Gage broke the boards at his tae kwon do this week and got his yellow belt. We tried tae kwon do when he was around 4 and I think he got a yellow belt too, but he just didn’t have an interest so we stopped. But, never say never, he’s really enjoying this time around and goes 2-3 a week with no complaints. Hopefully that will continue.
Reviews posted – The Honeys by Ryan Le Sala A bizarre YA novel that was perfect for my desire for something different.
On the Screen
Effie Gray was based on a true story and while I liked it I wish the ending had been a little more fulfilling. I had to look up what happened after!
Puzzles
I’ve started a Little Free Library for National Puzzle Month. It’s just in the local Buy Nothing group (for now) and it’s just shelves on our front porch, but all of these puzzles have turned me a little puzzle crazy this month. I finished these this week
And started this 3000 bohemoth that Jason gifted me at Christmas. No idea how long this will take, but protecting it from Sammi is going to be a problem, so the faster the better.
This weekend
Jason has tomorrow off of work and Gage and I are doing half day of school, so we’re going to the library to apply for passports. And, of course, I’ll be puzzling.
The Honeys. 4.25/5 stars, YA novel, 344 pages, 2022
Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline’s radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once-inseparable sister who’d grown tragically distant.
Mars’s genderfluidity means he’s often excluded from the traditions — and expectations — of his politically-connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place.
What Mars finds is a bucolic fairytale not meant for him. Folksy charm and sun-drenched festivities camouflage old-fashioned gender roles and a toxic preparatory rigor. Mars seeks out his sister’s old friends: a group of girls dubbed the Honeys, named for the beehives they maintain behind their cabin. They are beautiful and terrifying — and Mars is certain they’re connected to Caroline’s death. from Goodreads
What did I just read? A seemingly recognizable story of a teen twin on the search for what happened after their other half died turns into…a dreamlike coming of age story, in a way. I really don’t want to say more. I went in blind and think it’s best you do too, but only if you are in the mood for something bizarrely different.
My favorite part of the book was the gender fluid, oft maligned, main character Mars. He is a character I’m not likely to forget. It really was his coming of age story, every sweet, honeyed drop of it.
I listened to the fantastic audio of this very mind bending book. The production was top notch and I would highly recommend experiencing the story this way. But only if you’re in an open state of mind 🙂
Love this thought…
“The way they talk about themselves—with such frankness—it feels like all people are wet clay, all the shapes that define us self-imposed. I realize this fits into the way I’ve always seen myself, which is: art, attempted, though often spoiled by the demands of another’s taste. It makes me wonder what shape I’d be if I’d never met another human being.”
Gage had his first sleepover with a friend this last week. He’s spent nights away from us before, but always with family, so this was a big step. We all went over there for dinner and were visiting over dessert when Gage says, “I thought you guys were going home.” Needless to say he had a great time and the boys are already planning their next night of fun.
All of the Christmas decorations have been put away, gluten has been avoided, homeschool has resumed and Gage is testing for the next belt in tae kwon do this week, so all is well so far this new year.
Books read this week – 8
Reviewed On Tyranny here. Loved and highly recommend.
Finished The Honeys and will get the review up soon. What a trip!
I already have a 5 star kids picture book, nonfiction.
Just Being Dali was a fantastic book with excellent illustrations. The recurring theme was no matter what people said Salvador Dali just kept being himself. This was one of those quick reads when we studied Spain this week.
On the Screen
Both were fun. My favorite quote came from detective Benoit Blanc, “It’s a dangerous thing to mistake speaking without thought for speaking the truth.”
Puzzling
January is National Puzzle Month and we’ve finished two so far, totaling 2000 pieces. Not bad!
Plans for the weekend
Tomorrow is the Friends of the Library Board yearly audit for my tine as treasurer. I have so much to organize and finish for that today. I can’t wait to hand over this responsibility. Numbers and money are just not my thing and managing non profit status and taxes on top of making deposits, writing checks and presenting monthly reports has not been fun. This year I’m the VP and in charge of book sales, both of which are completely in my wheelhouse.
There’s no better day to review this book than today, January 6. This is an expanded, graphic work taken directly from the book On Tyranny. I didn’t read it, but picked this up on a whim not knowing it had an original. I think every American should read Professor Snyder’s work, in either form. It’s quick, but most definitely packs a punch and I know that I will definitely be giving this a reread. Maybe even every January 6.
Timothy Snyder is one of the most celebrated historians of the Holocaust. In his books Bloodlands and Black Earth, he has carefully dissected the events and values that enabled the rise of Hitler and Stalin and the execution of their catastrophic policies. With Twenty Lessons, Snyder draws from the darkest hours of the twentieth century to provide hope for the twenty-first. As he writes, “Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism and communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.”
from Goodreads
This was such a thought-provoking, visually appealing book about the dangers the United States faces from authoritarianism. The lines are drawn between Europe and the rise of fascists and the US today. Trump is not once mentioned by name, but he’s impossible to miss. Maybe I think a few of the connecting lines were a stretch, but in the context of the greater picture, completely fair. I’m going to include some passages. Do yourself a favor and read the book with an open mind. you don’t need to agree with every word to come away with new understanding.
#2 Defend institutions. It is institutions that help us preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. So choose and institution you care about- a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union- and take its side. (page 13)
#4 Take responsibility for the face of the world. The symbols of today enable the reality of tomorrow.
You may one day be offered the opportunity to display symbols of loyalty. Make sure that such symbols include your fellow citizens rather than exclude them. (page 27)
#7 Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service may God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be prepared to say no. (page 39)
#10 Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom.
You submit to tyranny when you renounce the difference between what you want to hear and what is actually the case. Post-truth is pre-facism.
19. Be a patriot. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it.
It is not patriotic to try to end democracy.
A nationalist encourages us to be our worst and then tells us that we are the best.
A patriot, by contrast, wants the nation to love up to its ideals, which means asking us to be our best selves.
Epilogue & Liberty
The habit of dwelling on victimhood dulls the impulse of self-correction. Since the nation is defined by its inherent virtue rather than by its future potential, politics becomes a discussion of good and evil rather then a discussion of possible solutions to real problems. Since the crisis is permanent , the sense of emergency is always present; planning for the future seems impossible or even disloyal. How can we even think of reform when the enemy is always at the gate? (page 116)
After last year’s whirlwind of reading, I found that I really missed blogging and connecting with all of you. I wanted to blog, but just didn’t have the time to do it. And when I was able to sit down and visit your virtual world my comments were being rejected so some of you never even knew I was there. And…I didn’t have time to figure out how to fix it. And I spent to much time on Instagram. I love taking photos for IG, but I don’t feel the same connection there as I do with my fellow bloggers. I miss the long form, intentional connection.
Just as I missed intentional connections I missed intentional reading. Too many books that I chose were fast reads or once read were too easily moved on from. So, I’m going to take a deep breath between books and I started a book journal with my first book of the year. I’m only writing quotes that touch me in some way, but just the pausing has been satisfying. And in the spirit of that I’d love to get back to writing about all the books I read. I’m not going to make that a hard and fast rule, because I’m trying to take any reading pressure off of myself this year to focus on my big goal. To that end, I set my Goodreads reading goal at an easily achievable 105. In my pre-homeschooling days this would have been a stretch, but not so much now.
I discovered a few years ago that when I ate too much gluten I felt terrible and it causes bloating. But I LOVE bread and pizza and fast food, and…the list is quite long. Gage is already gluten free, so this is the year I’ve decided to make it my goal to get through 2023 without gluten. I admit that I’ve gone without gluten for short periods in the past, but old habits are hard to break and I’ve never been able to maintain it long term. Hopefully, this will be the year I change that! Any other gluten avoiders out there?
I’m wishing you all a fantastic 2023 and hope to see you around here more often!
What a reading year I’ve had! 417 books is my best year yet, quantitywise. I’m not sure about quality because I was reading so much and, you know, raising and teaching a kid and carving out time for a husband, and volunteering 🙂 I rolled over my book a day challenge from 2021 and made it until April 15 and also was a first round judge for the Cybils Awards and both of those things made this total high.
For the first time since I started blogging, I’m not choosing a top 10 for books or movies. I just don’t have it in me. I’m burned out. I did post my 5 star reads and that will have to suffice. I did do some statting (honestly, I’m making everything a verb these days, so why not?) and here’s what I found…
Books read 417
Publication year most read 2022 with 168 titles
Oldest Book Anatole & the Cat by Eve Titus (1957)
Non-fiction 286, Fiction 131
Top visited countries France (17), Canada (12), Australia (10)
Fave Covers
Continued series 9
New series 10
Trilogy read 1 (Darkness Rising by Kelley Armstrong)
Longest book Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught (708 pages)
Most read author Lemony Snicket with 9. Gage and I ready to start book 10 of the Series of Unfortunate Events books next week.
On December 1, Gage started his yearly advent book tree. Luckily I had finished it a few days early because on that afternoon I started to feel awful and spend the next few days fighting fever and headache thinking I had the flu. I tested negative for covid that first night, but by December 4th I tested positive and the next day Gage fell ill too. So, I spent a week and a half isolated upstairs with Gage while the healthy man in the house was at our beck and call. I didn’t feel normalish until day 8 and it was about the same for Gage.
So, now we’re getting all of our decorating and shopping done a little late and we’re looking at a laid back season this year.
Cybils Awards I’ve been reading like a madwoman for the first round of Cybils judging. I’ve been a finalist judge the last few years, so the sheer number of books for the first round has been daunting. I’ve read 156 nonfiction elementary, middle, and high school titles. It’s been crazy. There are nine judges for this panel and we’ve met four times over Zoom to discuss the books and narrow down the finalists. We’re thisclose to finishing. For any of you considering applying next year, I recommend doing it, but be prepared for the time committment. I’ve had fun being a part of the process.
Plans for the week Gage has tutoring and a few online classes this week, but we’re not doing anything extra, so I’m counting them as half days. But that does give me a change to start my end of the year lists and I’m so excited. I’ve read 399 books so far and doing stats and choosing favorites is a happy place for me. I’m still in the middle of about six books so that number will go up.
Are you a stats person? Do you like doing yearly favorites lists?
Stacy's Books 