Homeschool W3: I think we are finally getting there...

What We Studied

We might be finally getting our footing for this year. We ended up doing schoolwork three out of the five days without much complaint and fuss. We completed our lessons and still had time for social activities. Overall, I think it ended up being a decent week.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. Our first book is a sequel of sorts to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon we read back in 3rd grade. The third book in series is featured in H&S, but we wanted to read the second first. I really love how Lin incorporates Chinese folklore and myth in these quest stories. We finished it this week and chose to hold off on our newest book until next week.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We continued with Lewis Carroll and started reading the sequel to Alice.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We covered the first chapter which mainly focused on review and basic math vocabulary. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Court 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We also are finishing up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We continued with our chapter about mass and weight; not quite finishing it.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

• Weight by Julie Murray

• How Heavy? Wacky Ways to Compare Weight by Mark Weakland

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. We started the next section focusing on Darwin, Pasteur, and all the scientific advancements in the 18302s-1850s.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• DK Science Year by Year

• A Journey Through Art

• Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas by Cheryl Bardoe

• Pollen: Darwin's 130 Year Prediction by Darcy Pattison

• Charles Darwin’s Around the World Adventure by Jennifer Thermes

• Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species: Words That Changed the World by Anna Brett

• Darwin's Rival: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Search for Evolution by Christiane Dorion

• A Shot in the Arm! by Don Brown

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the indigenous peoples of the Northeast. We will stay with indigenous peoples for the first six weeks or so. We also continued watching the documentary series Native America. I love how we get to hear about the history of various Indigenous cultures and then see how they are still living today. It’s so well done! And in between the years, a second season was released. I cannot wait to rewatch Season 1 and move onto Season 2.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• A Kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder

• The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker

• The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz

• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso

• The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by James and Joseph Bruchac

• Native Americans: A Visual Exploration SN Paleja

• Indians of the Northeast by Lisa Sita

• Iroquois by Sarah Tieck

• The Iroquois of the Northeast by KaaVonia Hinton

• Algonquin by Sarah Tieck

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We moved on to Minerals and dove into how they create rocks. It was a short lesson, but much more in depth that we’ve covered before.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals

• Science Comics: Rocks and Minerals by Andy Hirsch

• Nat Geo Kids Weird But True: Rocks and Minerals by Michael Burgan

• All About Rocks by Alessandra Potenza

• Geology: The Study of Rocks by Susan H. Gray

• All About Minerals: Discovering the Building Blocks of Earth by Cody Crane

• Minerals by Ann O. Squire

• Researching Rocks by Sally M. Walker

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. Well, that is our plan, but I’m waiting on the plans for Academic Co-op to be solidified before I start. There’s a possibility that the younger kid class (if we get the second classroom) will be doing Physics in a collective fashion. So, we started our Story of Science Volume 1 book and did some general review about the scientific review.

• RSO Physics 1

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

• Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

• Mass and Weight by Barbara A. Somervill

Enrichment STEAM Co-op

Arthur got to make marble roller coasters for his engineering unit. Quentin created building structures with toothpicks and marshmallows. I think Arthur had more fun than Quentin, but it was still a good week for co-op.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We covered our first art lesson about Medieval Art. This connected with our visit to the Joslyn Art Museum last week.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

Field Trip/Activities

We visited Fontenelle Forest for a playdate at their new Acorn Acres playground. It was terribly hot and humid, but we made it almost two hours before heading home. It was nice to see some friends and chat with some new members of the group.

High

On Wednesday, our sister homeschool group held it’s We’re Not Supposed to Be in School Picnic. We spent over four hours connecting with new and old friends and celebrating the start of the school year.

Low

The heat really got to me again this week. It’s terrible. Thankfully the temperatures are heading below 80 degrees for next week. So excited for the change.

Next Week

• Starting a new one (A)

• Finishing our current read aloud (Q)

• Learning about British Empire (A) and continuing the Natives of the Northeast (Q)

• Looking at Islamic Art

• Exploring Newton’s Laws of Motion (Q) and the Rock Cycle (A) for science

• Spending more time at home

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Title: The Bewitching

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publisher: Del Rey 2025

Genre: Horror

Pages: 357

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Around the USA - Massachusetts; I Read Horror - Folk Horror

Where I Got It: Library

“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales.

In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay’s manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch.

Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved.

Moreno-Garcia is such hit or miss author for me. I absolutely loved a few of her books and then I really really disliked a few of the books. The summary of this one really caught my eye. I love witch themed books and was looking forward to a fun spooky mystery book. The first few chapters were intriguing. But as the book went on, I was less and less interested. The story seemed to just drag and drag. There were a few spooky things here and there, but mostly nothing for the longest time. I just wasn’t compelled to keep reading. I kept at it because it was a book club selection, but mostly I was just really really bored.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 26

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 26

Author: Junji Ito

Publisher: VIZ Media 2024

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!

The battle between the two strongest sorcerers—Gojo and Sukuna—unfolds on a mind-blowing scale! The combatants repeatedly open their domains and repair burnt-out cursed techniques. Their back-and-forth clash continues, but when Sukuna summons Mahoraga, will the balance of power tip his way?

Ooof that one was rough! We basically spend the entire volume focused on the battle between Sukuna and Gojo. I could have used some more other story or at least more from the other characters. But I still enjoyed following along with the great battle.

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

• Volume 26

• Volume 27

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #13

Reading: I finally dove into Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint series. I’m really enjoying it. Unfortunately, the library only has the first four volumes. I will need to find an alternative way to read the rest of the volumes.

Watching: I finally finished Hometown Cha-ch-cha this week. It took me forever; not because I didn’t like it, but because of time and focus. It was such a lovely story. Now I need to figure out which series to start next. Maybe The Nice Guy or The Divorce Insurance or S-Line or Tastefully Yours or When Life Gives You Tangerines or The Potato Lab or My Demon. I apparently have a ton of K-Dramas that I want to watch soon…

Listening: I’m so incredibly excited about the new Stray Kids album dropping this week! To help tide me over, I’ve been listening to the album mashup track on repeat. I cannot wait to hear the full songs!

Making: With my obsession with fan fiction, my physical book reading tanked. I am determined to move back to reading my books. To do that, I’ve been casually pulling books here and there that are peaking my interest again.

Feeling: The first two weeks of this year’s homeschool routine has been rough. Ooofff! This week hasn’t started out much better, but I’m attempting to adjust to help all of us.

Planning: I’m working on our September activity calendar. Things are starting to fill out a bit. I’m just waiting on a few other people to confirm activities before releasing the new Co-op calendar.

Loving: I randomly grabbed a few mini chocolate cheesecakes at Aldis. So good!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W1-2: Kicking Off Our Year in Hard Mode

What We Studied

We’ve officially started our 6th year of homeschooling and I will admit that it’s been difficult. For whatever reason, the boys had a really hard transition back to our normal schedule. We usually do not take a long summer “break” as we like to have many smaller breaks during the regular year. But between travel, activities, and my mental health, we ended up taking a longer break. Bad idea! The transition was difficult. I think we are finally settling in, but it’s been difficult.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. Our first book is a sequel of sorts to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon we read back in 3rd grade. The third book in series is featured in H&S, but we wanted to read the second first. I really love how Lin incorporates Chinese folklore and myth in these quest stories.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We started the year with my absolute favorite childhood classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We covered the first chapter which mainly focused on review and basic math vocabulary. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Court 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We also are finishing up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. These two weeks, we covered a chapter about mass and weight.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. Despite time constraints, we finished the first Section focusing on Queen Victoria and the British Empire. For our documentary selection, we watched the NOVA episode “What Darwin Never Knew” connecting our history study with our science study.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• Ground Breaking Guys: 40 Men Who Became Great by Doing Good by Stephanie True Peters

• A Journey Through Art

• The Story of Buildings by Patrick Dillon

• The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem by Colleen Paeff

• Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Walmark

• Ada’s Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace, the World’s First Computer Programmer by Fiona Robinson

• Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science: The First Computer Programmer by Diane Stanley

• Florence Nightingale by Demi

• DK Timelines from Black History

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We started with a basic geography lesson and moved to an introduction of indigenous peoples before European contact. We will stay with indigenous peoples for the first six weeks or so. We also started watching the documentary series Native America. I love how we get to hear about the history of various Indigenous cultures and then see how they are still living today. It’s so well done! And in between the years, a second season was released. I cannot wait to rewatch Season 1 and move onto Season 2.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• If America were a Village by David J. Smith

• The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller

• D is for Drum: A Native American Alphabet by Debbie and Michael Shoulders

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• A Kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder

• The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker

• The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz

• Moon Mother by Ed Young

• We are Still Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell

• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso

• The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by James and Joseph Bruchac

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We begin with a basic overview of earth science and quickly reviewed the Four Spheres and Plate Tectonics.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• Investigating the Scientific Method with Max Axiom by Donald B. Lemke

• From a Super Continent to Seven

• Plate Tectonics by Stephen M. Tomecek

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. Well, that is our plan, but I’m waiting on the plans for Academic Co-op to be solidified before I start. There’s a possibility that the younger kid class (if we get the second classroom) will be doing Physics in a collective fashion. So, we started our Story of Science Volume 1 book and did some general review about the scientific review.

• RSO Physics 1

• Where Did We Come From? by Chris Ferrie

• How to Think Like a Scientist by Stephen P. Kramer

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

Enrichment STEAM Co-op

We’re entering into the second half of Session B for the 2025 Session. Arthur focused on two weeks dealing with knots. Quentin learned about engineering skills while making paper roller coasters and then balance toys.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. So far, we managed to still do music for the first two weeks of school. We’re talking a lite approach to music appreciation and some musical theory built in. As our backbone, we are using the Music Comes Alive curriculum. While it’s not strictly secular, it’s neutral, I’m okay with their approach to music. It was the best for what I have time for and wanted to expend energy toward.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• The First Notes: The Story of DO, RE, MI by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

• Iconic Composers

• Hildegard of Bingen by Demi

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

Field Trip/Activities

No formalized field trips, but we did have quite a few activities these first two weeks. We had our monthly zoo visit with two friends on the first Wednesday. We mostly stuck to the outdoor buildings and rode the train. We also visit Heron Haven for a quick nature walk with friends on Friday. The second Wednesday was our monthly Josly Art Explorers visit. Two friends joined us to look at the human form in paintings and sculpture. We focused primarily on the Medieval gallery through the Neoclassical gallery to compare and contrast. I had a lovely conversation with an eight year old about realism and the human body. And a friend hosted the first monthly Curriculum Planning meeting. While I didn’t do much planning, it was nice to chat with other homeschooling parents while the boys hung out with their friends at a lovely coffee shop. Looking forward to doing it monthly!

High

If wasn’t on my plan, but we ended up going to our favorite pool twice the first week of school. The pools closed August 10th, so it was our last chance to visit! We went on Tuesday, but it was a bit chilly. So we all decided to come back on Friday to celebrate the hot weather and the last few pool days. As the boys are much strong swimmers this year, it’s been a great summer of being at the pool but not having to constantly watch them. I love this new level of parenting!

Low

Everyone was struggling to get back into the routine and feel comfortable with our homeschool schedule this year. Hopefully W3 and beyond goes better.

Next Week

• Finishing his read aloud and starting a new one (A)

• Starting a new read aloud, in fact the sequel to our first book (Q)

• Learning about Science in 1850s and the British Empire (A) and Ice Age and Natives of the Northeast(Q)

• Looking at Medieval Art

• Exploring Rocks and Minerals for science (A)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Taemin "Bones"

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:

Life Right Now #22

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.

Odds and Ends

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:

Music Monday - ATEEZ "Answer"

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:

Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander

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:

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Vol. 2

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:

Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes

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:

Currently #12

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:

Music Monday - ATEEZ "Halazia"

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:

Life Right Now #21

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!

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Vol. 1

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 2025 Wrap-up

July TBR Pile (24/26):

1. Bookworms BC: Already read

2. Friend BC: The Mayor of Maxwell Street by Avery Cunningham

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends: Already read

4. Kid Book Club: The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin by Elinor Teele

5. Kid Read Aloud: TBD

6. Fantasy: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo ✓

7. Fantasy: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett ✓

8. Fantasy: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune ✓

9. Scifi: A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green ✓

10. Romance: Wicked Pursuit by Katee Robert ✓

11. Romance: Divine Intervention by R.M. Virtues ✓

12. Romance: Seoulamtes by Susan Lee ✓

13. Romance: The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton ✓

14. Nonfiction: The Darcy Myth by Rachel Feder ✓

15. Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 1 ✓

16. Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 2 ✓

17. Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 3 ✓

18. Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 4 ✓

19. Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 5 ✓

20. Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 6 ✓

21. Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 7 ✓

22. Comics: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 8 ✓

23. Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 19 ✓

24. Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 20 ✓

25. Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 21 ✓

26. Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 22 ✓

27. Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 23 ✓

28. Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 24 ✓

29. 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:

1. Bookworms BC: Is She Really Going Out with Him by Sophie Cousens

2. Friend BC: (already read)

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends: Un Lun Dun by China Mieville

4. Kid Book Club: Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac

5. Kid Read Aloud: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

6. Kid Read Aloud: When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin

7. Thriller: Cold Eternity by SA Barnes

8. Comics: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 1

9. Comics: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 2

10. 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:

Odds and Ends

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:

The Geographer's Map to Romance by India Holton

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:

Music Monday - ATEEZ "Take Me Home"

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: