for Dinner
Thursday - Keilbasa Skillet
Friday - Mexican Street Corn Tachos
Saturday - Me Out
Sunday - ????
On my to do list: I think I need to review my big to-do list and do a brain dump. I feel like I might be missing some things…
Happening this week:
Monday - Home Day
Tuesday - Fontenelle Forest
Wednesday - NE HUB Homeschool Picnic
Thursday - Co-op
Friday - Home Day
Saturday - Friend’s Birthday Party
Sunday - Coffee and Chat
What I am creating: Nothing really. I need to block out some time to work on my July Memory Planner pages.
My simple pleasures: Iced coffee, good sleep, well-written fan fiction.
Looking around the house: I did a whirlwind clean yesterday and feel so much better. I do need to vacuum, but at least the laundry is done and the living room picked up.
From the camera: Finally got my decals and applied them to the car. Love having my WolfChan on the back.
Here's my randomness for the week:
Wow! Fan fiction really has a hold on me this month. It has tanked by “official” read report, but I don’t care. I have found some great writers on AO3 and have started to follow them on other platforms.
Related, I have started buying the previous Stray Kids physical albums. I just bought Oddinary, Ate, and Hop. I have Rock Star and Maxident coming. Debating on the rest. (I have already preordered two different versions of Karma. And 5 Star is coming with those preorders.)
On the weather front, it is way way way too hot this week. I hate.
Tonight we are heading to the Orpheum to see Penn and Teller. All five of us are going. Very excited!
Next up on the TBR pile:
It’s a K-Pop summer! After doing my Top 10 Stray Kids songs, I decided to focus on some other K-Pop groups and people that I enjoy. Let’s embark on my Top 5 ATEEZ songs.
My favorite ATEEZ song! It was my favorite right away. I could not get it out of my head. San’s intro is amazing here!
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Feathers So Vicious (Court of Ravens #1)
Author: Liv Zander
Publisher: Ink Heart Publishing 2023
Genre: Romantasy
Pages: 412
Rating: 2/5 stars
Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Fantasy
Where I Got It: Library
Spice Rating: 8
Perched between branches and shadows, We watch, we scheme, Fighting for a kingdom forgotten and forlorn.
Until we rip her away with our claws, Our prisoner, our pawn, our plaything.
She’s innocent and pure, Fragile and helpless… …but oh so guilty by blood.
She calls us beasts, Wicked and evil, Vicious and cruel.
We are all that and worse.
One of us offers her shelter beneath his wings, Whispering promises of pleasure, Seeking redemption.
The other longs to shatter her into a million pieces, Whispering promises of pain, Seeking revenge.
Caught between our feathers, She endures our deranged desires, Our secrets, our lies, Our twisted plans.
Will she surrender to our darkness, or fight for a destiny growing ever elusive?
Welcome to the Court of Ravens, little white dove.
While I loved the magic system and some of the world building in here, I just could not get behind the romance. The literal torture the FMC received from the two men was too much for me to suspend my disbelief and go with it. I guess I found my limit for dark romance.
Court of Ravens
#1 Feathers So Vicious
#2 Shadows So Cruel
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 2
Author: singNsong
Publisher: Ize Press 2020
Genre: Manwha
Pages: 240
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Books to Movies
Where I Got It: Library
THE ENDLESS TRAGEDIES OF THIS WORLD ALL BEGIN WITH THIS CHARACTER.Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse is Dokja’s favorite novel, or it was...until it became reality. Thanks to his knowledge of the story, he managed to survive the first chaotic moments of the new world. But the relentless scenario waits for no one, and Dokja finds himself in yet another life-or-death struggle. Isolated from his group and surrounded by horrific creatures, his story seems all but doomed to a premature ending...That’s when an unmistakable presence makes an entrance. It’s time for Dokja, the only reader of TWSA, to meet its main character―the Regressor Junghyeok Yu!
We get to learn more! We get a fun situation in a sea serpent and the introduction of some new characters. I loved piecing together the folklore and mythology references (with the help from some notes at the end) along with speculating about the larger mystery of the worlds and especially the constellations. My son was reluctant to tell me spoilers (not that I necessarily want them), but he did give me some interesting teasers. I am excited to keep reading and see where Dokja goes next.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Cold Eternity
Author: S.A. Barnes
Publisher: Tor Nightfire 2025
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Pages: 293
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Something you might see in a hospital; I Read Horror - Female Author
Where I Got It: Library
Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay low: a gigantic space barge storing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth’s most fortunate citizens from more than a century ago…
The cryo program, created by trillionaire tech genius Zale Winfeld, is long defunct, and the AI hologram "hosts," ghoulishly created in the likeness of Winfeld’s three adult children, are glitchy. The ship feels like a crypt, and the isolation gets to Halley almost immediately. She starts to see figures crawling in the hallways, and there’s a constant scraping, slithering, and rattling echoing in the vents.
It’s not long before Halley realizes she may have gotten herself trapped in an even more dangerous situation than the one she was running from….
If I want a thriller/lite horror novel, I turn to S.A. Barnes now. I love her space horror books so much! We get creepy settings, unreliable narrators, and some lovely body horror all wrapped up in a tightly paced, easily read package. This one is no exception. Right away, we know that there’s something wrong on the ship, but we have to slowly and creepily encounter the truth along with Halley. The little odd occurrences and sensory jump scares add to the tension. And we are guaranteed a fast-paced ending full of horror! My only quibble with this book is the overly long passages about Halley’s previous political dealings. They didn’t blend seamlessly with her current story. I even found myself wanting to know more details of exactly what happened. But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this space romp.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Reading: I finally started a dark romance, Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander, that a friend recommended to me months ago. There are definitely multiple content warnings attached to this book. I am enjoying the world building. Not sure about the romance part yet. But I’m only about 30% of the way through the book.
Watching: I fell back into watching Stray Kids content from the past. I’m up to March 2022 in the big watch. And I’ve made a ton of progress in just a few days.
Listening: I’ve put ATEEZ’s new album Golden Hour: Part 3 In Your Fantasy on repeat. So good! I think my current favorites are “Legacy” and “Slide to Me.”
Making: Working on multiple dinner plans for this week.
Feeling: Between home tasks, social acitities, school, and my own mental health, I am feeling very stretched right now. I really need to find a better balance.
Planning: I’m deep into planning homeschool lessons. I’m equally excited and stressed out in starting our new school year this week.
Loving: We are into the height of summer and I am loving fruit. Seriously, I cannot get enough.
Next up on the TBR pile:
It’s a K-Pop summer! After doing my Top 10 Stray Kids songs, I decided to focus on some other K-Pop groups and people that I enjoy. Let’s embark on my Top 5 ATEEZ songs.
For whatever reason, this song doesn’t show up on favorites lists from ATINYs. I think that’s a tragedy. This is an amazing song!
Next up on the TBR pile:
On my bedside table: I have a stack of library books that I need figure out which one to read first. And I have a few more manhwa volumes for my current series. But… I also have a few fan fiction stories lined up to read.
On my tv this week: All of our usual shows. Television viewing was down this week as I had a few days out and other days of being super tired.
Listening to: Stray Kids of course! But I also downloaded some aespa and ITZY to add to my K-Pop playlist.
On the menu for this week:
Monday - Balsamic Caprese Chicken
Tuesday - Grilled Cheese
Wednesday - Spicy Thai Noodles
Thursday - Lemon Sauce Fish
Friday - Green Chile Enchilada Soup
Saturday - Reuben Quesadillas
Sunday - Leftovers
On my to do list: We are starting school this week, so I’ve purposely shortened by to do list to accomodate. Mostly I just need to double check admin tasks for co-op.
Happening this week:
Monday - First Day of School!
Tuesday - Pool Afternoon (last one!)
Wednesday - Zoo Day
Thursday - Enrichment Co-op
Friday - Home Day
Saturday - Book Club Pool Party; Potential Kid Birthday Party
Sunday - Academic Co-op Informational Meeting
What I am creating: Nothing this week. Focused on prepping for the school year.
My simple pleasures: Satisfying fan fiction, Stray Kids videos, iced coffee
Looking around the house: I picked up most of the crap and feel like the house is in a decent place right now.
From the camera: From last week’s after Bingo visit to the Christmas Bar. It’s not actually called that, but it’s decorated like some grandma’s Christmas decorations threw up. I love it!
Title: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 1
Author: singNsong
Publisher: Ize Press 2020
Genre: Manga
Pages: 248
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Books to Movies
Where I Got It: Library
AT THAT MOMENT, MY LIFE TOOK ON A DIFFERENT GENRE. As a struggling office worker, Dokja Kim’s sole joy in life is an online novel so obscure that he’s its only reader. Then one day the story comes to an end…and so does the world. People all around the globe suddenly find themselves being massacred by horrific monsters or pitted against each other in sadistic scenarios straight out of the novel. However, only Dokja is aware that this is merely the first chapter of what is to come. Knowing that devastating plot twists are on the horizon, he can no longer afford to sit back as a reader―it’s time for Dokja to step up and write his own destiny!
After chatting with one of my sons during our travel back to Nebraska, he mentioned this series as one that I should read. I finally slotted it into my short list TBR and read the first volume. I immediately fell into the story and found myself hanging on each page. I loved falling Dokja’s growing realization of his new reality. And we get to have some fun cultural moments embedded into the story. I am definitely hooked on the series and will continue reading.
Next up on the TBR pile:
July TBR Pile (24/26):
Bookworms BC: Already read
Friend BC: The Mayor of Maxwell Street by Avery Cunningham
Nerdy Bookish Friends: Already read
Kid Book Club: The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin by Elinor Teele
Kid Read Aloud: TBD
Fantasy: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo ✓
Fantasy: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune ✓
Romance: Wicked Pursuit by Katee Robert ✓
Romance: Divine Intervention by R.M. Virtues ✓
Romance: Seoulamtes by Susan Lee ✓
Nonfiction: The Darcy Myth by Rachel Feder ✓
Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 1 ✓
Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 2 ✓
Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 3 ✓
Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 4 ✓
Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 5 ✓
Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 6 ✓
Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 7 ✓
Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 8 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 19 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 20 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 21 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 22 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 23 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 24 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 25 ✓
1,000,000 Page Goal
Monthly Total: 6758 pages
Pages Remaining: 140,314 pages
Current Read - Cold Eternity by SA Barnes
Books I Gave Up On (0)
Books Bought/Received (0)
UnRead Shelf Progress
Starting Number: 308
Books Read: 3
Books Acquired: 0
Books Unshelved: 0
Finishing Number: 305
August TBR Pile:
Bookworms BC: Is She Really Going Out with Him by Sophie Cousens
Friend BC: (already read)
Nerdy Bookish Friends: Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Kid Book Club: Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac
Kid Read Aloud: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Kid Read Aloud: When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin
Thriller: Cold Eternity by SA Barnes
Comics: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 1
Comics: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 2
Comics: Black Butler Vol. 1
Movies Watched
Heads of State - Better than we expected.
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - We restarted our Nic Cage quarterly.
Adaptation - Just as weird but good movie that I remembered.
Wild Wild West - Introducing the kids to terrible movies from the 1990s.
The Losers - Random movie that we never saw and wanted something stupid for a night.
How to Train Your Dragon (live action) - Such a fun movie!
Windtalkers - Not the best Nic Cage movie, but we made it through.
Matchstick Men - Still really enjoy this Nic Cage / Same Rockwell movie.
TV Shows Watched
Alice in Borderland S2
Murderbot S1
Hometown Cha-cha-cha S1
The Sandman S2
Foundation S3
Game Changer
Um, Actually
SKZ-Talker
SKZ-Talker Go
SKZ Code
Comments - Fan fiction took over my reading time this month. I must have read at least 2 million words of fan fiction. I still somehow managed to read 24 books. And we restarted Nic Cage quarterly watching multiple movies.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Here's my randomness for the week:
Thank goodness the weather has turned! It has been absolutely terrible for the last week. I feel so much better.
I really need to put myself on a library ban. I really want to get to some of my Unread Shelf.
Craving gazpacho this week for lunch.
Fan Fiction has really interrupted my regular reading, but I have loved it so much.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: The Geographer’s Map to Romance (Love’s Academic #2)
Author: India Holton
Publisher: Berkley 2025
Genre: Romance
Pages: 368
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - New Year, New Love (Second Chance)
Where I Got It: Library
Spice Rating: 5
Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her—except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves.
Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either—except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They’ve been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn’t stopped him from stoically pining for her.
When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of England, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there's no navigational guide for the geography of the heart.
I just really enjoy India Holton’s writing style. She weaves together the stuffiness of characters and language from the 19th century with madcap adventures and witty banter of today. I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I think I might just have enjoyed the second book even more. Ellie and Gabe and the best odd pairing. Their romance is somehow far-fetched but believable. I love that they both are so invested in their field of study and true scholars. And then there’s the fun and silly magic thrown in. It made all the adventures seems like a great time. I cannot wait to see what Holton writes next.
Love’s Academic
#1 The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love
#2 The Geographer’s Map to Romance
Next up on the TBR pile:
It’s a K-Pop summer! After doing my Top 10 Stray Kids songs, I decided to focus on some other K-Pop groups and people that I enjoy. Let’s embark on my Top 5 ATEEZ songs.
I always sing along to this song. It worms it’s way into my brain every time.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 25
Author: Junji Ito
Publisher: VIZ Media 2024
Genre: Manga Horror
Pages: 208
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!
In order to assume complete control over Fushiguro’s body, Sukuna schemes to kill Tsumiki, whose flesh Yorozu has possessed. Meanwhile, Itadori and the others attempt to use the power of Kurusu and the Angel, who have barely escaped death, to bring back Satoru Gojo! Sukuna is the strongest sorcerer in history, and Gojo is the strongest sorcerer of the present day… These two heavy hitters will finally clash!
Everything really feels like it’s coming to a head in this volume. Gojo has been released. Sukuna has taken over Fushiguro’s body. They are locked in combat. Kenjaku is still lurking around. And the rest of our crew is on the sidelines watching everything go down. I was on pins and needles the entire volume.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 24
Author: Junji Ito
Publisher: VIZ Media 2023
Genre: Manga Horror
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!
Military forces from foreign countries invade the culling game, seeking to harness the unlimited potential of cursed energy. However, the soldiers soon find themselves facing off against a horde of cursed spirits! While the merger with Tengen forges on, Fushiguro tries to help his sister leave the culling game and its endless cycle of killing…
Bringing the military into the story was a bit of a strange choice, but I understand that we needed to acknowledge the rest of the world at least. Japan does not exist in the world by itself. I was much more interested in the storyline featuring Fushiguro. And goodness! What an ending! I did not see that coming at all.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Next up on the TBR pile:
Reading: I have officially fallen down the fan fiction rabbit hole. A friend and I have been sharing our favorite stories, series, and authors. It has wrecked my regular reading stack, but I am okay with it. Just excited to read the next story every day.
Watching: We dove back into our Nic Cage quarterly. In the last week, we’ve watching four of his movies.
Listening: ATEEZ’s new album In Your Fantasy is on repeat this week. I am loving all the solo songs but especially Mingi’s and Yeosang’s songs. So good!
Making: For brunch yesterday, I made apricot and coconut and ham and cheese scones. I do love baking scones.
Feeling: The temperatures have skyrocketed and I am hot and uncomfortable. It’s going to be a terrible week.
Planning: I’m putting the finishing touches on our Homeschool plans for this coming year. I need to do one last run through and then put library books on hold.
Loving: Yesterday on the way back from the park, my Stray Kids shuffle had a string of five absolute bangers! God’s Menu, Topline, Wolfgang, Domino, and S-Class!
Next up on the TBR pile:
It’s a K-Pop summer! After doing my Top 10 Stray Kids songs, I decided to focus on some other K-Pop groups and people that I enjoy. Let’s embark on my Top 5 ATEEZ songs.
I really enjoy the electronic rock sound of this entire EP, but love “Cyberpunk” the most.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 23
Author: Junji Ito
Publisher: VIZ Media 2023
Genre: Manga Horror
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!
Sukuna reveals that he is the Disgraced One whom the Angel wants to kill. While Itadori grapples with this terrible news, Kenjaku has set in motion plans involving various nations, throwing the culling game into further confusion! To make matters worse, Kenjaku then shows up at the Tombs of the Star Corridor where Master Tengen exists in seclusion!
Our larger plot moves forward a ton in this volume. We do a big check in with our major players and see what happens when Itadori realizes who is inhabiting his body. I enjoyed learning more even if Gojo is still missing from the story.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Next up on the TBR pile: