Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Next up on the TBR pile:

This House is Haunted by John Boyne

Title: This House is Haunted

Author: John Boyne

Publisher: Other Press 2013

Genre: Horror

Pages: 291

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

This House Is Haunted is a striking homage to the classic nineteenth-century ghost story. Set in Norfolk in 1867, Eliza Caine responds to an ad for a governess position at Gaudlin Hall. When she arrives at the hall, shaken by an unsettling disturbance that occurred during her travels, she is greeted by the two children now in her care, Isabella and Eustace. There is no adult present to represent her mysterious employer, and the children offer no explanation. Later that night in her room, another terrifying experience further reinforces the sense that something is very wrong.
 
From the moment Eliza rises the following morning, her every step seems dogged by a malign presence that lives within Gaudlin’s walls. Eliza realizes that if she and the children are to survive its violent attentions, she must first uncover the hall’s long-buried secrets and confront the demons of its past. Clever, captivating, and witty, This House Is Haunted is pure entertainment with a catch.

Another random pick from the library shelves. I’m always up for a good ghost story and this one certainly delivered. We get a first person narration a la an 19th century work. I definitely got shades of Dickens and Poe in this volume. We follow Eliza as she deals with her grief and changes in life, but of course things are not quite as they seem. I loved how the story slowly unfolded with little incidences here and there ramping up the tension and suspense. There are not many creepy scenes, but we get a lot of fun scenes and circumstances. The story finally comes to a head in the last 25 pages. And it’s a doozy.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #18

Reading: I randomly picked up This House is Haunted by John Boyne from the library shelves. It’s a homage to Dickens and gothic ghost stories. I’m really enjoying it so far.

Watching: We’re continuing our binge of Babylon 5. We’re up to S3 and things are so incredibly tense int he series.

Listening: After branching out to other K-pop bands and metal bands, I’m back to binging Stray Kids. I’m prepping for their comeback in a week and a half.

Making: I’m still enjoying the fall flavors by making apple desserts. Last night I made some pretty janky apple bourbon hand pies. They did not look good, but were definitely tasty. I’m thinking a vegan apple crisp for Thanksgiving.

Feeling: After the craziness of October, I’m very excited to just be cozy and sleepy. November is always a nice break from the busy season.

Planning: This holiday season our travel plans are very much up in the air. I think we are staying home, but Nick is going to Indiana and my mother is coming here. Maybe… Things are still very much in limbo right now.

Loving: With the cooler temps, I’m very much loving my cozy bed. My blankets are just so very very comfortable.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W11-12: October is My Favorite Month!

What We Studied

This is actually two regular weeks and a Flex week all in one. But as expected, the end of October was crazy busy and we had to adjust. Now that we’ve reached November, everything slows down and we can get more schoolwork in our regular weeks.

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. We finished our current book club selection which is perfect for fall spooky season. In between we read some classic Grimm’s fairy tales. And we started the next book club selection.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

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

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

• The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien

• Grimm’s Fairy Tales

• Granted by John David Anderson

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 took a break from our read alouds to catch up on some other language arts work. But we are back to our read aloud with a great fantasy read that Arthur read for book club two years ago.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

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

• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We covered a chapter about algebraic expressions. And then we paused so Arthur could catch up on math work before we finish out our current textbook. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Course 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We finished up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We worked through a chapter about fractions. We spent more time on this chapter than I had planned, but we do lean towards mastery over here, so it was a good use of our time.

• 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. We covered multiple sections for history these few weeks. We’ve mostly caught up to where I wanted us to be. We learned about Colonization in Southeast Asia, Colonization in Africa, and Displacement and Migration.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• Suez Canal by Valerie Bodden

• Who Were Stanley and Livingstone? by Jim Gigliotti

• Leopold II: Butcher of the Congo by Tod Olson

• Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story by Lesléa Newman

• I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Martha Brockenbrough

• At Ellis Island by Louise Peacock

• Ellis Island and Immigration for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by Jean Daigneau

• Ellis Island: An Interactive History Adventure by Michael Burgan

• Ellis Island: Immigration and the American Dream by Felipe Galindo Feggo and Tait Howard (History Comics)

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the formation of the colonies.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• DK American History

• We were There Too

• 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving

• Words that Built a Nation

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We managed to do all our prep for Academic Co-op’s Physics class. We focused on those videos and lessons and pushed our other science over for awhile.

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

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Energy

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We worked through all the simple machines chapters. We’re ready to switch to Air Pressure next week. We also read multiple chapters from our Story of Science volume.

• 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

• The Way Things Work Now

Enrichment STEAM Co-op /Academic Co-op

We had our third, fourth, and fifth weeks of Academic Co-op. Week three was chaotic. I was not on board with the kids and their non-listening. Week four was better. Week five was quiet with multiple families out for sickness. On a bright spot, I got my regional history class caught up to where I want them. Quentin’s class has transitioned to learning about ocean biomes for November.

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 a few art sections about sculptures and early Christian art.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

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

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

• DK Art and How it Works

• 13 Art Techniques Children Should Know

• The Story of Paintings

Field Trip/Activities

We visited the SAC Museum for a co-op field trip. The planetarium show about Exoplanets was fascinating. The “lesson” if you can even call that was a joke. No actual information. The kids make paper rockets and launched them. No discussion about aerodynamics or anything. I don’t know why I thought this year would be different. I’m always so disappointed by their field trip offerings.

We also had a park playdate randomly on a beautiful warm day and our monthly zoo day. The zoo day included a ton of friends and the kids had a great time exploring the buildings that we skip during the summer.

High

Beyond multiple Vala’s visits, we had the Co-op Halloween Party. This year, we did a Trunk or Treat style and it worked out perfectly. I decorated the van (and myself) all in spiders. The kids enjoyed their time.

Low

Vala’s is closed for the year. Until next fall...

Next Week

• Continuing our read alouds

• Moving forward with our math chapters - Close to finishing our current textbooks

• Learning about the French and Indian War and Prelude to Revolution (Q) and Modernization (A) for history

• Covering Earthquakes (A) and Air Pressure (Q) for science

• Listening to Beethoven for music

• Going to Academic Co-op for Week 6

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Evanescence "Afterlife"

K-Pop summer is over, but don’t worry, I’m still listening to K-Pop all the time. For November, I’m swinging back to metal as my comfort music. This week I had to highlight a newer song from Evanescence.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Heartless by H.G. Parry

Title: Heartless

Author: H.G. Parry

Publisher: Subterranean Press 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 141

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings - Villain

Where I Got It: Library

At the age of seven, in a London workhouse, newly-orphaned James meets ten-year-old Peter. Mysterious, mercurial, thoughtless to the point of cruelty, Peter nonetheless takes a liking to James. The two forge a strange friendship, bound together by theirshared love of stories...But one fateful night, Peter vanishes from his bed, and in the morning James is found lying alone and broken in the courtyard outside...Over twenty years later, on the deck of a whaling ship in the frozen wastes of the Arctic...James's obsession with finding his childhood friend will lead him to mutiny and murder, beyond the edges of the world, and finally to an island that shouldn't exist.

I always enjoy a villain retelling usually because the villains of fairy tales are much more interesting than the heroes. In this slim novella, we get the story of Peter Pan told from the point of view of James who becomes Hook. We see the creation of Neverland and the birth of the story we know while understanding the sacrifices James made to survive. I really enjoyed this one. The overall tone of this book is very emotional and sad but it was a good fit for my mood this week.

Next up on the TBR pile:

My Funny Demon Valentine by Aurora Ascher

Title: My Funny Demon Valentine (Hell Bent #1)

Author: Aurora Ascher

Publisher: Kensington 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 368

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Romanceopoly - Krampus Night (Monsters)

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 6

Asmodeus, Prince of Hell, just wants to make music. Jazz, specifically. Unfortunately, he’s a demon. And he’s supposed to be evil.

Clearly, for Ash, a career as a musician isn’t exactly an option. Plus, he’s cursed. Sick of playing by the rules, Ash and his three brothers escape Hell in search of freedom on Earth. But it’s harder than they thought to keep their enemies off their tails . . .

Yet everything changes for Ash when he meets a beautiful violinist who can see through his curse. No matter the risk, he has to have her.

Evangeline Gregory is just your average human. She works at a jazz bar, plays gigs on weekends . . . and, apparently, hallucinates demons.

At least that’s what Eva tells herself when, moments after she meets the man of her dreams, she sees him shift into a 7-foot-tall monster. Not believing her own eyes, Eva decides to investigate and soon finds herself in the middle of a supernatural clusterf**k.. But Ash isn’t the only one keeping secrets, and the search for answers reveals a shocking truth that will change Eva’s life forever. Or maybe just doom it. The path to love can be complete Hell.

I just… no. I was hoping for some fun enemies to lovers, some miscommunication (but keep it light), and lots of sexual tension. Instead I got a super bland insta-love story that relied way too much on clever sentences and profanity. Don’t get me wrong, I curse like a sailor in real life. But to constantly rely on profanity instead of actual dialogue is just lazy and not fun to read at all. Insta-love is one of my least favorite romance tropes because we usually are just supposed to buy these characters are perfect for each other, but we never really get to see why. I want to dive into the actual meat of relationships. Insta-love just skips over those parts. And don’t get me started on the fact that they are demons in here, but they’re all great guys. Um no. Well, at least here’s one series I can take off my TBR list.

Hell Bent

• #0.5 My Demon Romance

• #1 My Funny Demon Valentine

• #2 My Demon Hunter

• #3 Demon with Benefits

• #4 Guardian Demon

• #5 Beauty and the Demon

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Great Mortality by John Kelly

Title: The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time

Author: John Kelly

Publisher: Harper Perennial 2005

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 364

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Reader; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

The plague that devastated Asia and Europe in the 14th century has been of never-ending interest to both scholarly and general readers. Many books on the plague rely on statistics to tell the story: how many people died; how farm output and trade declined. But statistics can’t convey what it was like to sit in Siena or Avignon and hear that a thousand people a day are dying two towns away. Or to have to chose between your own life and your duty to a mortally ill child or spouse. Or to live in a society where the bonds of blood and sentiment and law have lost all meaning, where anyone can murder or rape or plunder anyone else without fear of consequence.

Wow! This has been on my TBR pile for years and now I understand why it kept popping up as a recommendation for me. We get a detailed, and I do mean detailed, examination of the the Black Death as it swept through Asia and Europe in the mid-1300s. Kelly goes region by region showing how the plague affected the people of the area. We get interesting insights from contemporary plague chroniclers as well as interpretations from modern scientists. I was fascinated to learn from the primary sources as well as analysis. This is a hard read. Obviously there are graphic depictions of death and suffering in here. But I think it is an essential read to understand history and gain insights into the changes following the plague.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - HAN "Updraft"

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.

HAN has done a few OSTs with others, but this is his first solo OST. And I absolutely love it! He always brings the rock side out with his songs.

Next up on the TBR pile:

October 2025 Wrap-up

October TBR Pile (26/30):

1. Bookworms BC: A Short Stay in Hell by Steven Peck (already read)

2. Friend BC: North Woods by Daniel Mason (not reading)

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (already read)

4. Kid Book Club: The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien ✓

5. Kid Read Aloud: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones ✓

6. Kid Read Aloud: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories by Washington Irving ✓

7. Romance: Stolen Vows by Sav R. Miller ✓

8. Romance: Zomromcom by Olivia Dade ✓

9. Romance: Shattered Innocence by Sara Cate ✓

10. Romance: Royal Heart by Nana Malone ✓

11. Science Fiction: We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor ✓

12. Fantasy: Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli ✓

13. Fantasy: Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerry Maniscalco ✓

14. Horror: The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers by Jen Campbell ✓

15. Horror: The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates ✓

16. Horror: Fiend by Alma Katsu ✓

17. Historical Fiction: Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen ✓

18. Nonfiction: Tomes of Terror by Mark Leslie ✓

19. Nonfiction: The Great Mortality by John Kelly

20. Manga/Manwha/Comics: Rosen Blood Vol. 1 ✓

21. Manga/Manwha/Comics: Rosen Blood Vol. 2 ✓

22. Manga/Manwha/Comics: Rosen Blood Vol. 3 ✓

23. Manga/Manwha/Comics: Rosen Blood Vol. 4 ✓

24. Manga/Manwha/Comics: Rosen Blood Vol. 5 ✓

25. Manga/Manwha/Comics: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 1 ✓

26. Manga/Manwha/Comics: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 2 ✓

27. Manga/Manwha/Comics: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 3 ✓

28. Manga/Manwha/Comics: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 4 ✓

29. Manga/Manwha/Comics: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 5 ✓

30. Manga/Manwha/Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 27 ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 6068 pages
Pages Remaining: 126,225 pages

Current Read - The Great Mortality by John Kelly

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (3)

• Shattered Innocence by Sara Cate

• Royal Heart by Nana Malone

• The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong (BOTM)

• Hazelthorn by CG Drews (BOTM)

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 303

• Books Read: 4

• Books Acquired: 4

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 303

November TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: TBD

2. Friend BC: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends: Heartless by HG Parry

4. Kid Book Club: Granted by John David Anderson

5. Kid Read Aloud: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Branhill

6. Kid Read Aloud: Brothers Grimm Stories

Movies Watched

• Tron - Rewatching the series in prep for the new movie coming…

• Tron: Legacy

• Fantastic Four: The First Steps - Loved the retro vibe

• Tron: Ares - In the theater! J and I went to a movie together for the first time in years.

TV Shows Watched

• Only Murders in the Building S5

• Slow Horses S5

• Babylon 5 S1-S2

• The Nice Guy S1

• Smartypants

• Below Deck: Med

• SKZ Code (2023)

• SKZ Talker (2023)

• SKZ Talker-Go (2023)

Comments - My reading has finally rebounded. I didn’t love a lot of the books I read this month, but I did knock multiple books off of my TBR list. As for other media, we strayed away from horror, but did watch a ton of television episodes off of our watch list.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Super tired from all the activities, but we are sneaking in two more Vala’s visits before they closed this weekend.

• Speaking of spooky, I’ve decided that November will also be spooky book/movie month. I’ve still got some things I want to read and watch hanging around.

• Academic Co-op went really well today. I wasn’t as tired as I thought I would be!

• My meal planning is all over the place this month. I need to do a fridge cleanout and an eat from the freezer week. Maybe I will feel better after that.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 27

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 27

Author: Junji Ito

Publisher: VIZ Media 2025

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 192

Rating: 3/5 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!

Gojo has been defeated! Without time to process this loss, Kashimo takes on Sukuna, but will he stand a chance once the King of Curses completes his transformation? Meanwhile, the entertainer Takaba takes on Kenjaku one-on-one!

Um… this was a bit jumbled. Parts of this were confusing as to who actually was speaking. I got lost on several pages and really had to puzzle out what characters were saying. Blergh. I have really enjoyed this series overall, but this volume just didn’t work for me.

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:

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1)

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Books 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 372

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Flagship Books, Kansas City, MO, June 2025

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe - witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin...desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost--even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked--princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems...

I had such high hopes for this book. It’s starts off strong with a very creepy prologue and then dives into world of Princes of Hell and witches. I was hoping for some high-paced tension filled romance and suspense. I was hoping for a strong female character attempting to avenge her sister’s death. And a dark, sexy male character forced into helping her. Instead, we get a whiny teenager who constantly questions everything, but lets other people make decisions for her. And a practically nonexistent male lead who randomly shows up to save Emilia from time to time. I was just so bored and annoyed. Definitely will not be continuing on with this series.

Kingdom of the Wicked

• #1 Kingdom of the Wicked

• #2 Kingdom of the Cursed

• #3 Kingdom of the Feared

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Seungmin "Phobia"

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.

Seungmin has done so many great OSTs, but this one is hands-down my favorite. I just really really love his voice. It’s why he’s in my bias line.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #29

As I look outside my window: It’s a bit overcast, but definitely not as much as yesterday.

Right now I am: Making curriculum piles to fix them for the next two weeks.

On my bedside table: Still more spooky books… November is still spooky month in my mind.

On my tv this week: J and I have have made a ton of progress into Babylon 5 S2.

Listening to: I added a ton of new albums and old albums to my Apple Music this week. The genres are really all over the place. But I currently obsessing over Han’s new OST “Updraft.” It has a rock feel like I’m really digging.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Apple Cheddar Stuffed Chicken

• Tuesday - Baked Potato Soup

• Wednesday - Campfire Night at Vala’s

• Thursday - Cajun Chicken Alfredo

• Friday - Crab and Asparagus Soup

• Saturday - Smoked Sausages and Potatoes

• Sunday - Broccoli Beef

On my to do list: I need to fix the curriculum, do lots of laundry, maybe finish my Memory Planner pages, get my schedule fixed, and probably make my family food today. The usual really.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Vala’s Visit

• Tuesday - Arthur Dentist Appointment; Book Club

• Wednesday - Campfire Night at Vala’s

• Thursday - Academic Co-op

• Friday - Vala’s One Last Time!; Halloween

• Saturday - Kid Birthday Party

• Sunday - Coffee and Chat

What I am creating: Working on my October Memory Planner pages.

My simple pleasures: Sleep. My body is definitely worn out and I need sleep.

Looking around the house: Meh. I have a mountain of laundry, but otherwise it’s decent.

From the camera: So…. I got a new tattoo. A bit of an impulse, but I love it!

Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen

Title: Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch

Author: Rivka Galchen

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 275

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: The Raven Bookstore, Lawrence KS June 2022

The story begins in 1618, in the German duchy of Württemberg. Plague is spreading. The Thirty Years' War has begun, and fear and suspicion are in the air throughout the Holy Roman Empire. In the small town of Leonberg, Katharina Kepler is accused of being a witch.

Katharina is an illiterate widow, known by her neighbors for her herbal remedies and the success of her children, including her eldest, Johannes, who is the Imperial Mathematician and renowned author of the laws of planetary motion. It's enough to make anyone jealous, and Katharina has done herself no favors by being out and about and in everyone's business.

So when the deranged and insipid Ursula Reinbold (or as Katharina calls her, the Werewolf) accuses Katharina of offering her a bitter, witchy drink that has made her ill, Katharina is in trouble. Her scientist son must turn his attention from the music of the spheres to the job of defending his mother. Facing the threat of financial ruin, torture, and even execution, Katharina tells her side of the story to her friend and next-door neighbor Simon, a reclusive widower imperiled by his own secrets.

I desperately wanted to love this book, but it really fell flat for me. I didn’t realize when I bought it that this was a fictionalized account of a real witch trial. I did not get the connection to famed scientists Johannes Kepler until almost halfway through the book. I completely missed that point! Beyond my lack of understanding, I found the plot and pacing to be very dull and plodding through most of the pages. We get a few fun paragraphs of Katharina’s commentary about her neighbors and the society she lives in. We get some wit and wisdom in there. But most of the chapters are just slow and meandering. This was definitely not the book for me this year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fiend by Alma Katsu

Title: Fiend

Author: Alma Katsu

Publisher: GP Putnam 2025

Genre: Horror

Pages: 243

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; I Love Horror - Katsu

Where I Got It: Library

Imagine if the Sackler family had a demon at their beck and call.

The Berisha family runs one of the largest import-export companies in the world, and they’ve always been lucky. Their rivals suffer strokes. Inconvenient buildings catch on fire. Earthquakes swallow up manufacturing plants, destroying harmful evidence. Things always seem to work out for the Berishas. They’re blessed.

At least that is what Zef, the patriarch, has always told his three children. And each of them knows their place in the family—Dardan, as the only male heir, must prepare to take over as keeper of the Berisha secrets, Maris’s most powerful contribution, much to her dismay, will be to marry strategically, and Nora’s job, as the youngest, is to just stay out of the way. But when things stop going as planned, and the family blessing starts looking more like a curse, the Berishas begin to splinter, each hatching their own secret scheme. They didn’t get to be one of the richest families in the world without spilling a little blood, but this time, it might be their own.

I love love loved Katsu’s previous book The Hunger and was really hoping for lots of creepiness and suspense. Instead, we get a book were nothing happens for like 70% of the pages. Seriously there wasn’t enough supernatural or creepy things in this one to keep my attention. Also, the summary of the book gives away the big reveal, even if I figured it out about 40 pages into the story. Beyond the actual plot, every one of these characters are completely terrible people. I was rooting for the demon to turn and kill all of them. Seriously.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tomes of Terror by Mark Leslie

Title: Tomes of Terror: Haunted Bookstores and Libraries

Author: Mark Leslie

Publisher: Dundurn Press 2014

Genre: Nonfiction - Horror

Pages: 272

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Nonfiction Reader

Where I Got It: Library

Throughout history, books have inspired, informed, entertained, and enriched us. They have also kept us up through the night, thrilled us, and lured into their endless depths. Tomes of Terror is a celebration and an eerie look at the siren call of literature and the unexplained and fascinating stories associated with bookish locations around the world.

Mark Leslie's latest paranormal page-turner is a compendium of true stories of the supernatural in literary locales, complete with hair-raising first-person accounts. You may even recognize a spectre of your local library lurking in these true stories and photographs. If you have ever felt an indescribable presence hanging about a quiet bookshop, then you’ll enjoy these fascinating and haunting tales.

Not that scary. Not that interesting. I am really striking out on books lately. The author’s writing style annoyed me. Not sure as to why, but it did.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Royal Heart by Nana Malone

Title: Royal Heart (Black Rose Auction #6)

Author: Nana Malone

Publisher: Trinkets and Tales 2025

Genre: Romance

Pages: 235

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Preordered

Spice Rating: 7

Damon Hunt, the world's most ruthless thief, wants my skills for a dangerous job. Worse, he wants me...as his wife.

When Damon Hunt—the thief my father trained instead of me, his protégé, the same one responsible for his death—strolled back into my life after years, I shot first and asked questions later.

Then he had the nerve to ask for my help to recover the stolen Royal Heart, a Winston Isles Crown Jewel, from the underground Black Rose Auction.

Despite how I used to feel about him, I see him for who he really is. And I’m not getting sucked back into the world that cost me everything. Not to mention, I’m not a damn thief.

I’ve built my career at a recovery firm, avoiding the field. I might be the best safecracker around, but I won’t go back to my private hell.

Until Damon dangles the one thing I can’t resist, the man who shot my father.

The catch? We have to pose as husband and wife to infiltrate the auction and steal back the Royal Heart for the Winston Isles.

Navigating the underground deals brings back old wounds and undeniable attraction. Damon is like a beast from my past—dangerous, captivating, and hiding secrets behind his fierce exterior. I have to decide if I’m falling for the monster who broke my heart—or the man determined to win it back.

I was very very bored by this story. I was intrigued by the heist premise, but even that could not hold my attention. Damon is too smarmy towards Ari. Ari is constantly throwing accusations at Damon. This isn’t enemies to lovers. This is two people who need therapy to two people who have sex for some reason. I don’t even buy a physical attraction between these two. It was so boring. And the plot was way too contrived for me to buy it. Disappointing end to the series. Really my favorite story out of the entire series was “Irresistible Devil.” Most of them were too icky or boring.

Black Rose Auction

• #1 Wicked Pursuit

• #2 Divine Intervention

• #3 Stolen Vows

• #4 Irresistible Devil

• #5 Shattered Innocence

• #6 Royal Heart

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #17

Reading: I grabbed Alma Katsu’s new book, Fiend, hoping for another great horror read. I’m about a third of the way in, but it’s not quite hitting the mark. We will see where this book goes.

Watching: J and I have made it to S2 of Babylon 5. I didn’t think I would be, but I am very into this series now.

Listening: Stray Kids announced a comeback in November. Seriously! We just Karma in August. But until then, I have found some other K-pop bands new-to-me and added them to my playlist. I’m trying to be selective, but if I find someone I like, I add it.

Making: I finally found some time to dive into creating my September Memory Planner pages. I like being up to date.

Feeling: The temperatures had cooled to actual fall temperatures. I am so excited by this change! Beyond being cooler in body, I get to be cozy with blankets again.

Planning: Co-op Campfire Night is coming up in less than two weeks. I need to finish making my shopping list and decide if we need a second campsite.

Loving: I had a tattoo appointment last night. This is the first time that I impulse bought a tattoo. I chose from a collection of Halloween inspired flash. And I do not regret it at all!

Next up on the TBR pile: