August Faves, Stats, and Thoughts

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I only read 20 books this month, and a weird range of reads too.

I read 9 picture books, 7 fiction, 2 non-fiction. My favorite being

Wombats are Pretty Weird: A (Not So) Serious Guide by Abi Cushman. There are characters (Gage loved the snake) that will appeal to the littles in your life and just enough information to make those littles smarter! The back pages had photos and facts about the different types of wombats and the page on their cube shaped poop is fun for all.

I managed 5 romances, 2 modern, 2 historical, and 1 teen. My favorite being

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Ladies in STEM unite! So much fun! If you have a thing for smart men, are inspired by intelligent women, and love some spice then this is the romance for you! It wasn’t without issues, but reading it felt like I was sitting down to eat a big bowl of M&Ms for dinner. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

I also read 6 non-fiction, 2 photography books, 1 health, 1 inspirational journal, 1 graphic biography, and 1 cartoon collection. Two favorites from this group were

Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton. I’m sure most of you have seen Humans of New York online. Brandon Stanton started taking photos of people in various cities along with a caption or story and his blog gained traction. By the time his camera found the humanity and exuberant essence of NYC, people were paying attention. And still are. This book was originally published in 2013. I loved every bit of it. The people, the quick story, the quote, the photos.

A Wealth of Pigeons: A Cartoon Collection by Harry Bliss and Steve Martin. What a fun book this is! If you love Steve Martin’s humor and New Yorker covers you are going to get many chuckles at the mostly single panel funnies in this collection.

Interspersed amongst the rest is the story of Steve Martin and Harry Bliss, told in comic style, and how they came to put together this book. My favorite is when they were checking each other for ticks. It’s a great 20-30 minute read, sure to make you chuckle.

Now for the rest…

4 stars

Queenie: Godmother of Harlem by Elizabeth Colomba and Aurelie Levy.

I’d never heard of Stephanie St. Claire, a Black woman from the Caribbean who ran the Harlem numbers in the 1920s and 30s. This was not a woman’s game and she did it at the same time and in the same city Lucky Luciano was running the mob.

There are flashbacks to her Martinique childhood where you can see what made her the powerhouse she became. This shows the racism of the day and also the way that powerful men thought they could control her through violence and sex.

I loved the two pages about the Harlem Renaissance and the two pages on the famous players in the story. And can we talk about the arresting cover? Gorgeous. A 155 page graphic biography.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center.

Firefighter Cassie had closed herself off emotionally until one weak moment changed her life. From Austin to Boston, hero to ‘the girl’, and never been kissed to cherished forever, Cassie’s story hit all the sweet spots. A fun and thoughtful read. I loved Cassie’s confidence in herself and getting a feel for life at the fire station.

The Lady Risks All by Stephanie Laurens. Stephanie Laurens was a new author for me and I really liked the unconventional characters, unique circumstances,and very real dangerous mystery of this one. At over 450+ pages i really got to know the characters and why in the 1820s a Duke could not just become owner of gambling houses without sacrifices being made.

My Indigo World: A True Story of the Color Blue by Rosa Chang. For the older elementary or even early middle schooler. Chang shares her memory of all things blue and there is so much great information. It’s all over the place, jumping from her first trip to the blue ocean to growing indigo to Korean history, but in the best possible way.

Goldie Takes a Stand!: Golda Meir’s First Crusade by Barbara Krasher and Kelsey Garrity-Riley. The story of when the future Prime Minister of Israel was 9 and started a society to raise money for school books for impoverished kids. Perfect for littles.

How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison. The illustrations are phenomenal! Gorgeous. The story of a black girl from Ohio who went to the National Spelling Bee, was segregated onstage and not given a fair shake.

This is Your Do-Over: th 7 Secrets to Losing Weight, Living Longer, and Getting a Second Chance at the Life You Want by Michael Roizen MD. It’s never too late to take care of your health. The 7 steps Roizen covers are a mix of stuff I already knew and new information. I liked the emphasis that he put on mental health.

3.5 stars

Ketanji Brown Jackson: A Justice For All by Tami Charles and Jemma Skidmore. This picture book intertwines Jackson’s life with the civil rights issues of the day. It’s busy and could be a little much for littles, but it would be easier for older elementary age kids.

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz.

A few months ago I read Anatomy: A Love Story and liked the young adult book. This is the sequel. In the first book Hazel found a way to make me her surgeon dreams come true in 1800s Edinburgh, but saw her love hanged by a mob.

In Immortality, after being imprisoned for helping a woman who had aborted her pregnancy, she is ordered to London to treat Princess Charlotte, the heir to the throne. She’s invited to the elusive Companions to the Death club, where she learns more about the tincture offering everlasting life. This tincture, which she had given to her love Jack, proves to be the real deal.

So, I liked it well enough for the crazy that it was. It’s brings the story that began in Anatomy to a nice end. Although, I’m speaking as an older woman here, I question her big life decision. And some endings are mind boggling, like that of Marie-Anne.

Present Not Perfect: A Journal for Slowing Down, Letting Go and Loving Who You Are by Aimee Chase. This was a cheerful guided journal with fun art. Some of the inspirational art I’ve even cut out and have placed around the house.

Patchwork by Matt de la Pena and Corinna Luyken. When you were a kid what did you think your life woud look like when you gre up? Sometimes you can see the seeds of who you will be, but sometimes your life will take a different direction.

3 stars

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jenniefer Berne. I’ve read many Einstein books with Gage over the years and this was underwhelming. Neither of us cared for the illustrastions, which is a problem for a picture book.

Reiki: Pure and Simple by Jeanne M. Sands. I was curious enough to bring this childrens picture book home and learned a few things I didm’t already know.

Wilde Child by Eloisa James. I’ve read and enjoyed Eloisa James and her historical romances before, but this ended up being just okay for me. It’s the 8th in a series that I haven’t read and, to be blunt, I just got tired of hearing about Thaddeus’s cock (a word frequently used). A lady who wanted to be an actress, a big no no back then, and a future Duke who loved her adventurous spirit was a good story. Even the shared parental difficulties were engaging. Once the spicy scenes started they didn’t stop. So, if lots of spicy is your scene then this might be for you.

Faces of Cleveland by Laura Wimbels. This book, unlike HONY, is a collection of portraits of Clevelanders with just their name and occupation. At the beginning she has several locals tell how they know the author and what it is that makes Cleveland special.  This is not a comprehensive collection in any way, but it’s always nice to celebrate the good things and people of this fine city. Although I’m a suburbanite, I can be downtown in 20 minutes and love this place I’ve called home for 23 years.

I’d Like to Be the Window for a Wise Old Dog by Philip Stead. The pretty cover was my favorite thing.

What was your favorite August read?

First days, Covid, and New possibilities

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What to do after a long hiatus, the longest I’ve taken since January 2008 when I wrote my first post here? I’m at a bit of a crossroads. After 3+ years of homeschooling, Gage had his first day back in the classroom this week. I had two full days to decompress and think about what I wanted this year (and beyond) to look like. Then Jason tested positive for covid on Friday morning and we’re in limbo again, waiting to see if Gage and I can skate by without it this time. Jason hasn’t been sick in over 7 years and the man is as healthy as it gets and I think he’s pretty surprised at how sick he is with covid. I guess if we don’t show symptoms I send Gage back to school tomorrow?

I’ve blogged about a lot of things over the years, like being a 39 year old first time mom, movies, homeschooling, and trips we’ve taken, but at its heart this has always been a place to document my love of books and share that passion with other like minded readers. I like having this little piece of the net to do with as I please. I’ve turned to Instagram the last few years too, but that satisfies a different, more immediate itch.

Do I want to continue to blog? My current feeling is yes. I just paid for my site for another year, so I’ve at least commited to that! Do I still want to blog about books? Yes, I think so. Do I want to do something different? Maybe. I’ve got some newfound time to think about the possibilites. Stick with me and we’ll see what happens!

June Faves and Stats

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I read 24 books this month, bringing the yearly total to 147.

Fiction (1)

*****The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve

Living on the Maine coast with her husband and two small children, Grace’s life is turned upside down when wildfires advance toward their town. Grace is left on her own to save her children.

It’s a slow burn at first, but by the middle I hated to put it down. This book has an unexpected hitch and I was concerned and rooting for Grace the whole way. It was tense for a bit! Shreve got the to the heart of what it was to be a woman in the 1940s. Highly recommend.

Graphic Novel (1)

*****Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer

Thriller (2)

*****The Good Girlhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18812405-the-good-girl by Mary Kubica

I really liked this twisty tale. Told from three perspectives until the epilogue where we get a fourth, this is the story of a kidnapping for ransom that goes awry. We hear the story from during the abduction and after all mixed together from the voices of the detective, the kidnapper, and the victim’s mother.

An oldish thriller, but one perfect for your summer vacation if you haven’t already read it.

****Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

An atmospheric thriller that you’ll move through fast even as the absurdity hits you.

Abigail was getting married and her uber rich husband to be sends her and her bridal party off to a winery in California. Abigail, has a few drinks too many and makes one very bad decision. That very bad decision shows up at the private island resort where she and her husband are honeymooning 3 weeks later. As you might imagine, it doesn’t turn out well.

If you like sinister thrillers then I’d give this one a go. If you are marrying soon, please read this as a cautionary tale 😉

Romance (1)

****It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

A fine follow up to the bestseller, It Ends With Us.

Non-fiction (3)

****Sincerely, Your Autistic Child edited by Ballou, da Vanport, Onaiwa

****The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondo

****The Yards Between Us: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Football by RK Russell

Kids Picture Books (14)

*****Addy’s Cup of Sugar:Based on a Buddhist Story of Healing by Jon J Muth

Have you had to deal with the death of a pet (or even a loved one) with a child? It’s tough enough for adults and a child has little way of making sense of it.

Addy’s cat was killed by a car and she asks Stillwater to help bring him back to life. Stillwater says he can help, but first Addy needs to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor, but not from any home who has lost a loved one. Sounds easy enough but as Addy learns, loss is a part of everyone’s life.

Addy’s Cup of Sugar: Based on a Buddhist Story of Healing ❤️‍🩹 is a wonderful book for children. It’s based on the Buddhist legend, The Mustard Seed, but it is a book for any faith (or none at all).

*****One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey by Henry Cole

Encourage your kid to save the world one little brown bag at a time. A wordless story until the Author’s Note on the last page.

*****Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path To Countless Fairy Tale Endings! by Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat

This oversized 85 page picture book is gorgeous. Go ahead and slide through some of the pages. Gage loves choose your own adventure books and when I saw this I knew it would be fun lunchtime browsing material. After he chose at least a half a dozen endings he rated it a 10 out of 10.

Obviously, there are a few favorite fairytale characters you can run into and some of them are scary 🐺. The illustrations are great and the reading level is maybe 3rd grade?

*****We Are Branches by Joyce Sidman and Beth Krommes

For the younger elementary kid. I’m obsessed with this and open it to a random page every time I walk by it. The art is GORGEOUS. I may have to buy this one just to have on our shelves.

*****The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination by Brad and Kristi Montague

A very creative story that will engage the older elementary kid. Ideas weren’t being shared and the inventions, songs, and performances were overwhelming the Cave of Untold Stories.

*****All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson by Carole Boston Weatherford and Ashley Evans

I thought this was very well done, taking us from her childhood to when she became first Black woman to serve as a US Supreme Court Justice. It only took “232 years and 115 prior appointments.”

*****How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide by Ame Dykman and Jennifer Harney

Hilarious for both young kids and adults!

*****Becoming Charley by Kelly DiPucchio and Loveis Wise

Fun for younger kids about becoming the person you were meant to be.

****When You Can Swim by Jack Wong

****Free At Last: A Juneteenth Poem by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle and Alex Bostic

****A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond and Kate Cosgrove

***Real to Me by Minh Le and Raissa Figueroa

***Action!:How Movie Began by Meghan McCarthy

**A Day in the Sun by Diana Ejaita

Middle School Fiction (2)

****The Onts: Secrets of Dripping Fang #1 by Dan Greenburg, Scott M. Fischer illustrations.

It was good enough that we’re reading book 2!

****Too Small Tola by Atinuke, Onyinye Iwu

Set in Nigeria about a young girl living with her brother, sister, and brother. Also part of a series.

5 Word Movie Reviews – April, May, & June

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So behind on this space, but envision more engagement in the next few months. I miss my blogging peeps!

In a comment, give me your 5 words (or less!) and earn $1 for charity. Once we get to $100 the person with the most reviews will choose the charity. Click here to see the past winners, the charities they chose and the other reviews you can add to. Anyone is welcome to join in at any time. Click here to see past movie posts.

We’re at $85 right now.  Your charity could be next 

Listed in the order I liked them best…

Peanut Butter Falcon, 2019 (Shia LaBouf, Zack Gottsagen. Dakota Fanning, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, John Bernthal, Thomas Haden Church, Yelawolf) Grade A

Everyone deserves to be seen.

Air, 2023 (Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, Chris Messina) Grade A

Is MJ really MJ without his Jordans?

Rush, 2013 (Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancisco Favino) Grade B+

Racing greats very different approaches.

The Gift, 2015 (Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton) Grade B

Careful who your friends are.

Super Mario Bros Movie, 2023 (Voices-Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Charlie Day, Seth Rogan, Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen) Grade B

Surprising fun. Peaches is addicttive.

Superbad, 2007 (Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Seth Rogan, Bill Hader, Emma Stone) Grade B-

Husband made me watch it.

Paranormal Activity, 2007 (Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, Ashley Palmer) Grade C

I was expecting more scares.

The Hating Game, 2021 (Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell, Damon Daunno, Corbin Bernsen, Sakina Jaffrey) Grade C

Playing with lusty fire.

Chaos Walking, 2021 (Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Mads Mikkelson, David Oyelowo, Nick Jonas, Demian Bichir, Cynthia Erivo) Grade C-

Why do this to a perfectly good trilogy?

Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith

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Flung Out of Space by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templar. 4.5/5 stars, graphic bio, 208 pages, 2022.

Any Patricia Highsmith fans out there? This is a graphic bio of the time when she wrote Strangers on a Train and the lesbian thriller A Pinch of Salt under a pseudonym. A Pinch of Salt was later retitled Carol and is known for having the first happy ending gay characters had gotten in books.

Loved the book and recommend it. It was the Author’s Note at the beginning that hooked me. I left out more good stuff for brevity.

“This is a story I believe is worth telling. That being said, I want to be clear: The protagonist of this story is not a good person. She was deeply anti-Semitic, racist, and misogynistic, even by the standards of her time. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that many of her beliefs were nothing short of evil…

History is populated by complicated and destructive human beings. I think it’s important that we reckon with that. Not every influential or important figure deserves to be put on a pedestal, including women and LGBTQ people…Patricia Highsmith is not a hero, and she had a huge, positive impact on LGBTQ literature, not to mention American literature in general…

If you read this book and end up conflicted about Highsmith and her legacy: good.”

The Yards Between Us by RK Russell

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The Yards Between Us by RK Russell. 4/5 stars. Autobiography. 304 pages. 2023

Do you like football? Do you like poetic memoirs about learning to live your truth? Are you wanting to add to your Pride month reading list? I’ve got just the book for you!

RK Russell grew up in Texas with a single mom and very little money. He was big for his age, but even so didn’t start playing football until high school. He had a steady girlfriend. He went on to play football at Purdue University where he also had a girlfriend but also started questioning his attraction to men.

He went on to play in the NFL and the book has a few games rehashed in great detail for you football lovers. BUT this is more than football. This is about a young man coming to terms and then embracing who he is. I loved his stories of growing up as much as I loved the happy ending he made for himself.

He has a book of poetry published and I’m not surprised. He knows how to turn a phrase.

I received this from TLC Book Tours and was supposed to post my review May 22 😳. I totally forgot about it and once I picked it up it only took two days to read, so the tardiness is mine and no fault of the book.

May’s Faves

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I read 33 books this month, bringing my yearly total to 123. Did you have a favorite this month?

Here were my TOP 5

Seeing With Our Souls: Monastic Wisdom for Every Day by Joan Chittester. I read this every morning for several weeks and it was a perfect way to start my day. My copy is marked up with favorite thoughts. I will read anything she writes. “We’re not here to suppress the gifts of others in order to make room for our own. We’re here to put all the gifts of humankind into the great pool of humanity so that, because of the gifts of each of us, we can all live better in the end.” (page 27)

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Baglieu. Don’t miss this biographical graphic novel that highlights some wickedly awesome women with whipsmart humor. “Delia finds herself at loose ends (after dicorce). She’s 50 years old. So, she decides to embark on her first solo African expedition. From the Indian Ocen to the Ehiopian desert, whether in a dugout or on the back of a camel, Delia roams the African continent and becomes the first American women to cross it.” (page 69)

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. Throw this fun romance in your beach bag at once! She’s his bodyguard and must pose as his girlfriend. Need I say more? “You can’t make people love you. But you can give the love you long for out to the world. You can be the love you wish you had. That’s the way to be okay. Because giving love to other people is a way of giving it to yourself.”

You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When It Monsoons: The World on One Cartoon a Day by Mo Willems. This was so much fun. Mo Willems may be a household name to anyone who has little kids or grandkids now, in the early 90s he was finishing college and backpacking his way around the world. This is a collection of his almost yearlong trip with the daily cartoon image he drew of his experience every day. Loved every frame! “Modesty makes maidens swim fully dressed (Pangkor Island, Malaysia). (page 245)

James & Other Apes by James Mollison. I LOVE this overside hardcover with close up photos of 50 apes from sanctuaries around the world. I dare you to look through it and not feel a connection. “Each individual ape has his or her own tragic story of pain and trauma. Each one is different.” from the forward by Jane Goodall, page 7

Honorable mentions

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. “You know the greatest lesson of history? It’s that history is whatever the victors say it is. That’s the lesson. Whoever wins, that’s who decides the history. We act in our own self-interest. Of course we do. Name me a person or a nation who does not. The trick is figuring out where your interests are.”

Watching You by Lisa Jewell. “Because that’s the thing with getting what you want: all that yearning and dreaming and fantasizing leaves a great big hole that can only be filled with more yearning and dreaming and fantasizing.”

The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Eugene Yelchin. “Life seemed an enormous puzzle to me then, and drawing helped order the pieces: Mom, Dad Victor, Grandma, Lenin, the Americans, even Baryshnikov. Each piece was a different shape. I was a puzzle piece, too, but I was made in such a wrong shape that I was convinced I would never fit in anywhere. The only place I fit in well was under Grandma’s table, drawing to the soft squeak of the stolen pencil.”

Inky’s Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home by Sy Montgomery & Amy Shimler-Safford. “Inky was a real octopus.”

Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox & Brian Floca. “The boy, Michael, explained that Elizabeth was a very lovely elephant seal who had decided to live in Christchurch…I knew that one day I would have to pass Elizabeth’s story on to you.” (author’s note)

Circle by Jeannie Baker. “In its lifetime a godwit will usually fly farther than the distance from the earth to the moon.” (cover page)

Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky by Elphinstone Dayrell & Blair Lent. “The story of how the sun and the moon came to live in the sky is told here as it might have been with African tribesman dressed to represent the elements and the creatures of the sea.” (endnotes)

My Night in the Planetarium: A True Story About a Child, a Play, and the Art of Resistance by Innosanto Nagara. “When I was seven I got to spend the night in a planetarium. This is a true story. Do you want to hear it?” (page 1)

The Last Snake in Ireland: A Story About St. Patrick by Sheila MacGill-Callahan and Will Hillenbrand.

The rest of the bunch. mostly all good!

First to the Top:Sir Edmund Hillary’s Amazing Everest Adventure by David Hill & Phoebe Morris.

Two at the Top: A Shared Dream of Everest by Uma Krishnaswami & Christopher Corr.

Race to the South Pole: Ranger in Time by Kate Messner,

The New Yorker Book of Mom Cartoons.

Where is the Kremlin by Deborah Hopkinson.

Anywhere Artist by Nikki Slade Robinson.

Barack Obama: First Afrian- American President by Jody Jensen Shaffer.

The Camel Club by David Baldacci.

You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria.

All Around the World: New Zealand, All Around the World: Nigeria, All Around the World: Indonesia, all by Kristine Spanier

Exploring Countries: Nigeria, Exploring Countries: Indonesia, both by Lisa Owings

Great Explorers by James Buckley Jr.

Cool Printmaking: The Art of Creativity for Kids by Anders Hanson

The Perfect Moment by Andy Andrews.

Catch that Chicken by Atinuke & Angela Brooksbank.

Honeyky Hanukah by Woody Guthrie & Dave Horowitz.

Homeschool Happenings – New Zealand

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Last week was New Zealand week and we read some fantastic picture books. So many I just had to share. I love to use picture books as a teaching tool, even as I teach my middle schooler. They garner interest for further learning and can be used as a part of the lesson themselves.

Circle by Jeannie Baker. 48 pages.

I am in love with the illustrations in this nonfiction book about the godwits migration from New Zealand (and Australia) to the Arctic and then back again. Great for learning about migration in general.

Inky’s Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home by Sy Montgomery and Amy Shimler-Safford. 32 pages

Such a fun and colorful story about a real octopus who was rescued and then freed himself. The story was fantastic as were the end notes. Your kid will learn so much about octopus and will most likely want to know more. This was my favorite book of the week.

Elizabeth, the Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox and Brian Floca. 48 pages.

Elizabeth was an elephant seal who made her home in the Avon River in Christchurch. She became a problem when she started sleeping in the middle of the road in the afternoon. Three times they captured her and took her far away to live, but each time she came back. The solution they found will make you smile. I loved the picture of the real Elizabeth in the middle of the road at the end of the book.

**For school, Gage had to write a paragraph comparing the two animals and their journeys.

First to the Top: Sir Edmund Hillary’s Amazing Everest Adventure by David Hill and Phoebe Morris. 32 pages.

Why is a book about Mount Everest on this list? Because that’s where Hillary was from! This was full of information, even with a timeline of his life at the end. Don’t let the page count fool you. Excellent resource.

Two at the Top: A Shared Dream of Everest by Uma Krishnaswami and Christopher Corr. 32 pages.

I didn’t love the illustrations, but did love the concept. Sir Edmund Hillary didn’t get to the top of Everest alone and yet he always gets the credit. This book tells the story of Hillary but also the story of his sherpa Tenzig Norgay on each opposing page. By telling their stories side by side, it is giving Norgay the due he deserves.

**For school, Gage made a Venn diagram comparing the information featured in each book.

Anywhere Artist by Nikki Slade Robinson. 40 pages.

This is not a book about New Zealand, but one created by New Zealander. This is most definitely geared toward a younger audience and it was Gage’s favorite. It’s all about making art wherever you are using what nature has provided. The only fictional book (except for Ranger which is only half fiction)

**For school, Gage and I set the timer for 20 minutes and each created art from whatever we found in our yard. His was super cool with big branches sticking out of theground to look like trees and stones making a circle around it. I’m not embarrassed to say it was way better than mine!

Race to the South Pole (Ranger in Tme Series) by Kate Messner. 160 pages.

This was our longer read and I love this series! The journey starts in New Zealand aboard the Terra Nova and, while obviously fiction since it’s based on a time travelling dog, only Ranger and the boy he was there to save were fictional characters. All the other characters were based on real life people and a real life race to the Pole. The end notes were the best part even though they were sad.

**We read this aloud as a family, each taking a chapter each night.

3+ Titles, 1 Word – YOU Choose My Next Book

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I saw this challenge over on IG (OliviaReadsFiction) and tried it last month. You all voted to have me read All the Light We Cannont See by Anthony Doerr. I finished it and really liked it, thank you!

New month, new word. YOU can easily see what word I found on my TBR shelves the most. Which one should I read next. I’ll tally up the votes this weekend. You don’t have to have read the book to vote for it.

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke. “When I started writing this book in 2016, rates of loneliness had already been increasing exponentially for decades, yet it wasn’t a subject I heard people talk about very often, at least not in relation to themselves.” this is a graphic novel.

Watching You by Lisa Jewell. “Dear Diary, September 20, 1996, I don’t know what to think.”

Now You See Us by Balli Kaur Jaswal. “Breaking News. A woman was found dead in her home in the east of Singapore on Sunday evening.”

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover. “I wonder if humans are the only living creatures that ever feel hollow inside.”

Which one should I start next week?

The Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket

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We did it!!! We finally finished the whole series of very, very unfortunate events. We read the first last July and finished the last one in April. The series is perfect for road trips with upper elementary and middle school kids. The audio production is fantastic and how we experienced the series after reading the first book out loud together. The series can get repetitive, especially the first few, but kids will love it.

Three orphans get passed from one cluless adult after another, all the while trying to escape the evil clutches of Count Olaf who is after them for their huge fortune.

I couldn’t tell you who my favorite character was at the beginning (besides poor Uncle Monty), but by the end it was the youngest, Sunny, who could do it all, even as she was just learning to walk and talk.

We’ve started watching the Netflix series, but I confess I’m not a fan so far. We’re only 4 episodes in and they’ve changed some very important things. It’s disappointing.

1 The Very Bad Beginning (Count Olaf shows his intentions)

2 The Reptile Room (Uncle Monty was my favorite of the series!)

3 The Wide Window (Poor Aunt Josephine)

4 The Miserable Mill (the reason unions were formed)

5 The Austere Academy (Sunny makes paper clips fom scratch)

6 The Ersatz Elevator (I had such high hopes for Jerome)

7 The Vile Village (It takes a village to abuse 3 orphans)

8 The Hostile Hospital (the kids realize no adult can help 😦 )

9 The Carnivorous Carnival (Still trying to wrap my head around Violet and Klaus passing as a two headed person and Sunny as a wolfbaby)

10 The Slippery Slope (Violet finds time to fall in love)

11 The Grim Grotto (Horseradish to the recue!)

12 The Penultimate Peril (Are the Baudelaire children blameless? Are any of us?)

13 The End (Needed way more information, but Lemony told the reader repeatedly to stop reading so we have only ourselves to blame.)

Have you read the series? What did you think? I loved that Gage loved every one and was always excited for the next one. That’s NEVER been the case before so for that reason alone this series will always have a place in my heart. And I repeatedly thank my friend who gifted Gage the whole series at once, giving him something to strive to finish.