Week-in-Review: Fall Hikes!

Fall colors are here! The fam and I headed off for our yearly Fall hike near us called Stewart Falls. We usually hit this one at least two or three times throughout the year but definitely in the Fall! All the colors are out and on display. And it's just breathtaking. My favorite time of year is here.

Then I went for another hike on Sunday with a good friend. I had never been there before and it was also gorgeous. Huge valleys and peaks and lovely fall colors everywhere. People were very respectful while we passed or they passed. Almost everyone had a mask close when coming into contact with others. 

Things I'm Grateful For this week:

1. The fall colors! (see above)

2. That I felt well enough to get out and hike twice this week despite not feeling great earlier in the week.

3. I am reading some fun horror books and it's perfect for this time of year.

4. We found some fun wine at the liquor store over the weekend:

Isn't it adorably wicked? 

Reading:

I finished up Through the Woods by Emily Carroll and Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi. Reviews should be out this week!

We had our first book club discussion on the first section of Stamped from the Beginning: the Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. We talked a lot about the various meanings of racism and what being a racist means for many people and how it's changing with more reckoning of America's racist history. I am looking forward to our next section on Thomas Jefferson!

I'm over halfway through The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. It's good and bloody and I'm loving it. I also picked up Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab. It's the second book in the series and it's fun so far. I got The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett from the library; my holds all came in at once! Yikes. I started it. I need to get it read before it's due. There's no way I can renew this one.

Classics I'm reading Emma by Jane Austen. 

I'm still reading The Magnus Chase series Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan.

Philosophy: At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails with Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir,  Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Others by Sarah Bakewell.

Listening to:

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I'm getting close to finishing Cemetery Boys but I've gotta make time to listen in-house since I don't drive as much as I used to!

New Books Acquired:

Watching:

Movies:

The Vast of Night (2019) was an interesting old-timey Twilight Zone-type movie-episode with a bit of X-Files thrown in! Ha. It was slow and weird. Not my favorite but I watched with a friend using Amazon's watch party so that was what made it fun! We made fun of it and had a good laugh.

Z (2019) started of pretty creepy...an imaginary friend and a child's creepy drawing turns sinister...but it loses its scares and plot really quickly. And the ending...wow, I don't even know what that was about. So definitely NOT my favorite horror this year.

TV:                           

Hulu dropped Monsterland this weekend so I binged through those over the weekend. They had some interesting commentary overall but most were a bit too heavy-handed to be truly thought-provoking material. Though, there were a few that I thought were particularly well done: Port Forchoun, Louisiana; New Orleans; Plainfield, Illinois; and Newark, New Jersey were my favorites.

Making: 

The Thai Chicken Wild Rice Soup was amazing. I cooked that one up last night and we all had second helpings. I also mulled some cider with a new recipe I found and it was delicious.

I'm planning on finishing up my Halloween blanket and start my DIY crochet Christmas gifts. I'm hoping to finish them off by the end of the month to stay on top of my to-do list!

I found what looks to be an excellent apple cider Bundt cake recipe. So I'm really hoping to try that out this week or next weekend. Fingers crossed.

I'll probably plan another soup or chili type recipe later this week. Tis the season!

Looking forward to the Fall Fair on Friday. We've got free tickets! I'm looking forward to some fall fun outdoors with the family and getting some fun pumpkins to carve in a few weeks.

I'm also getting my hair cut tomorrow and G has picture day on Wednesday. His hair is getting so long. I don't really notice it until I see pictures with his hair flowing in the wind!

My best friend who no longer lives here :( has her birthday on Friday. Actually her whole family has their birthdays this month. We make up a big box and wrap everything and then send it out. I can't wait til they get the box and can open up the fun surprises. I miss her like crazy and wish we could spend our birthdays celebrating like we used to but this will have to do! 

I just gotta get that box sent off soon!

Joining in with Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon

Cat Thursday

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by Michelle at True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite lolcat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! 

Halloween month is officially here! I hope you and your kitties have a fantastic Halloween month! Meow.

 

Horror Movie Wednesday--Spanish Horror

I recently watched Musarañas (Shrew's Nest) on Shudder. It was fantastic. It reminded me of other Spanish-language horror movies I've watched over the years. So many have been so good. A lot of Guillermo del Toro's early work has been really good.

Cronos (1993) and The Devil's Backbone (2001) are my two favorites of his. The Devil's Backbone was creepy and a fantastic story.

Guillermo Del Toro also wrote the Scary Stores to Tell in the Dark movie last year. It was a great story that included so many of the classic elements that scared me as a kid with the original trilogy from Albert Schwartz. (But that wasn't a Spanish horror...side track, sorry).

Verónica

This was a fantastic possession story that came out in 2017 on Netflix. The best horrors are the ones that tell a story that we all can relate to but twist it just enough metaphorically to creep us out and get us thinking. Most of the time I roll my eyes at demonic possession movies but this was done well and thoughtfully. It was scary!

The Orphanage from 2007 is another devastatingly haunting horror from Spain. I have not rewatched this movie since I first saw it. I might be able to do so now but I first watched it in 2012...8 years? Yeah, it's that creepy and disturbing. The way it deals with loss and grief is literally horrifying. But a must-watch in the Spanish horror genre.

Rec is a classic in the zombie genre. it's been redone for the English-speaking audiences but the original is special.

I still have quite a few on my list I need to see:

Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017)

The Similars (2016)

Sleep Tight (2011)

Julia's Eyes (2010)

Timecrimes (2007)

The Skin I Live In (2011)

Witching and Bitching (2013)

I hope you enjoyed a little stroll through Spanish-language cinema! So much more to be explored!

*all images are taken from IMDB.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Published: July 7th, 2020 by Bloomsbury YA

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Cinderella has been dead for 200 years. But her story has been turned into a mythology for the totalitarian regime of King Manford and his "ancestors." Women have no power. And teens must attend an annual ball and have a man pick them to be his wife or risk becoming a "forfeit." Forfeits are not seen again. 

Enter Sophia. She's Black and a lesbian. She loves her best friend Erin but they can't be open about their relationship. The ball is coming soon and her parents are doing everything they can to get her a husband. Sophia is not one to follow along. On the night of the ball she flees the castle. She ends up at Cinderella's tomb and encounters Constance...she reminds me of Merida from "Brave." Constance is a descendent of Gabrielle, one of Cinderella's stepsisters. She tells Sophia the true story of Cinderella and how her family has been maligned in order to control the narrative and keep Lille under the rule of King Manford and his family.

They set out to find the "fairy godmother" and find out how to defeat King Manford and save their people.

I love the characters. I wish we could get to know them a bit more, though. The books is quick and some things suffer for it. The world-building is pretty nonexistent. It only serves to set the characters on their way. I wish we could have explored Sophia and Constance's relationship a bit more as well. I enjoy their budding romance but I wanted more.

The plot was a bit simplistic but it was what I needed right now. Stamp out the patriarchy! A Black lesbian punches it in the nuts with her lover! Yes please. It's not a perfect story but it's fun and flirty and full of energy.

Here's another cover for this book and I love it! 

Week-in-review: Day-trip and Paint Nite

It's been a couple of weeks but sometimes I can't write about what's going on every week. I just need a break from time-to-time. 

Last weekend my friend set-up a socially distancing paint nite with her niece who is studying to become an art educator. We all wore masks and kept our distance and had fun painting outdoors. It was a welcome activity outside the house.

This weekend we took a day-trip with our neighbors. We caravanned down together and enjoyed some sites and a little hike. It was nice to get out of the house again and with some friends and enjoy some of the outdoors before it gets too cold.

Last week and this week AFineParent.com is hosting their 4th annual Positive Parenting Conference. This is my second year and I am loving it. Their are lots of masterclasses from the top experts in parenting, psychology, neuroscience, etc all giving masterclasses. Check it out. It's free to register and view within the conference dates. Some great stuff.

 

We made a "beautiful" red rock scene!

Hiking around the National Dinosaur Monument

Things I'm Grateful For:

1. Getting out on the weekends(safely). It's been a nice change.

2. Great television. There are a ton of new shows on right now that I am loving!

3. Pumpkin everything right now. According to a study Utah is the 4th most pumpkin everything consumer! I think we're behind California, Oregon, Washington, and randomly Ohio.

4. That we decided to have G do school online this year. Our county is in a hot outbreak now with two large universities and young adults not wanting to do anything but party and spread Covid about. Also high schools. We had over 1400 positive cases in Utah on Saturday with a high percentage of those cases from my county. It's a hot spot. We are staying super cautious and am just so glad we are able to stay home for school and work right now.

Reading:

I finished up Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff, When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, and Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron.

I took a break from Stamped from the Beginning but picked it back up since a few of my friends wanted to read it so we're reading it together. Our first virtual meetup will be next Saturday!

I'm focusing on The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix and The Only Good Indian by Stephen Graham Jones for horror.

Classics I'm reading Emma by Jane Austen. And I just bought a nice newly illustrated copy of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley that I plan on diving into in October. I'm slowly getting into The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

I'm still reading The Magnus Chase series Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan.

For my new philosophy book with my friend we started At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails with Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir,  Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Others by Sarah Bakewell.

Listening to:

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas.

New Books Acquired:

Watching:

Movies:

I watched Tremors with famdamily last weekend and it was a hoot to see again. G has never seen it and he thought it was pretty funny. 

The Babysitter: Killer Queen is the sequel on Netflix to The Babysitter. It's a fun comedy/horror. The first was better. But this was enjoyable. 

The Devil All the Time was weird but interesting and the all-star cast was great. 

For my horror movie weekend I watched: The Ruins is based off the book by Scott Smith. I liked the book a lot better. The movie pandered a lot and I didn't like it as much. But it's still a horrifying movie. Spiral is a new one on Shudder that was excellent. Rabbit is an Australian movie that had an interesting plot but the execution wasn't great.

TV:                           

I finally finished off Umbrella Academy with DH. Quite the cliffhanger. I started Schitt's Creek after I watched the Emmy's and it swept the comedy category. Raised by Wolves is an excellent sci-fi on HBO and The Third Day on HBO is also freaking me out! It looks like it's going to be a folk horror series. And of course, I'm finishing off Lovecraft Country on HBO. 

Making: 

I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies last week. Always yummy. 

I'm going to make a new Thai Chicken and wild rice soup for the first time this week. I also roasted butternut squash and spaghetti squash for the first time recently! Super yummy and look forward to more squash roasting this fall.

I'm also making a Halloween blanket and I'm working on some friends and family gifts as well with my crochet skills! We shall see....

Looking forward to virtual book club on Saturday! We'll be discussing the first part of Stamped from the Beginning.

Joining in with Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon

Cat Thursday--Gli at Hagia Sophia

 

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by Michelle at True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite lolcat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! 

I recently read an article on Medium about Gli the kitty who lives at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. I thought I'd post some pics and link the article so you can read all about her. She's adorable! 

Lots of people take selfies with her while visiting.

There are many more pics of this cute thing and some pretty pics of the grand Hagia Sophia.

Mini Book Reviews: Fiction: Lovecraft Country, Sword of Summer

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff 

Published: February 16th, 2016 by Harper

Genre: Horror, Fantasy

Format: Ebook, 329 Pages, Scribd

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I read one short story of H.P. Lovecraft a few years ago. And I've heard of the mythos of Lovecraft with Cthulu the Elder God, etc but I didn't really become interested until I learned what a racist he was. I read The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle a couple of years ago which turns a very racist short story by Lovecraft on its head. I loved that idea. And that brings us to Lovecraft Country. Matt Ruff wanted to combine the horror of everyday racism combined with actual supernatural horror and base it all on one of the most racist horror writers ever. It's a fantastic combination. Each chapter is a mini adventure that each member of this diverse family goes through. Atticus, Letitia, Ruby, Horace, Hyppolyta, George and Montrose. And some of these stories are freaky. The one with Horace and the Devil Doll. Super creepy.

And I will recommend the HBO version that's airing now. Now you can take a great idea and run with it. Bring on a diverse writing staff and directing staff and you get some of the best television out there. Go read and watch!

*read this as part of the Frightfall Read-a-thon over at Seasons of Reading.

Magnus chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Published: October 6th, 2015 by Disney-Hyerion Books

Genre: Fantasy, Juvenile

Format: Paperback, 499 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Magnus Chase is a homeless teenager trying to survive on the streets of Boston and mourning the death of his mother. He's got a couple of guys who help lookout for him and some long-lost uncles and a cousin too. Soon a fire demon finds him and all hell breaks loose. He summons a sword and dies and ends up in Valhalla. He soon discovers he's a son of the god Frey and has the power to bring on the armageddon of Ragnarok or find a way to keep Fenris the wolf tied up and the worlds safe for another day. Along the way he befriends Samirah, and Blitzen and Hearthstone. All are prepped and ready to help.

I really liked this one. It brings the Norse myths and gods to life with likeable characters and of course lots of silly humor. My son has been enjoying the series and I am too.

Mini Book Reviews: Non-fiction: Too Much and Never Enough, The Dream of Reason, When Stars Are Scattered

Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary L.  Trump

Published: July 14th, 2020 by Simon & Schuster

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Psychology

Format: Kindle, 236 Pages, Own

Rating: 3.5 stars

My Thoughts:

I really liked Mary Trump's analysis and her interactions with her uncle through her young years. But it wasn't as well-written as I would have liked. She repeats a lot of the same ideas throughout. I feel like it could've been an ever shorter book. But overall, I found her insights and her own interactions and that of her mother and father ever more disturbing. This is not a well family. And who Trump is and how he's become this way is more disturbing that I could imagine. It's definitely an important book to read and understand where we are today.

The Dream of Reason: A History of Western Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance by Anthony Gottlieb

Published: August 30th, 2016 by W.W. Norton Company

Genre: Nonfiction, History, Philosophy

Format: Paperback, 512 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Anthony Gottlieb takes us on a journey of Western philosophy from the Greeks all the way to the Renaissance. He's a great writer and most of the chapters were humorous and down-to-earth in layman's terms. I was fascinated how he brought their ideas and how others through time have morphed their ideas into their own. I never knew how it was quite done and his book allowed me to see those changes and ideas come together. Fascinating stuff. My friend and I had a great time reading this one together and discussing all the ideas. So if you are interested even a little bit in philosophy, I highly recommend Gottlieb's series. We'll be on to the next one soon.

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Published: April 14th, 2020 by Dial Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Juvenile, Memoir, Graphic Novel

Format: Paperback, 264 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

Omar lives with his little brother Hassan and his guardian Fatuma in a refugee camp in Kenya. They had to flee Somalia after war broke out and his father was killed and they were separated from their mother. He goes into great detail about the struggles of daily life in the camp. From waiting in long lines for water every day to taking care of his brother with disabilities. It's hot and food is on short supply. They can't leave the camps because they are not Kenyan citizens and they can't return home because they'll be killed.

He eventually attends school, meets friends, stays true to his faith, and keeps hope alive that him and his brother will be able to relocate to the United States and find their mother. It takes a village and many other kids and teachers, a UN worker, especially, help along the way.

It's just heartbreaking. People are born, growup, and can die in a refugee camp. Eventually he and Hassan are relocated to Arizona and he's able to get help for Hassan and go to college. But so many don't get to.

Cat Thursday

 

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by Michelle at True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite lolcat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats!

My cats Nala and Shadow have been extra cute this last week! I thought I'd share a couple.