Goodbye 2020! End of Year Stats! Favorite Books!

I'm not sorry to see you go, 2020. It's been a very weird and tough year for family and friends and the world at large. 2021 doesn't mean all things are great but I do see some hope with vaccinations rolling out.

We learned how to be at home together. It's been tough; I am not going to lie about that. G has done really well at online learning, even though he's had a rough time without his friends and that social interaction. Most of the time it's me and his dad and the kitties. But we've been able to do hikes and see friends on Facetime, do some front porch visits with grandparents, and G has been playing online more than ever with his friends.

 

My father-in-law got CoVid back in August and has been dealing with those long-haul symptoms ever since. He has not been doing well. But so far he is still alive and hanging in there. My mother also got pretty sick this year, though not from CoVid. We're building her a ramp out her front door so she can get in and out easier with her wheelchair. I'm hoping she can perk up a bit this year. It'll be a big year for my parents because they want to sell their house and move to some kind of nursing/assisted living facility. It's all up in the air and it'll be kind of stressful to get it all figured out.

We made the best out of a tough year. Tried to do more game nights and hikes and family together time but also keep our space since we're all at home. I did a lot of Skype chats with friends every month. We even met up for a few hikes as well, all masked up. It's the little things that have kept us going. I read a lot more diversely this year. Though, I didn't read as much from LGBTQ+ authors as I would have liked. I also didn't get in a lot of classics. 

 

 I also didn't get any of my year-long challenges done! I did get some mini challenges complete, though, but I am terrible at the year-long ones. I'm going to do better this year...(hopefully, and don't hold me to it a year from now...)

G made this for both of us. The I and U slide open to reveal the heart. He designed and created it all by himself. Proud Mamma.

 

 I'd like to best TV and movies as well but I'll do that in another post this week. I'm barely making it through this one! I had such good intentions of starting this post early in December but the business of the year got too much and I ended up taking off most the holiday break and haven't even thought much about blogging! I'm terrible.

We got out for a hike the day after Christmas! Much needed exercise and fresh air!

I read 110 books in 2020:

Shortest book was 32 pages The Flying Canoe and my longest was The Histories by Herodotus at 716 pages.

67 Fiction and 43 nonfiction. I only read 4 classics. 7 children's books...I'd like to read a few more of these this next year. They are short and pretty and can pack a great punch. Most of them were read over December. 34 were sci-fi or fantasy. I think that was my go-to fiction this year. Interesting to see that! 16 were considered horror or supernatural. I think that was my second go-to for fiction!

23 middle grade books. I read a lot of those with G and I like to read some before I share with him as well so I read quite a bit of those through the year. 19 young adult. I do love young adult books. There are so many good ones. They are my fallback when I get in a reading slump.

14 graphic novels. I do enjoy a good graphic novel in any genre. Some can get too complex that they get confusing but really good ones can emote a lot with pictures and words. Always an enjoyable medium.

9 short stories/poetry/essays. This is probably my least favorite but I got in a couple of children's poetry books and short stories. Essays are a favorite, though. I didn't read as many as I usually do.

14 memoirs/biographies. I'm a big fan of memoirs. I read some good ones this year. I thought I had read more, though.

9 on race relations and U.S. history. I didn't think I'd read as many as this. I'm looking forward to upping this number this year.

3 on past plagues and their histories. I had plans for more but got too depressed since we're in the middle of pandemic...I have quite a few I want to get to this year, though. We shall see.

12 audiobooks. Most of these audiobooks were before the pandemic hit! It's been harder to get them in since I'm not out and about as much. I need to find ways to get them in, though. I have a ton to catch up on.

60 were by female authors. I'm super happy about this number. I am definitely drawn to female authors and their experiences. It's nice to see it in the numbers!

7 by LGBTQ+ authors. I need to read more this year but still happy with what I did read in 2020.

46 by BIPOC authors. I also am enjoying this number. I read some fantastic books this year. I hope to increase this number and find some fantastic reads.

21 ebooks. I have too many ebooks. I'm happy I got to that many but I do notice I tend to pick physical books over ebooks. I can read physical books at night and so I tend to stick to them. I have to find more time in the day to sit down and read the ebooks I own. But I read quite a few with G so bonus.

Favorite Fiction this year:

Wolf Winter by Cecelia Ekback. This was a perfect December winter read. Loved it.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. I thought I'd enjoy it but I was blown away by this one. Excellent modern blend of Arthurian legends. Can't wait for book two!

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Another surprise at how much I loved it. It was just the right amount of gothic creepiness with a totally awesome ending. It was just what I needed.

Where the Woods End by Charlotte Salter. I love middle grade books that are creepy and weird but are still for both kids and adults. Both G and I loved this one.

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff. It was a perfect blend of weird and creepy.

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry. This was a very different and fun reading experience. One of my faves with G this year. It took me awhile to figure out what the black river was...the way she described the human world from the perspective of animals was truly brilliant.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia. Rick Riordan has launched an amazing company that allows BIPOC authors to write from their cultures and histories. The Tristan Strong series is no exception. It's an incredible story and look forward to reading the second book soon. Check out all of the series. There are too many good ones. I haven't been able to keep up!

Favorite Nonfiction:

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. It's heart-breaking but beautifully told. Takei brings alive his experiences in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow. Farrow knows how to tell a quick-paced story. It's galling that the world exists to prop up gross powerful people. It still exists and continues to thrive. Grrr

March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine by Melba Pattillo Beals. I read this one aloud with G...it was a rough read but so necessary. We were able to talk a lot about history and race in the U.S.

Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen. This was the first book I read after the pandemic hit in March. It was engrossing and timely and oh so surreal. Quammen is a first-rate story-teller.

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson. Johnson holds no punches when he describes his experiences as gay Black man growing up as a teenager. He wrote it for queer folks so they know what to expect and can get some actually useful information. Well-done and a must-read for everyone.

Our Time Is Now by Stacey Abrams. Boom. Stacey Abrams is my hero. I will follow her wherever she goes.

Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. This was a fantastic intro to Baldwin and how we can apply his thoughts and writings and experiences to our present-day America. The more things change the more they stay the same, unfortunately...

Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen. He packs short but complete history lessons into easily digestible chapters. We also gain a perspective on why textbooks haven't changed all that much, even today, and why they probably won't change that much in the future and how this completely impacts America's reckoning with its past...(or nonreckoning).

The Dark Fantastic: Race and Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas. This book changed the way I think about sci-fi and fantasy. How it's been written and who's written it (White men) and how that has affected the way Black characters have been written about or why they don't exist much in the usual stories of the genre. Mind-blowing. It's one I want to buy so I can reference it in the future.

Nonfiction Mini Book Reviews: Stamped from the Beginning...

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

Published: March 8th, 2016 by Bold Type Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Antiracism, History

Format: Paperback, 592 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Ibram X. Kendi really lays out the evolution of racist ideas in the United States. He divides the book into five parts and focuses each part on five individuals who were alive during that time, or still alive as in the case of Angela Davis. And his main thesis rests on three categories of ideas and thus those that hold them: segregationists, assimilationists, and antiracists. His other thesis rests on the idea that policies were made such as slavery in order to make money and to hold power and in order to justify these policies racist ideas were sought out and incorporated into the U.S. narrative.

It's a bold book with bold ideas and leaves much to chew on and think over. Sometimes I found the sarcasm and eye-rolling mood of his book a bit off-putting but overall I enjoyed discussing and stewing over it all with my book club. It's a must-read book to gain an understanding of where racist ideas have come from and why America continues to hold them today.

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Published: August 13th, 2019 by One World

Genre: Nonfiction, Antiracism, Memoir

Format: Hardcover, 305 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed Kendi's blend of his journey into his ideas of what it means to hold antiracist ideas and how that also crosses into all other aspects of social justice and intersectionality. Each chapter focuses on these ideas and how he learned about each and those that helped him along the way. He includes his own racist ideas that he grew up with and how he unlearned these ideas and how we can too.

A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader edited by Maria Popova

Published: December 14th, 2018 by Enchanted Lion Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Essays, Young Adult

Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

An excellent collection of letters to young readers from writers around the world. I enjoyed reading these aloud to G and giving him a bit of fire under the belly to read and write more! Also the illustrations that go with each letter are fun and whimsical. A beautiful collection and one I'll turn back to over the coming years.

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac 

Published: October 1st, 2004 by National Geographic Kids

Genre: Nonfiction, History, Juvenile

Format: Paperback, 48 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading this with G over the Thanksgiving break. We learned a lot about what really happened and the myths that still persist in the American psyche. We'd love to visit the live museum. So much to learn.

Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells by Pico Iyer

Published: April 16th, 2019 by Knopf Publishing Group

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Nature

Format: Kindle, 256 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I loved reading through Iyer's ruminations on living in Japan and his favorite season in Japan, Autumn. Fall is also my favorite time of the year and it was especially beautiful and meaningful when I lived in Japan. While I don't live there like he does I could still feel his love and fascination with Japan. He has truly beautiful insights and way to see with his words. It's the next best thing to actually being there. This is probably one I will revisit every Autumn.

Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha

Published: January 28th, 2020 by Balzer + Bray

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Graphic Novel, Young Adult

Format: Paperback, 240 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Robin Ha's memoir of leaving Korea for America with her mother and without knowing she was permanently moving to America was heart-wrenching! She describes her childhood and how much she loved her neighborhood and her friends and to leave that all behind and not knowing when she would be able to go back was tragic. Her experience trying to fit in in Alabama and not knowing English and being bullied by students and even her own stepsister and stepcousins was also hard to read. But ultimately it's a story of finding your own and making the best of a bad situation. Highly recommended.

She Votes: How U.S. Women Won Suffrage, and What Happened After by Bridget Quinn

Published: August 11th, 2020 by Chronicle Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Feminism, History

Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed the short history chapters and mini bios of those pioneering women who helped fight for suffrage and those who continue to fight for social justice. Quinn does not paint all as saints. We hear about the racism from the frontrunner White women of the movements. I loved the chapter on Sojourner Truth. I learned that she didn't actually say "Ain't I a woman?" All the art in each chapter was beautiful and interesting. So many great tidbits in each chapter. It's a great starter on women's history in the U.S. with tons of sources to keep reading.

The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas

The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas

Published: May 21st, 2019 by New York University Press

Genre: Nonfiction, Literary Criticism

Format: Hardcover, 340 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Reveals the diversity crisis in children's and young adult media as not only a lack of representation, but a lack of imagination

Stories provide portals into other worlds, both real and imagined. The promise of escape draws people from all backgrounds to speculative fiction, but when people of color seek passageways into the fantastic, the doors are often barred. This problem lies not only with children’s publishing, but also with the television and film executives tasked with adapting these stories into a visual world. When characters of color do appear, they are often marginalized or subjected to violence, reinforcing for audiences that not all lives matter.

The Dark Fantastic is an engaging and provocative exploration of race in popular youth and young adult speculative fiction. Grounded in her experiences as YA novelist, fanfiction writer, and scholar of education, Thomas considers four black girl protagonists from some of the most popular stories of the early 21st century: Bonnie Bennett from the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, Rue from Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, Gwen from the BBC’s Merlin, and Angelina Johnson from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. Analyzing their narratives and audience reactions to them reveals how these characters mirror the violence against black and brown people in our own world.

In response, Thomas uncovers and builds upon a tradition of fantasy and radical imagination in Black feminism and Afrofuturism to reveal new possibilities. Through fanfiction and other modes of counter-storytelling, young people of color have re-envisioned fantastic worlds that reflect their own experiences, their own lives. As Thomas powerfully asserts, “we dark girls deserve more, because we are more.”

My Thoughts:

I was blown away by this in-depth and down-to-earth criticism of the "fantastic" genres that feature Black characters. Her description of the dark fantastic is  "...the role that racial difference plays in our fantastically storied imaginations...the fantastic...includes fantasy fiction but goes beyond it to include all stories-about-worlds-that-never-were, whether they are marketed, shelved, or classified as fairy tales, horror, superhero comics, "soft" science fiction, alternate histories, or otherwise." And she is specifically not talking about Black fantastic. I would say she is dissecting White authors and their worlds which feature Black characters in some way. "...the fact remains that the vast majority of speculative narratives read and viewed in the United States are still written by White authors and screenwriters and consumed by mass audiences."

What Thomas sets out to do is critically analyze Black characters and their voices within these texts. "...shifting focus away from White heroic protagonists and illuminating the imaginary stories of people of color at the margins can reveal much..." Who and what has traditionally been othered? Who are the monsters in these traditionally Anglo tales? Thomas asks what happens to Black readers when all they see is the Others, dark monsters are villains? What happens to readers who are White and never read anything different about who can the hero and who are the villains and monsters? "For many readers, viewers, and fans of color, I suspect that, at the level of consciousness, to participate in the fantastic is to watch yourself be slain--and justificable so, as the story recounts. After all, in fairy tales, it was you who terrorized the hapless villagers, who kidnapped the fair princess, who dared wage war against the dashing hero."

Thomas lays out her theory of how the dark fantastic cycle works and she then uses that theory to critique and analyze characters and their texts from Rue in The Hunger Games, Bonnie Bennett in The Vampire Diaries, Gwen in Merlin, and finally race in the Harry Potter series.

Her analysis of Rue and her role to play for Katniss and the rebellion was brilliant. New insight flooded in from all angles. She continues this insight into each and every one. I never watched The Vampire Diaries or Merlin but reading her analysis was chilling. Knowing how the characters are ultimately tossed aside. 

I remember when The Hunger Games came out and so many people were angry that Rue was cast with a Black actress. They read the story, and even though Collins specifically talks about Rue being a person of color, they could not accept and see in their reading that Rue could be an innocent Black little girl.

I could go on. There are so many aspects to this book. I got it from the library but I need to buy it and reread. I love fantasy and sci-fi and I think this is a critical literary analysis going forward in reading any classic fantasy and reading any present and future fantasy by White authors. How do we subconsciously bring our biases to our worlds in writing?

Thomas' Dark Fantastic theory is one to keep at the forefront as we read anything really but especially in the fantastic genres. While some parts were a bit academic for me overall, I feel it's very readable for non-English majors like me.

Cat Thursday-- Christmas Kitty

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! 

What kind of antics do your kitties get up to when the holiday decor comes out!? I'm constantly batting my cats away from eating the tree and swatting at the ornaments! At least they haven't attempted to climb the tree this year...

2021 Nonfiction Challenge

It's that time of year again to join all the reading challenges and to get excited about the next reading year! It's truly not hard at all to wish 2020 good riddance...blech. I've seen this challenge before but have never joined. I'm terrible at reading challenges. I forget usually and never work on my categories or books I've chosen. I'm a choose as the mood takes me kind of reader. But these categories look fabulous. I'd like to hone in some of my nonfiction reading and this will (hopefully) help me out this year!

The 2021 Nonfiction Challenge will be hosted over at Book'd Out. All. Check out the site for more details.

My goal is the Nonfiction Know-it-all! I love nonfiction and about half or sometimes more of my reading year is usually nonfiction. The key will be dipping into each category. I'm going to make a tentative list soon and post it later. But I am looking forward to expanding my nonfiction reading horizons in 2021!

My updated tentative list for the challenge.

The aim of the Nonfiction Reader Challenge is to encourage you to make nonfiction part of your reading experience during the year.

JOIN IN

The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st 2021. Participants may join at any time up until December 1st 2021

Create a blog post committing to your participation in this challenge.

* If you don’t have a blog you are still welcome to sign up. You can create a shelf for the challenge at Goodreads or LibraryThing, post via Instagram, or Twitter. Just add your name and a link to your shelf/account in the sign-up.

CHOOSE A GOAL

Nonfiction Nipper : Read 3 books, from any category

Nonfiction Nibbler : Read 6 books, from any category

Nonfiction Know-It-All : Read 12 books, one for each category

* You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advance. You may combine this challenge with others if you wish. Use your best good faith judgement as to whether a book fits the category or not.

* Where a book is identified by more than one category, it may only count for one, not both.

* You can read your chosen titles in any order, at any pace, just complete the challenge by December 31st 2021

CATEGORIES 

1. Biography

2. Travel

3. Self-help

4. Essay Collection

5. Disease

6. Oceanography

7. Hobbies

8. Indigenous Cultures

9. Food

10. Wartime Experiences

11. Inventions

12. Published in 2021

Back to the Classics Challenge 2021

I have read about a few people finding classics and older books very enlightening this last year through this pandemic. I'm taking that to heart and I'm joining Karen's, from Books and Chocolate, classics challenge. This will be her 8th year hosting! I know the pandemic is still not going away any time soon, at least for the first half of 2021. So bring on the classics. I have so many I've been meaning to get to...

If you complete the challenge there's even a chance at a 30$ gift card at the end! Check out her website for all the rules. 

If you're new to the challenge, here's how it works:

• Complete six categories, and you'll get one entry in the drawing; 
• Complete nine categories, and you'll get two entries in the drawing; 
• Complete all twelve categories, and you'll get three entries in the drawing

Without further ado, here are the categories for 2021: 

1. A 19th century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899

• War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy

2. A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only exceptions are books which were written by 1971 and posthumously published.

• Go Tell It on a Mountain by James Baldwin

3. A classic by a woman author.

• The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

4. A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a language that is not your primary language. You may read it in translation or in its original language, if you prefer. 

• The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author.

• Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance by Zora Neale Hurston
• Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autiobiography by Zora Neale Hurston

6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read.

• A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read. 

• Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

8. A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird).

• Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

9. A children's classic. 

• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

10. A humorous or satirical classic.

• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

11. A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an adventure. 

• Gulliver's Travels by Jonathon Swift
• The Kon-Tiki Expedition by Thor Heyerdahl

12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category.

• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

These are just a few ideas that I researched out and some I have in my lonely kindle shelves! I'm looking forward to it! 

Week-in-Review: Thanksgiving

Well, it's already a week into December and I haven't even gotten up my post on Thanksgiving! I know where my brain has been...I've been busy trying to get homemade gifts made and packages sent and Christmas cards out.

We had a great Thanksgiving. We enjoyed time spent together as our little family of three and two kitty cats. I made rolls with yeast and they turned out yummy! They wouldn't win any awards...lol. I made a no-bake peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake. I even threw together a little charcuterie board. We didn't have to travel up to my sister's place like we usually do. So I just scaled it down and threw on a lot of yummy bite-sized snacks. I made up some mulled cider and hot cocoa. We played games. I even popped open a bottle of wine with Thanksgiving dinner. My family doesn't drink so I've never actually had wine with my Thanksgiving dinner. It was nice and pleasant. We made the best of it and had a great weekend.

We've also committed to a really big project. My mom has had some mobility issues within the last two months. And they live in a home where there are quite a few stairs to get out of their home. Well, being the genius my husband is he has planned out how to build a ramp to get her out in her wheelchair. We just bought all the lumber and will spend part of our winter break building that. I'll have pics as we start working on it. I'm really hoping this helps her and my dad out for a little while till other arrangements can be made. It's so hard to see my mom getting older. But so grateful we can help out where we can.

And we got the holiday decor up! It was a busy but fun and enjoyable weekend together.

Reading:

I finished up 4 books since my last update: Wonderland by Zoje Stage, 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill and Margaret M. Bruchac, A Velocity of Being: Letters to Young Readers by Maria Popova, and Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. We had our last book club discussion. I made it through! That is a large book and it was great to discuss with friends.

I'm still making my through A Promised Land by Barack Obama. I started reading Legendborn by Tracy Deonn and She Votes: How U.S. Women Won Suffrage, and What Happened Next by Bridget Quinn. I've got a couple of holiday themed books I may try to get to this month...We shall see. I'm really playing catch up here.

I am planning on doing a small unit with G on holidays around the world. I got a bunch of books from the library and some recipes to try and decor to DIY...so hopefully it'll be fun and interesting!

 

I'm taking my time with The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud. There's a lot to digest and I don't want to miss anything. I haven't read anything in two weeks but I plan to finish this week/weekend! Crossing fingers...

Classics that I'm reading: Still working on Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I'm enjoying taking my time here. It's been a long time and it's the perfect classic to read as the weather gets chilly and the holidays approach. 

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. We're getting closer to the end!

Listening to:

Christmas and holiday music! A few news podcasts to catch up on but not a lot. Braiding Sweetgrass is still there but I just haven't gotten to it for a few weeks. Hopefully soon.

New Books Acquired:

 

  Watching:

Movies:

We watched a couple of fun holiday movies as a family...Jingle Jangle on Netflix was lovely! We watched Elf last night as one of our classics we watch every year!

I also watched Happiest Season on Hulu. This was so good. I will be watching it yearly, a new classic for me!

TV:                           

TV has been mostly holiday baking shows like Sugar Rush on Netflix and Great British Baking Show Holiday edition. I also finished up The Undoing on HBO Max and just started The Queen's Gambit on Netflix.

Making: 

My no-bake pumpkin cheesecake on Thanksgiving didn't set...I forgot to buy heavy whipping cream and tried half n half instead and it did not work! I knew it wouldn't but I was desperate. But other pies turned out fine. So I made it again this weekend and it was a hit! It set and everything. 

I've also been trying some winter cocktails--I made a white winter hot chocolate out of white chocolate and added some peppermint vodka. This weekend I made up coquito, a traditional eggnog from Puerto Rico! So delicious. I'll take this over regular eggnog any day!

Holiday baking will commence this week and weekend......

Looking forward to my 17th wedding anniversary! We're not really going anywhere but we're going to hit the big city for holiday lights outside and a fancier curbside dinner! I also ordered a pair of personalized mugs. It's small but it's what must be during a pandemic. 

Joining in with Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon

 

Mini Book Reviews: The Year of the Witching...

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Published: July 21st, 2020 by Ace

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction

Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Immanuelle shouldn't even exist. Her mother's union with an outsider was considered blasphemy. Her father was killed at the stake before she was born and her mother died giving birth to her. She lives with her grandfather and his three wives and their children. Her religion is one of absolute obedience to the Prophet and disobedience is punished severely. The woods are strictly forbidden since that is where Lillith and her witches were cast out long ago in a great religious war. But Immanuelle is drawn to those woods and one night she enters them and soon after the plagues are unleashed. It's up to her to find out why and how to stop them. And through this all she begins to question her religious leaders and their intentions....

Fascinating story and world. I'd love to hear more about the world Immanuelle lives in. All that rich history of goddess and god magic and sorcery and visions is exciting and different. I really hope Henderson tells more stories in this world. I do feel the pacing was a bit off in some spots and some of the things that happen seemed a bit unrealistic or brushed over...but it's a small complaint. I can't wait to read more from Alexis Henderson. Fantastic world-building and characters. It was a fun and exciting spooky and feminist-leaning read for Halloween time.

The Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

Published: April 7th, 2020 by Scholastic

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Paranormal

Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

When Lucely and her best friend Syd accidentally cast a spell that summons malicious spirits they must join forces with Syd's with grandma Babbette, her cat Chunk, and Lucely's ancestor ghosts to stop them and save their town St. Augustine.

My son and I really enjoyed the mystery and friendship and folklore all on display here. Chunk was a favorite with both of us. Cutest fat kitty ever! And super helpful. I also really enjoyed Lucely and Syd's friendship. They were supportive and loyal and it felt really genuine. It's also a fun ghost story for Halloween time.

Wonderland by Zoje Stage

Published: July 14th, 2020 by Mulholland Books

Genre: Horror

Format: Hardcover, 354 Pages, Library

Rating: 3 stars

My Thoughts:

I really liked the storyline. The Bennett family is fleeing the New York City way of life to hunker down in the middle of nowhere where the Bennett patriarch will create his artistic masterpieces. But Orla misses everything about her old life where she was a ballet dancer until her injury. When they get to their house in the middle of the woods, everything starts to feel off. Strange weather occurs. Her nine-year-old daughter also feels something strange from a large tree in the back of their property. Even her husband starts to become obsessed with painting this tree. What's this strange force that has taken ahold of her family?

A great premise but the execution wasn't there for me. The story slogged in parts and I felt like one part of the book happened too quickly and didn't know where to go from there. The ending felt a bit rushed but overall it was satisfying. I liked it. It had a great atmosphere and mood and isolation about it that felt creepy. But overall, I didn't love it and wished the pacing was a bit better. I do now want to read her first novel "Baby Teeth," though. She's a great writer and look forward to more from her.

Cat Thursday--Happy Thanksgiving!

 

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! 

May you all have a lovely and safe Thanksgiving! I am grateful my little family and I are safe and healthy and can be together today. It's the little things. 

Week-in-Review: November

It's been a slow month for doing much of anything other than trying to not get Covid and checking in on my parents and making sure they're OK. It's gotten really cold with a few sunny days thrown in. One snowy cold day we played games and drank hot chocolate.

We're staying in for Thanksgiving and I'm trying a lot of new things this year that I don't usually do. We usually head up to my sister's house for Thanksgiving and we only bring a few pies and maybe a side salad. So it's up to us to bake all the things but toned down since it's only three of us!

Reading:

I finished up 5 books since my last update: Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega, The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson, The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, and Autumn Light: Season of Fires and Farewells by Pico Iyers

I have started Barack Obama's book A Promised Land which I plan on reading for awhile to draw it out and make it never end...Wonderland by Zoje Stage. For November with G we started Blood on the River: James Town, 1607 by Elisa Carbone and 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac.

I'm still reading A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader edited by Maria Popova with G. And I'm reading the fifth and final section in Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. 

I'm taking my time with The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud. There's a lot to digest and I don't want to miss anything. I'm hoping I'll be done by the end of the month cuz I've been slacking a lot.

Classics that I'm reading: Still working on Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I'm enjoying taking my time here. It's been a long time and it's the perfect classic to read as the weather gets chilly and the holidays approach. Also, I just realized I had bought on the Kindle the annotated version. So I read a chapter at night with my physical book and then read the annotations the next day. It's been fun!

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. We're getting closer to the end!

Listening to:

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Podcasts: Sean Carroll's Mindscape

New Books Acquired: 

 

  Watching:

Movies:

We've been watching the Harry Potter movies over the last couple of weeks. We seem to gravitate towards rewatching them around Thanksgiving and then we settle in for The Lord of the Rings series during Winter break!

TV:                           

It's been Schitt's Creek, which I just finished this week, The Great British Baking Show, The Undoing, and with G we just started His Dark Materials since we just finished up the books.

Making: 

This week for Thanksgiving we're making(attempting) yeast butter rolls...I have never made them before so I am trying them early on Wednesday. It they don't turn out I have a huge bag of Rhodes frozen roll dough that I'll be using....yikes. Honey butter, garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, roast chicken with veggies. I'm making two cocktails for DH and me, G will have mulled cider and some Sprite. Snacks: a charcuterie board, and a relish tray. Dessert: A peanut butter cream cheese pie and a cream cheese pumpkin pie. I may make cookies too if I'm feeling energetic. Hopefully all turns out well this week....

Looking forward to Thanksgiving. I'll miss my family and friends this weekend. We usually do family on Thursday and a little Friendsgiving on Friday but of course, not this year. But we will make the best of it! I got a little Turkey and being thankful DIY project we'll be doing this weekend as well. So games, drinks, too much food, and lots of family time. I'm hoping all try to stay safe and that we don't end up with even more cases because of this weekend! I'm hoping to enjoy the weekend and be thankful for what we do have.

Joining in with Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon

Nonfiction November-- Week 3: Be/Ask/Become the Expert

Week 3: (Nov. 16 to 20) – Be The Expert/Ask the Expert/Become the Expert (Rennie of What’s Nonfiction): Three ways to join in this week! You can either share 3 or more books on a single topic that you have read and can recommend (be the expert), you can put the call out for good nonfiction on a specific topic that you have been dying to read (ask the expert), or you can create your own list of books on a topic that you’d like to read (become the expert) 

I'm going to use a mix of all three this week. My friend and I have been reading philosophy books together for a few years now. I've been learning a lot about Western philosophical origins, specific philosophers and their philosophies, and even ones on whole movements and the philosophers involved. I'll share a few that are on my list and hope you share any books you've read that fit the topic!

For an interesting and somewhat entertaining overview of Western philosophy I highly recommend The Dream of Reason: A History of Western Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance by Anthony Gottlieb. Gottlieb really dives into the ancient Greeks and how their ideas were syncretized and adopted by Christian thinkers. It was quite an eye-opener to see how the threads connected. I highly enjoyed this one.

For individual philosophers and their movements/philosophies I can't recommend enough Sarah Bakewell. I'm in the process of reading At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails, which is all about Existentialism and its philosophers like Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, and Edmund Husserl. She blends history and thought and biography seamlessly.

Her book on Montaigne is also quite good How to Live: Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer. You truly get a sense of what France was like, how it affected Montaigne and his philosophy, which is pretty revolutionary. His essays are on the mundane and day-to-day. As one person's inner thoughts are important so are others and we can gleam humanity and what's like to be human from that.

Another fantastic book on a specific philosopher is Rebecca Goldstein's Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity. She goes into some history of the Spanish Inquisition and the displacement of Jews either outside of their jurisdiction or as conversos (forced Catholic conversion). So we end up getting the history of Spinoza and his Jewish community in Holland in the mid-1600s. Fantastic history and it was incredibly interesting about Spinoza and how his ideas changed so many things.

 

Anthony Gottlieb has another book The Dream of Enlightenment: The Rise of Modern Philosophy. My friend and I will probably read it after we're done with At the Existentialist Café. Since I enjoyed Rebecca Goldstein's book on Spinoza, I'd like to read her Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away. And due to my Existentialism reading I'd really like to pick Beauvoir's The Second Sex and Albert Camus' The Plague and The Stranger. And then there's Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith that looks fascinating.

There are so many more I'd like to get to but if anyone has any philosophy-type books they've read and really enjoyed, I'd love to hear them!