scaifea's thread #10

Hey, everybody!

From the Introductions Thread:
I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor, turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure, turned part-time library assistant, turned once again Classics professor. I spend my free time sewing, writing, knitting, baking, and, of course, reading.

My reading life is happily governed by lists, which means that I read a healthy variety of things across various genres.

I'm 45 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our son, Charlie, and Mario the Golden Retriever.



Favorite Books from 2019
Next of Kin
The Book of Boy
Ficciones
Night Watch
The Name of the Wind
A Monster Calls
Check, Please! Book 1
Art Matters
The Heart's Invisible Furies

What I'm Reading Now:
-So Anyway... (a book from my Read Soon! Shelves)
-Anpao (Newbery Honor Book)
-Beautiful Bastard (romance genre list)
-A Tale of Two Cities (audiobook)
-Summerland (Charlie's bedtime book)
-How Long Til Black Future Month (Alex Award Book)
-Sapiens (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob)
-How to Construct Achievement Tests (unread book from my shelves)

Books on Deck:
-Purl Up and Die (series read with my mom)
-Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare re-read)
-Peyton Place (Banned Books)
-The House on the Borderland (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list)
-Lord Foul's Bane (BSF Award)
-The Experience of Insight (Buddhist reading list)
-Uncle Silas (books by year - 1864)
-Guard of Honor (Pulitzer list)
-(an unread book from my shelves)

The five-ish or so books I have going at once and the On Deck books nearly all come from the following categories and lists:

1. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

2. A children's book, for Charlie's library. I'm trying to collect books from various award lists, and I like reading them before reading them to Charlie or deciding to add them to Charlie's shelves. For this category, I’m currently working through three lists:
a. 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die
b. The Newbery Honor books
c. Cooperative Children's Book Center list

3. A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List, in chronological order.

4. A list I'm working through together with my best friend, Rob: The Hugo/Nebula/WFA/Bram Stoker (and other) lists (combined, in chronological order)

5. For this category, I cycle through 9 different stacks:
a. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
b. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. John Boyne bibliography (in chronological order, sort of)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
f. Maggie Stiefvater's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. The NEH Timeless Classics list
h. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
i. The Pulitzer list (in alpha order by author)

6. An unread book from my shelves.

7. A book from my Read Soon! shelves.

8. A book on Buddhism or from the Dalai Lama's bibliography.

9. Book-a-year challenge: Three years ago, along with a few others in this group (*cough* Paul *cough*), I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've since been trying to fill in the gap years.

10. A book from the couple of series that I'm reading together with my mom.

11. A full-on re-read through Shakespeare's stuff.

12. A read-aloud-to-Charlie-at-bedtime book (or two).

13. An audio book, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/drive.

14. A romance novel, using as a guideline an excellent list of authors and works curated by lycomaflower (I know virtually nothing about this genre, but I now work in a library where many, many lovely people come through to check out books of this genre, and I want to know something about it).

15. This slot is reserved for books that just grab me and shout that they need to be read Right Now.

Books Read

JANUARY
1. Still Life (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A
2. Breaking Stalin's Nose (Newbery Honor Book, audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
3. The Golden Name Day (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
4. Lumberjanes #2: Friendship to the Max (series read) - 10/10 = A+
5. Lumberjanes #3: A Terrible Plan (series read) - 10/10 = A+
6. Lumberjanes #4: Out of Time (series read) - 10/10 = A+
7. Lumberjanes #5: Band Together (series read) - 10/10 = A+
8. Lumberjanes #6: Sink or Swim (series read) - 10/10 = A+
9. Lumberjanes #7: A Bird's-Eye View (series read) - 10/10 = A+
10. Lumberjanes #8: Stone Cold (series read) - 10/10 = A+
11. Lumberjanes #9: On a Roll (series read) - 10/10 = A+
12. Lumberjanes #10: Parents' Day! (series read) - 10/10 = A+
13. Lumberjanes #11: Time After Crime (series read) - 10/10 = A+
14. The Adventurous Eaters Club (Read Soon! Shelves/Christmas gift from Charlie) - 9/10 = A
15. The Black God's Drums (Alex Award) - 9/10 = A
16. Call Down the Hawk (Read Soon! Shelves) - 10/10 = A+
17. Mr. Justice Holmes (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
18. I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld) - 9/10 = A
19. The White Stone (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
20. The Corn Grows Ripe (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-

FEBRUARY
21. The Book of Essie (Alex Awards) - 9/10 = A
22. Lumberjanes 12: Jackalope Springs Eternal (series read) - 10/10 A+
23. Lumberjanes 13: Indoor Recess (series read) - 10/10 = A+
24. Lumberjanes: Bonus Tracks (series read) - 10/10 = A+
25. Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass (series read) - 10/10 = A+
26. Lumberjanes: The Shape of Friendship (series read) - 10/10 = A+
27. Mooncakes (recommended by Laura (lycomayflower)) - 9/10 = A
28. Vanity Fair (audiobook) - 7/10 = C
29. They Called Us Enemy (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A
30. The Rattle Bag (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
31. Queen of the Sea (impulse library checkout) - 8/10 = B-
32. Pumpkinheads (impulse library checkout) - 9/10 = A
33. Snuff (Discworld) - 9/10 = A
34. Agnes Grey (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
35. New Kid (Newbery Medal) - 10/10 = A+
36. Telephone Tales (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
37. Pawn of Prophecy (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+
38. The Girl Who Smiled Beads (Alex Award) - 7/10 = C
39. Cranford (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+

MARCH
40. Best Friends (impulse library checkout) - 9/10 = A
41. Old Ramon (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
42. Bloodlust & Bonnets (impulse library checkout) - 9/10 = A
43. Raising Steam (Discworld) - 8/10 = B
44. The Terrible Two Go Wild (Charlie's nightly read-aloud) - 8/10 = B
45. If You're Reading This, It's Too Late (Charlie recommendation) - 8/10 = B
46. Me in the Middle (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
47. The King of the Copper Mountains (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
48. The Specter in the Magician's Museum (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
49. Green (Alex Award) - 9/10 = A
50. Thistle and Thyme (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
51. The Fearsome Inn (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
52. These Old Shades (romance list) - 8/10 = B
53. The Wise Man's Fear (Read Soon! Shelves) - 10/10 = A+

APRIL
54. Mary Barton (audiobook) - 8/10 = B
55. The Slow Regard of Silent Things (Read Soon! Shelves) - 10/10 = A+
56. Pride and Prejudice (Read Soon! Shelves) - 10/10 = A+
57. Read It and Weep (series read with my mom) - 8/10 = B+
58. The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare re-read) - 8/10 = B
59. Secondhand Souls (Moore bibliography) - 9/10 = A
60. Candyfreak (Unread Book from My Shelves) - 8/10 = B-

MAY
61. Yarn Over Murder (series read with my mom) - 7/10 = C
62. Henry VI Part 2 (Shakespeare re-read) - 9/10 = A
63. The Graveyard Book (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+
64. Shiver (Stiefvater bibliography) - 9/10 = A
65. Family Don't End with Blood (a gift from one of my favorite people) - 9/10 = A-
66. The Thief of Always (an unread book from my shelves) - 9/10 = A
67. The Art of the English Murder (a book from my Read Soon! shelves) - 8/10 = B
68. This Book Is Not Good for You (a series Charlie and I are reading together) - 8/10 = B+
69. On Borrowed Time (series read with my Mom) - 8/10 = B+
70. Henry VI Part 3 (Shakespeare re-read) - 9/10 = A
71. The Shepherd's Crown (Discworld series) - 8/10 = B+

JUNE
72. The Beast under the Wizard's Bridge (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud) - 8/10 = B+
73. Winter Wonderland (Romance list) - 8/10 = B+
74. The Silence Between Us (Schneider Award) - 8/10 = B+
75. Of Human Bondage (NEH list) - 9/10 = A
76. The Duke I Tempted (Romance genre list) - 8/10 = B+
77. Genesis Begins Again (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
78. This Isn't What It Looks Like (Charlie book) - 8/10 = B+

JULY
79. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A
80. Any Duchess Will Do (Romance list) - 9/10 = A-
81. Other Words for Home (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
82. Bleak House (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
83. The Folio Society Book of the 100 Greatest Portraits (unread book from my shelves) - 9/10 = A
84. The Tower at the End of the World (Charlie's bedtime book) - 9/10 = A-

AUGUST
85. Coraline (Charlie's bedtime book) - 9/10 = A
86. Frankly in Love (Morris Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
87. Potent Pleasures (romance genre list) - 7/10 = C-
88. I Kill Giants (impulse library checkout) - 8/10 = B+
89. You Have to Stop This (Charlie series recommendation) - 9/10 = A-
90. The Shop on Blossom Street (romance genre list) - 8/10 = B-
91. Tom's Midnight Garden (Charlie's bedtime book) - 10/10 = A+
92. Our Eddie (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+

SEPTEMBER
93. There Will Come a Darkness (Morris Award) - 9/10 = A-
94. The Demon Headmaster (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
95. Holding the Cards (romance genre list) - 8/10 = B+
96. Little House on the Prairie (Charlie's bedtime book) - 9/10 = A-

Charlie on his first day of 6th Grade:



Mario and Frencisco:



The first photo I ever uploaded to flickr, in 2007, the ever-serious, always-amazing Tuppence:



And for those of you wanting a photo of me on my first day of teaching, well, I forgot, but here's one of me on my second day (you can tell that I'm Professional Amber here because my hair isn't, for once, in a messy bun):

Am I first? Happy new thread!

I realized this morning that I haven't yet shared the highlights to the Worst Movie Bonus Question. So, here are some highlights:

-The Hobbit movies: Um, WHAT. We had a...discussion...yesterday at the beginning of class about this person's life choices.

-Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Plan 9, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: I get these every time I ask this question, and it always makes me happy that people are still watching these movies. They're so fun.

-Aquaman: I haven't seen it, but sight-unseen I respect this choice. I'm a Marvel Movie gal all the way.

-The Breakfast Club: I nearly cried. I had to explain to the class yesterday that one does not simply disparage the Brat Pack to a card-carrying member of the Children of the 80s Club. YOICKS.

-2001 A Space Odyssey: THIS one sparked a fantastic (and friendly/funny) feud amongst the Cherubs, so I've spotted my SciFi nerds (I say that lovingly, of course).

-Thor: The Dark World: Again I say WHAT?! NO ONE puts Hiddleston in a corner! *shakes head sadly*

-Santa Claus Conquers the Martians: Surprisingly, this one is new to me. I must track it down and love it, naturally.

>6 drneutron: Jim: You *are* first! Here you go:

Gee....roast chicken. I'd have come by sooner if I knew THAT was the prize...

I love that you have discussions about the bonus question, and that you use them to get to know your students. You're awesome. (But I thought professional Latin teacher-ladies were SUPPOSED to wear their hair in buns.)

>9 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Winners are supposed to get chicken dinners, right?

And thanks! I've used this method to get to know my students (and get them to open up and form a bond with each other as a class) since I was a grad student and it generally works really well.

And yes, well, fair point. I thought I'd at least try to make an effort at first to look presentable - I even wore real pants, although they couldn't see them!

Happy new thread, Amber!

I like your photo - you look appropriately stern but still approachable. Perfect!

>10 scaifea: True...true. I just associate you more with sweet treats. Like cookies and cake.

>11 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! I can't concentrate on taking a photo that doesn't make me look like a Witch of the Back Woods and also smile. That's just not in my skill set.

>12 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Oh, well sure. But those things are just out for everyone to share:

Love the photo, Amber, and the results of the movie BQ.

Wow, yum. I'll have one of everything, thanks. (And also some of that chicken, because it looks amazing. Why am I so hungry at 10 AM?)

Happy new thread, Amber.

Loved the photos and good luck with the teaching gig.

Movies were duds but the roast chicken is a winner!

>14 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura!

>15 foggidawn: You and me both, foggi! So hungry.

>16 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

92. Our Eddie by Sulamith Ish-Kishor (Newbery Honor Book, 182 pages) - 8/10 = B+
Eddie is the oldest son in a Jewish family living in London (and then later NYC). He and his siblings suffer under the regime of a selfish and mentally-abusive father, and in the end that abuse causes more harm than any of them would have predicted. A good, strong story, with characters who are nicely developed (the father was so well crafted that I nearly threw the book across the room for getting so angry with his behavior). My one quibble is that it includes a framing narrative from the point of view of another character, which in itself is an okay thing, but the transition between the frame to the main narrator and then back to the frame is clunky and awkward. Otherwise, a fine read with a touching story.

>18 scaifea: I'm always amazed when you come up with one of these older Newbery Honor books that I've never heard of! I mean, I've perused the list of honor books, but there are just so many that often titles don't jump out at me as "Oh, that's an honor book!"

>5 scaifea: Wow, your hair is getting so long! You look smart and approachable, so if that's what you were going for you nailed it!

>19 foggidawn: foggi: Ha! Yeah. Some of them are doozies, too, but this one was pretty good!

>20 rosalita: Aw, thanks, Julia! And yes, the hair is getting ridiculous. No haircut since January. I like it long, but it really needs thinned out some because it is THICK right now.

Happy new thread, Amber!

You look very professorial in your second day selfie. I'm also impressed you wore real pants for class! I've been living in yoga pants for the duration of working from home and usually just wearing a t-shirt with hoodie/cardigan unless I've got a video meeting. Even video meeting days I might cheat and wear a cardigan and scarf to obscure the t-shirt. ;) Today's shirt would probably go over well with this group:



I also love the bad movie responses from your students. Sounds like a fun icebreaker.

>22 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! For me, the Real Pants Policy helps me get in the Work mindset; I'm borrowing it from Charlie, who insists on wearing his school uniform during his online school hours. I totally get staying yoga pants as a viable option, too, of course, and I may get there eventually.

And I love your shirt!! Adorable.

The Bonus Questions strategy is a good one, or at least it has worked well for me. It gets them to relax and open up first thing, and then the rest of the class period always goes more smoothly. One of my favorites is asking them if they were going to get a tattoo in Latin, what would want the Latin to say and then we spend part of a class working out the translations of their answers. Some of those are hilarious and they always have a great time with it. I've even had a couple of students send me photos after the class is long over of the tattoos they've gotten of their answers!

I saw a photo of a work outfit that made me laugh the other day -- blazer, silk blouse and...pj bottoms.

>23 scaifea: I know there are definitely people where the Real Pants Policy works for them. I find just being in my designated work space works for me. Plus most of my work clothes are dresses, which just aren't comfy in my basement work space. :P

That's cool that some of the tattoo ideas became real things!

>24 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Ha! Nope, I couldn't do that; it would just feel *wrong*!

>25 MickyFine: Yep, whatever works! I used to work with a woman who said that when she didn't feel well she would get dressed up and that would help her feel better. That sounds nuts to me, though: if I don't feel good, I want sweatpants or pajamas and a comfy blanket!

Happy new thread, Amber!

>5 scaifea: Sweet Mario :-)
You look good, Amber. Looking forward to the gallery of second day pictures of you in a few years ;-)

>27 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita!! And thanks! *snork!* I hope you won't see as dramatic a change in me as you can in Charlie!

>28 scaifea: Would be odd if you grew that much ;-)

Happy New Thread, Amber.

Honey Bunch! We read some of those with Becca.

Little House on the Prairie: Debbi and I are just finishing reading that series to each other (well, mainly her to me, as she's got the storyteller's voice). Besides teaching about that era in this country, they sure give perspective on how much easier, in some ways, our lives are today. I hope Charlie likes it/them.

Happy new thread!
Love that you and Charlie are dressing up to learn/teach from home! I totally wouldn't get out of my yoga pants if I didn't have to!

>29 FAMeulstee: Anita: Hahahaha! It really would!

>30 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe!

Honey Bunch? You lost me there...

We read the first Wilder book with Charlie a few years ago and are just now getting round to the next one. I LOVED them when I was a kiddo and Charlie liked the first one, so we'll see. We visited the Wisconsin house back when we lived in WI and it was very cool to see.

>31 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! I live in yoga pants all the time except when I'm actually teaching. My goodness, how wretched it would be not to have those things!

Happy new thread Amber my dear.

>33 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

Happy new thread, Amber!

What an eclectic bunch of "worst movies" - I haven't watched many of them, but would hands down have to disagree about the Hobbit trilogy and Thor: The Dark World. Alright, it was no Ragnarok, but it was still pretty good. Personally I'd give "the worst" to... hm, maybe Dumb and Dumber. I know a lot of people find it hilarious, but it's not my sense of humor at all and I can't stand watching more than 20 minutes in one go. I don't love Office Space either.

It's been interesting to me seeing how people respond with what they wear in pandemic times. I still get "dressed" for work even when it's from home, but I wear jeans and when I go into the library I've been wearing sneakers. Mostly because if no one's going to see me and I'm walking around a lot filling curbside appointments, I'm going to be as comfortable as possible. And it does help me stay in work mode. Yoga pants signal "home relaxing," "workout" or "cleaning" clothes to me, so they're relegated to after work and weekends.

Happy New Thread, Amber! Happy September, my friend. I hope those books are treating you fine.

>35 bell7: Thanks, Mary!

I'm one of those who really likes Jim Carrey's type of humor, so I'm a D&D fan, and I love Office Space, too (but not The Office TV show). I totally get why other people wouldn't like 'em, though.

The library I (sort of) work for is requiring everyone to abide by the normal dress code, even now (no jeans until Friday), which seems a little crazy to me, but I'm not working there at all right now so, *shrug.*

>36 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Happy new retirement, friend!

I spent yesterday puttering around here at first, making the new thread and my usual sorting activities after finishing a book, which was a lovely way to start the day. I got word that I've been unofficially (pending Provost approval) offered the teaching gig through next semester, so I spent some of the afternoon doing some back-of-the-envelope math on how much work I need to put in each day so that I can slowly and easily get prepped for that and not have to scramble to prep those courses during Christmas break.

I also have some hard thinking to do about the library job: Can I actually do both, if I get called back? I *love* that job, but I also love teaching, plus there's Charlie's at-home schooling to consider, too. Gah. Stupid Big Life Decisions. We hates them, precious.

On the reading front:
My reading time was spent with Sapiens yesterday, which I'm really enjoying so far. Well-written non-fiction is such a delight and I should read it more often than I do.

What We're Watching:
My pick last night and I went with Black Panther for, well, reasons. That movie blows me away every time. The importance of it for PoC - especially kiddos seeing people who look like them as superheroes - and the sheer joy it produces. Plus, so many strong, badass women in fantastic roles!

>37 scaifea: I have, I admit, a very weird sense of humor. It's a little dry/British actually, so I enjoy Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Terry Pratchett. That's... odd to me that they would require the same dress code, and odder still to me that "jeans are allowed but only on Fridays" (I know, I know, casual Fridays and all, but if it's okay on one day, why do we need to be more professional on the others?). Technically my town doesn't have a dress code: we've been told "business casual" and jeans are discouraged, but generally on days I know I'm going to walk more, like weekends, I've always dressed down a little. So that's how I've gone since we've been back in the building.

Congrats on the offer for teaching another semester! Hope all the prep goes well and you're able to make a good decision about the library job and everything else. (I hate making Stupid Big Life Decisions too but one way I talk myself down from the stress is remembering that I'm deciding between two good things and there will be positives either way.)

Black Panther is a lot of fun and I'm glad you all enjoyed the rewatch!

>39 bell7: I enjoy all those shows (and Pratchett), too. I think I have an unusually broad sense of humor (I find soooo many different kinds of things hilarious, much more so than Tomm and Charlie, I think, at least).

And yeah, why not be able to wear what you want to wear, as long as it's, what?, clean and, um, covers everything? I mean, yeah.

And thanks! That's great advice about the choosing between two good things. I'll keep that in mind.

>40 scaifea: The person in our office who supervised our student employees before she retired had a simple dress code for them that she called The Four B's: I don't care what you wear, as long as we can't see your boobs, your belly, your back or your butt.

>41 rosalita: Julia: *snork!* Seems about right to me. Do you also follow this code?

Happy new one!

>41 rosalita: More or less. :-D

>43 figsfromthistle: Thanks!

>44 rosalita: Julia: Hahahaha!!

>44 rosalita: - I want to know what the less part is!

>46 katiekrug: Katie: Me too!

>46 katiekrug: >47 scaifea: I'll never tell!

>48 rosalita: Julia: *SNORK!*

Grading and teaching for me pretty much all day yesterday, plus keeping an eye on Charlie's schoolwork. Charlie has made his birthday wishes known: He wants a video game (the new Animal Crossing one), a crochet hook set, a Magic the Gathering card set, and a new D&D game book. I love that nerdy nerd so much.

On the reading front:
I managed a few pages yesterday in the Cleese memoir. It continues to be interesting and funny.

What We're Watching:
Charlie's pick last night: We've started Good Omens over again.

Bonus Question Report:
Yesterday's quiz question was: If you were left on a deserted island and could only have one outfit, one book, and one album (there’s a turntable there and an electrical outlet – just go with it), what would you pick for each category?

The outfit highlights:
The Rock's outfit in the Jumanji movie
Lots of mentions of hiking boots, which seems smart
Converse shoes, Duluth Trading Company pants, and an Army surplus coat - this kid really put some thought into it!

The album highlights:
A couple of Led Zeppelin mentions (so the kids are alright, apparently), but then also an alarming amount of Grateful Dead nods - really?! Since when are today's youth listening to *that*?! (I was also told that it was shocking that I'm not a Deadhead because apparently I "seem the type." Um, WHAT. So I'm either old or look like a pothead. Excellent. So happy.)
"Any Beatles album": I sorted that one out by clarifying that clearly he meant Rubber Soul.
The Eagles Greatest Hits: I wholeheartedly approve.
"Any classical album": Really? ANY?! Interesting notion.

The book pick highlights:
Hatchet, which honestly seems perfect
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - LOVE this one
The Grapes of Wrath - seems a little dark for the circumstances, but okay
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - the last book? Really? Okay, then.
All the Light We Cannot See - I've clearly got some good readers in this class
An old, illustrated version of The Hobbit given to the student when he was little by his favorite uncle - how sweet and adorable is that?!
One smarty looking for bonus bonus points claimed he'd take his Latin textbook *exasperated sigh*
And two smarties would take a survival guide. Too clever for their own good, if I'm honest.

Another lively debate over some of these points started class yesterday. I awarded the I'd Hang Out on That Island Medal to the Converse/Duluth/Army coat student, who also chose The Two Towers and Led Zeppelin IV.

>51 scaifea: Your classes sound like a delight, Amber. Even the thought of learning Latin makes my brain hurt but I'd almost attempt it to have you as a prof. :)

>52 MickyFine: Aw, thanks, Micky! We actually *do* cover some Latin in the class, too. Sometimes.

>32 scaifea: So you don't think I'm completely out of my mind, Honey Bunch is the bottom book in the photo in >1 scaifea:. Almost intolerably wholesome, as I recall - we ended up liking The Happy Hollisters books more for shared reading.

>54 jnwelch: Joe: AHA! Thanks for pointing that out! The title hadn't registered with me, I suspect since I'd not heard of it before. Ha!

> 54 When I was really little (back when God was a child) the aunt for whom I was named sent me a Honey Bunch book every year for my birthday. When I got a bit older she switched to Nancy Drew. Her presents were always the highlight of my birthday.

>56 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Aw, that's lovely!

>50 scaifea: Fun fact, Wizard's of the Coast announced their upcoming sets, and there is a D&D crossover set for Magic coming next summer. :)

>58 Ape: Stephen: Ooooh! Well then, I think I know what he's getting for his *next* birthday...

Yesterday I worked on prepping next semester's Latin course, worked out my grocery list and put my order in for pickup today, helped Charlie with his school stuff, fretted more about the library job, did a little bit of reading, and took a nap. Our morning and afternoon walks have been really nice this week, even though Charlie, Mario, and I got caught in a light rain one day. I'm so happy for the incoming fall weather!

On the reading front:
There Will Come a Darkness is coming along pretty well. It hasn't sucked me in entirely, but I'm past the opening hump of world and character explanations, which can sometimes make me impatient in fantasy books. As I was reading it yesterday I got a promo email for the sequel (weird) and I haven't decided yet whether I'll continue on with it or not.

What We're Watching:
Thursdays are BGGS days. My belovèd Kim Joy didn't win, but I'm happy for Rahul because he's a sweet little banana and deserved the confidence boost. We're now on to whichever series/season Netflix is calling 7?

Amber, your evil twin has been over on Darryl's thread causing trouble. Just FYI!

>61 katiekrug: HAHAHA!! Oh my goodness, I'm such a dummy. Thanks, Katie, for pointing that out! Clearly I am a sower of chaos...

It made me giggle. And I was triple-checking before saying anything in case I was the one who was confused.

>63 katiekrug: Katie: I should know by now that chances are very good that *I'm* the confused one and so I should check that line of logic first...

Yesterday was full of Charlie School, grading, grocery pickup, and office hours. I also made some Lemon Drop Cookies for Charlie's end-of-the-week after-school snack, and they turned out lovely and lemony and chewy (the recipe calls for crushed lemon drops in the batter).

Today will be laundry, baking (Cinnamon Bread and Hot Cocoa Cake), possibly some sewing, hopefully some reading.

On the reading front:
I spent my reading time yesterday with Holding the Cards, which is starting to heat up!

What We're Watching:
Agents of Shield and a bit of Graham Norton (it was Tomm's pick).

I don't know what Hot Cocoa Cake is but I definitely want a slice.

>67 Ape: Stephen: *snork!* It's a new recipe for me, so I'll let you know how it goes. It sounds amazing, right? It uses cocoa mix in the batter...

>32 scaifea:, >54 jnwelch:, >55 scaifea:, >56 RebaRelishesReading: I read some of the Honey Bunch (and NORMAN!) books when I was a kid...also gifts from a favorite aunt. Between those and the Bobbsey Twins, it's a miracle I didn't give up on reading altogether. I kept one of the Bobbsey Twins books and tried reading it a few years ago...OMG, my fingers were actually sticky from the sap. To be fair, though, Aunt Jessie also gave me lots of Nancy Drew and my never-too-old-to-read-it-again favorite, Rosemary by Josephine Lawrence.

>69 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Yeah, I don't do well with the syrupy ones, either, but I did love Nancy Drew as a kid (and still).

Yes, Honey Bunch is syrupy but I was 5 years old!! (and probably 6 & 7) too.

>71 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Much easier to swallow at that age, for sure.

Abandoned: Adam Bede

I suffered through about 2 hours of this one on audio and I just can't. I don't like the narrator much and there was an over-long fire-and-brimstone-like sermon from one of the main characters early on (*very* much not my thing), so I looked up a summary of the plot to see if I thought it would get better and be worth it. It sounds incredibly bleak, so NOPE. I'm calling it quits.

Season 5 of agents of shield was good.l but I did have to pay close attention to the time travel bit. I just finished season 6 and it is strange, especially one episode with FitzSimmons. I will be curious on your thoughts when you get there. I am stalled because Netflix does not have season 7 on yet and On Demand only has the last episode.

>73 scaifea: how can the author of the excellent Middlemarch also write something as awful-sounding as Adam Bede? It sounds like you were wise to move swiftly on. Life is too short!

>74 jayde1599: The show just keeps getting weirder, it seems, but I also kind of love that. Fitzsimmons is my favorite thing about it, though. *happy sigh*

>75 lauralkeet: Laura: I've not read Middlemarch, but it must be better than Adam Bede, then. Just...yoicks.

>76 scaifea: I'll second Laura's recommendation of Middlemarch, Amber. Though I'm not sure it would work well as audio and the tutored read that Liz (lyzardj led a few years ago was enormously useful in helping me understand the politics of the day which inform the plot.

>77 rosalita: Julia: I'm sure I'll give it a go at some point because it's on several of my lists.

>7 scaifea: I’d have to agree about the Hobbit movies: hated them, so did the rest of my family. Too much C.G.I. not enough story. And I’d probably agree about 2001: A Space Odyssey as well - just far too slow. Sorry.

>73 scaifea: I think I quite enjoyed Adam Bede when I read it but it was a long time ago.

>79 SandDune: Rhian: Ha! So we're on opposite sides of the spectrum in both cases!

Well, my baking had mixed results yesterday: the Hot Cocoa Cake was fine (Charlie loves it) but to me it just tastes like a not-quite-chocolatey-enough chocolate cake. *shrug* The Cinnamon Loaf, though, turned out lovely (I've made it before) and we all enjoyed nice thick slices for breakfast this morning.

I didn't make it into the sewing room yesterday but I'm headed there this morning, I think. I want to get a bit more work in on my current quilt project before I have to set it aside for the annual Project Charlie PJs, after which will be Project Halloween (this year he wants to be the 10th Doctor). We won't be doing any actual trick-or-treating, and he won't be wearing it to school, obviously, but that's not going to stop us from making a costume!

For dinner tonight I'm using my mom's recipe for homemade pizza, so I'll get started on the dough after lunch to give it time to prove. And *then* I'm hoping for a bit of reading time before our zoom meetup with Tomm's brother and his family.

On the reading front:
I'm spending this weekend with There Will Come a Darkness because it's coming up due soon and I'm only about halfway through. Yoicks.

What We're Watching:
It was my pick last night so we watched Big Hero 6 because we hadn't in a long time and I had a hankering for it. One of my favorite Disney movies, really.

The problem with most hot cocoa mixes is they're half milk powder, so people can add it to water and it'll still be creamy. :(

>82 Ape: Stephen: True. I forget that because I always add milk...

>82 Ape:, >83 scaifea: I make cocoa mixes using no water/all 2% milk (sometimes with a splash of heavy cream at the end) and they're quite good :)

>84 RebaRelishesReading: Yep. I always use milk, too and sometimes add a blob of frozen Cool Whip on top...

>85 scaifea: Milk and Reddi-Wip...

Catching up here. Charlie is getting so big! He'll be grown before you know it.

>86 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Also a viable variation.

>87 thornton37814: Lori: Well, he's already taller than I am, so yup he's well on his way. I'm curious to see just how tall he ends up being. He's almost caught up Tomm...

The pizzas turned out really good! We had one and I put the others in the freezer. I don't think I had ever made pizza from my mom's recipe, although I've had it written out for years. She used to make a huge batch (she'd quadruple the original) at least once a year because it's what my brother, Steve, always used to request for his birthday dinner. Last week would have been his 56th birthday, so it seemed like the right time to make some. I also got a bit of work done on the quilt project and some reading in, so I count yesterday as a productive day.

Tomm and Charlie have the day off from work and school today, but I don't. I'll be grading homework this morning, holding office hours, attending a department meeting, and then teaching this afternoon.

On the reading front:
I'm still working through There Will Come a Darkness, but it's turned a corner and now has me hooked.

What We're Watching:
We've been watching Perfect Strangers during our weekend lunches, but I keep forgetting to mention it. I am amazed at how well this show has held up over the years - it's really funny!
It was Charlie's pick last night, so we watched more Good Omens, including my favorite bit: Crowley's and Aziraphale's evolving friendship through the years.

We spent Monday evening in the basement for a tornado warning; we were just on the edge of it and only got a hard rain - whew! Yesterday was a bit tense: Charlie has three exams this week and is stressed about them, and I had to decide when I wanted to teach my two classes in the spring, which will involve a routine change for me and I resist changes in routine like anything. So, yeah. Slightly stressful days here at Scaife Manor. Nothing major, just little frets.

Today is grading and teaching for me and possibly a quick trip to the library to pick up holds.

On the reading front:
Last night was DC Night for Tomm and Charlie, so I spent the time reading Sapiens, which continues to be really fun and interesting.

Glad to hear any extreme weather passed you by. Good luck with figuring out your routine changes - I'm not a fan of those either.

>91 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. I'll be fine once the idea of the new routine settles in; it just always throws me for a 3-4 day loop at first. I am *not* a spontaneous person.

>92 scaifea: So with you on that, Amber! I always say, "I can be very spontaneous as long as you give me advance notice."

>93 rosalita: Julia: Ha! Yes! And by advance notice I mean at least three weeks. Three months would be better.

Spontaneity isn't even fun to spell!

>95 Ape: Stephen: *SNORK!* Truth!

Reading Update:
I have abandoned Home After Dark almost immediately after starting it. There's animal cruelty within the first couple of pages and again a few pages later and it seems to be a big part of the plot. So that's a NOPE for me. Instead, I'll start How Long 'Til Black Future Month later today.

Yesterday was full of grading and class prep and class for me, a math test and other school work for Charlie, and the Texas Board of Education meeting on standards for Tomm (Tomm gets my vote for most bizarre day). Our two daily walks were muggier than I thought they'd be and honestly I think it's a little rude. I mean, it's September. Where is my fall weather?!

On the reading front:
After abandoning Home After Dark I checked out an e-copy of How Long Til Black Future Month but wasn't in the mood to start anything new just now. So I spent my reading time yesterday with There Will Come a Darkness (I also found motivation in the fact that its due in four days).

What We're Watching:
More Agents of Shield. It gets weirder with every episode and I love it more every time.

I feel bad that Tomm has to deal with the absolute nutso Texas Board of Ed.

>99 katiekrug: Katie: YUP. He works in the K-12 Science area of a major textbook company, and as a physicist it's really hard for him to sit through people arguing against teaching actual science in schools. Yeesh.

I can't even imagine.

>101 katiekrug: Katie: He was *fuming* last night. It would have been entertaining if it weren't so frustrating and stupid and dangerous.

The influence that Texas wields in the world of textbooks is infuriating.

>103 katiekrug: Katie: Agreed.

More Bonus Question Highlights - this time the question was What's Your Favorite Word?

-Two students said that their favorite words are swear words but they refused to type them into an official school quiz form. Adorable.
-Interesting
-Obtuse
-Sunshine "because it makes me happy" So sweet.
-Antediluvian
-Quintessential
-Banana
-Misogynoir (Good one, right?! I am currently involved in an email discussion with this student about how there should be (and maybe is?) a term for when a word or phrase is beautiful but represents something very much not beautiful.)

And my favorite: "pluviophile, but I hate rain."

My own favorite word, currently, is "cloak." Fun to say, fun to wear, and just an all-round practical bit of clothing.

What's your favorite word?

>105 scaifea: Bananaaaaaaaaa. *goofy grin*

>106 lycomayflower: *SNORK!*

Ebullient.

Not that there's much call for it these days ... sigh.

>108 Ape: Stephen: Bwahahahaha!!

>109 rosalita: Julia: Oooh, good one! But, yeah, it's not in heavy vocab rotation these days. *sigh*

Petrichor. It delights me there's such a succinct word for a complex sensation.

>111 MickyFine: Ooooh, excellent answer! I love that word, too. Ichor has long been a favorite, and I also absolutely love that particular rain smell.

>111 MickyFine: - And now I've learned a new word today!

>113 katiekrug: Yay!

>113 katiekrug: Katie: Woot!! It's such a good one, too.

I wonder whether we could say that's ebullient petrichor?

I knew ichor, but not the much more appealing petrichor.

Thanks for the frank reaction to Adam Bede. I LOVED Middlemarch, and have looked at Adam Bede more than once. You've confirmed for me that it wouldn't be a good fit, although I'm sure the writing is fine and dandy.

>116 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!
Oooh, I like the idea of ebullient petrichor. Nice.

Honestly, I may have liked Bede better had I not been trying to listen to it. I have a higher tolerance for book in print than in audio form. But then again, I *really* don't like fire and brimstone stuff, and the rest of it seemed pretty bleak. I will give Middlemarch a go at some point, though.

Yesterday was chock full of grading for me (a batch of quizzes *and* translation homeworks), grocery pickup, laundry (the fabric for Charlie's new pajamas came and so I needed to get it all prewashed), and baking (Banana Pudding Cookies, which taste like mini banana bread loaves so I'm calling that a success).

Today will include more baking (Milk Bread), more laundry (because of course), some reading (hopefully), and I think I'll get started cutting out the pajamas.

On the reading front:
Nothing to report. I was busy all day and didn't grab a moment to read, and then I was too tired to try last night.

What We're Watching:
Last night was a couple of episodes of The Graham Norton Show and QI. Was are loving our new BritBox subscription!

>118 scaifea: We watch a lot of BritBox and Acorn too. They're well worth the price imho.

>119 RebaRelishesReading: Right? We don't have cable or satellite tv connections so we live on streaming services: Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Philo, and Britbox. I suspect it still comes out to be less per month than the traditional fees.

>120 scaifea: - Your mention of Hulu reminded me of something I've been meaning to mention to you, Amber. Have you checked out Britain's Best Home Cook on Hulu? Mary Berry is one of the judges, and while it doesn't quite reach the heights of GBBO, it's a fun, non-mean competition series. Just FYI :)

We also don't have cable or satellite and I've been tempted by BritBox and Acorn but haven't succumbed. Yet.

>121 katiekrug: Katie: Oooh, I didn't know about the Berry series - thanks!! We'll definitely check it out.

Acorn didn't have the stuff we were looking for specifically (Tomm and I both really love Graham Norton and QI), so that was the thing that tipped us the other way, although in a monetarily perfect world I'd happily have both.

>105 scaifea: Indubitably. It just feels so good rolling it around in your mouth.

>123 ronincats: Roni: Ha! One of my students had that answer, too! It's a good one.

>122 scaifea: - Part of my dithering is deciding which one. Getting both feels a little extreme :)

I hope you like the cooking show! There is another one, British Family something-or-ther and Nadiya from GBBO is a host (or "presenter" as the Brits say...). We enjoyed that one, too. I can't recall if it's Netflix or Hulu or what.

>125 katiekrug: Katie: Oh, we both love Nadiya! I'll have to look for that one, too...

>120 scaifea: We went to all streaming a couple of years ago -- we have Prime (had it anyway) with BritBox, Acorn and PBS classic (I think that's the name) and Netflix and Hulu and that plus our broadband service comes to about half what we paid for just cable before...and we like it much better.

>127 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Right? We haven't had cable since we moved to Wisconsin and we don't miss it one bit.

It's crazy that cable is so expensive and also you spend about a third of your time watching ads. 🤢

>129 Ape: Stephen: AGREED.

It is hard to pick a favorite word but among them:

sesquipedalian
penultimate
defenestrate

Also, I'll have to add Micky's to the list, as I've always loved petrichor but haven't had a word for it.

>131 bell7: Mary: Oh, I love defenestrate! Which reminds me of one of my favorite MST3Ks, Puma Man, in which they watch the main character climb back through a window out of which he's just been yeeted, and they say, "Look, he's refenestrating himself!" *SNORK!!* I LOVE IT.

>132 scaifea: 😂😂😂 that's amazing

Well, it officially feels like fall to me since I got started on Charlie's annual new sets of pajamas yesterday. I'll work some more on those today after the house cleaning (ugh), and I'm hoping to carve out some reading time, too. Yesterday's baking turned out nicely (I thought I had over-proved it because it was *huge* but it baked up lovely) and today's baking is already finished (chocolate chip scones for breakfast - one of my favorites).

On the reading front:
I finished a book yesterday! Woot! Mini-review for There Will Come a Darkness to come soon.

What We're Watching:
It was my pick last night and so we watched the third Bring It On movie. Charlie shares my devotion to the first one and although I know the two sequels are pretty nigh rubbish, the third one is just the right kind of bad to be fun.

>133 bell7: Mary: Sooo many hilarious bits in that one. If you can find it somewhere, I definitely recommend it.

93. There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool (Morris Award, ebook) - 9/10 = A-
Too much plot and world-building for me to have the energy to sum up, but I will say that the world is a neat riff on an AU mix of ancient Greece with some Asian influences, and the story is just unique enough in its variation on traditional fantasy themes to be good and interesting. The characters and their relationships with one another are the real stars, though. My one quibble is that it seemed really slow to take off, but that could just be me; I tend to get impatient at the beginnings of fantasy stories while the world and plot are being established.
NB: I've noticed that several of the other reviews here also mention how slow it is to get started, so I'll emphasize that it really is worth it if you can stick with it.

Morning, Amber! I hope you had a fine weekend at the Scaife Manor! I have to say, that retirement is treating me fine. Bird hikes in the A.M. Books in the P.M. The only thing I miss is my extra audiobook time but I am getting some in, while driving around.

>137 msf59: Morning, Mark! My own audio listening has really dropped off lately, too. With everyone at home, less time in the sewing room, and no driving around, all the times I did listen have disappeared.

I did manage to spend some time in the sewing room yesterday and I now have all of the new pajamas cut out and ready to sew. I also squeezed some reading time in, too, and spent it with Holding the Cards, which is a complete hoot and I'm really enjoying it.

Today will be keeping an eye on Charlie's school work, grading, office hours, and teaching.

What We're Watching:
Charlie's pick last night was Gilmore Girls. Even though I've watched it at least 5 times, Dean breaking up with Rory at the Dance-a-thon makes me cry every time.

>136 scaifea: This one sounds right for me!

>140 quondame: I've just looked and apparently the second book is out: As the Shadow Rises (in case you end up loving it).

It's Charlie's birthday! He's already opened his presents and seems excited and pleased with his Animal Crossing game, D&D Adventure book, Magic the Gathering card set, and crochet hook kit (all things he requested and how much do I love that nerdy nerd?!). Not surprisingly, he planned ahead and did extra school work yesterday so that he could have a short school day today to enjoy a work-free birthday afternoon.

So I'll be spending part of my day cake making. No special decorating or themes this year; he would like just a traditional round layered butter cake with chocolate frosting. His dinner request: Panera-style Mac and Cheese.

On the reading front:
Yesterday's reading included bits of So Anyway..., which is funny and interesting, and Holding the Cards, which continues to be slightly naughty and very fun.

Happy birthday to Charlie! I love that he's worked ahead to enjoy some free time :-)

Happy birthday to Charlie! Very cool that he planned his schoolwork ahead to give himself a relaxing day today, and love his gift collection. I'm sure he'll have a bunch of fun with all of it, but I do hope you'll share some photos of crochet crafts to come! :D

Happy birthday, Charles! Your gift haul sounds terrific, and your birthday dinner sounds delicious. I love Panera's mac-n-cheese.

I've lost count -- is he a teenager now?

Thanks, everyone! I'll pass along your good wishes to the Birthday Kid.

>143 susanj67: Susan: It's so like him to be ultra-organized and prepared. So funny.

>144 bell7: Mary: He's been crocheting for a few months now but has only had one hook, so he's really excited to be able to do more projects (he has a book of patterns he wants to try, of course). If he doesn't mind then I'll definitely show off his handiwork here.

>145 rosalita: Julia: Right?! They have quality Mac & Cheese. I found a copycat recipe, so here's hoping it at least comes close.

>146 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Not in attitude yet, thank goodness! I keep wondering when the exasperated sighs and the eye rolling will commence in earnest...

So this is his 13th? Whatever it is, please add my good wishes to the list of fans of his. (he may never have "attitude" -- my grandson had a light case when we was 12/13 and now, at 15, is totally over it)

Happy birthday, Charlie! Glad he got his nerdy heart's desires.

Your sewing talk reminds me that I have the flannel to make pajama pants; I just need to get in there and do it.

All your baking sounds delicious, too. I made brownies last night, and will do an apple cake this weekend for Rosh Hashanah. I should branch out a bit more in my baking, but then again, I think this brownie recipe is pretty near perfection, so...

>148 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: I'll honestly be surprised if he gets too sassy. It's just not in his nature.

>149 foggidawn: I've had flannel set aside to make myself some pajama pants for a couple of years, but of course *that* never happens.

Apple cake sounds amazing! And you know, brownies are one of those things that I prefer to make as a boxed mix. I just like how they taste better.

>147 scaifea: Amber, what happens if a student like Charlie is super-diligent and gets ahead of the curriculum? I think you mentioned that there's a certain number of hours he has to do per day, but is there extra work set for the students who finish fast in their best subjects?

>151 susanj67: Susan: Yes, I think that if a student paces themselves faster than the curriculum, the teachers will reach out with more challenging stuff.

>146 RebaRelishesReading:, >148 RebaRelishesReading: Wait...wait....please tell me Charlie's only 12 today! He was 11 in >1 scaifea: above!

Happy birthday to Charlie! It sounds like he has selected great items to make the isolation time more amusing and productive.

>153 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Yup.

>154 quondame: Thanks - I'll pass along the good wishes.

The cake (possibly the easiest birthday cake I've made in a long time):



And the Birthday Kid:

Looks delicious!

How was the mac-n-cheese, though?! Hungry minds want to know...

>156 scaifea: The cake looks tasty, and the birthday kid adorable!
Belated happy birthday, Charlie!

>157 foggidawn: Thanks! It did turn out pretty good...

>158 rosalita: Julia: It was really good! Not 100% exactly like Panera's (I think they must use a slightly milder white cheddar) but still definitely a keeper recipe. Here's the one I used, if you're interested:

https://www.shugarysweets.com/copycat-panera-macaroni-cheese/

>160 scaifea: Thanks. I just pinned that one.

>161 thornton37814: Lori: I hope you like it as much as we did!

>160 scaifea: Thanks for the recipe! It sounds good.

>163 rosalita: Julia: You're welcome!

Happy belated birthday greeting to Charlie, hope he had a great day my dear.

>165 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

Yesterday was filled with grading and class prep for me, and school work and then hanging out online with friends for Charlie. More of the same today. I've been hungry for fried rice lately, so I think I'll whip up a batch for dinner tonight.

On the reading front:
I started Anpao last night and so far it's promising.

What We're Watching:
Tomm's pick last night, so more Agents of Shield. I swear, the weirder that show gets, the more I like it.

I'm hoping mostly for baking, sewing, and reading time this weekend, although I'm also looking forward to decorating the house for Halloween with Charlie. There is a need here at Scaife Manor for distractions from the Real World more than usual as we mourn RBG. I try to keep on this side of hopelessness, but lately that's becoming a more and more difficult job. Anyway. Weekend plans, then:

Baking: For yesterday's Friday After-School Snack I tried a new recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and they came out really well. They're not super-pumpkiny, but the pumpkin makes them very soft and so good:



We still have a little bit of birthday cake, but I suspect that will not last through the day. So, I'll wait until tomorrow to replace it with an Apple Charlotte, and I'll also bake a Pennsylvania Spice Loaf tomorrow for next week's breakfasts.

Sewing: I need to get cracking on those pajama pants for Charlie so that I can then move on to his Halloween costume, which means I'll likely be spending most of today in the sewing room.

Reading: I'd like to try to finish up Holding the Cards this weekend and possibly make some progress with Sapiens and How Long Til Black Future Month. We'll see how it goes.

Hi, Amber.

I passed on Katie's tip on Britain's Best Home Cook on Hulu to Madame MBH, and she'll look for it. She also loves the cooking shows, especially GBBO. She's finishing Just Desserts (Netflix?) this weekend.

We get both Britbox and Acorn. Midsomer Murders was an inspiration to get them. I'm watching the Cider with Rosie movie on one of them this weekend. I loved the book, and so far the movie is charming.

P.S. If you're like me, you'll love Dorothea in Middlemarch when you get to it.

94. The Demon Headmaster by Gillian Cross (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
A middle grade adventure about a girl with above-average smarts moving into a foster home with two boys who can't seem to stay out of trouble at their school. She's skeptical at first at their seemingly wild stories about how wicked the headmaster is, but she soon discovers the truth of it. They finally work together to discover what the evil man is up to and then try to come up with a plan to stop his insane plans.
A fun story with equally fun characters and a plot that would keep even reluctant young readers engaged. I'd definitely recommend this one to all sorts of kiddos.

>168 scaifea: Joe: Charlie and I loved Just Desserts - I hope MBH has, too.

I've neither read nor watched Cider with Rosie, but it sounds good. Adding it to the list! And Middlemarch is on my list of audiobooks to request soon.

>169 jnwelch: I didn't know there was a Cider with Rosie movie. If that's on Britbox, that's another reason for me to lean toward subscribing to it. If it's on ACORN, I'm going to watch it NOW.

95. Holding the Cards by Joey w. Hill (romance genre list, ebook) - 8/10 = B+
A Dom/sub romance that nicely explores the emotional complexities of such relationships while also offering up fun, steamy sexy-time scenes. I liked all the characters right away and very nearly loved them all by the end. Two quibbles: 1) the dialogue gets a little cheesy at times, and 2) I really wanted more filling-out of the back stories for the characters.The outline Hill gives for them is really promising, and if she'd fleshed them out more it would have made a good story great.

Welp, Charlie woke up shivering and with a fever. So no school work for him today. I have some grading to do before I prep for class, then office hours and a department meeting before teaching this afternoon. Wednesday is a Fall Mini-Break for U of D, so this is my only teaching day this week.

We decorated the house for Halloween yesterday and with the chilly weather it now really feels like fall. I *love* it. My favorite season.

On the reading front:
I'm abandoning How Long 'Til Black Future Month not because it isn't good (the first story was fairly amazing) but because I just can *not* do short story collections, it seems. I just can't make myself keep going. So I'm replacing it with The Field Guide to the North American Teenager, which won this year's Morris Award.

What We're Watching:
Charlie picked more Gilmore Girls last night. Love that show. Soon, though, we'll be switching over to our Annual Halloween Movie Marathon...

Aw man, sorry that Charlie isn't feeling well. I hope he bounces right back.

>175 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura - me, too.

>174 scaifea: Sorry that Charlie is under the weather — here's hoping it's just a passing bug. How does it work for virtual school? I assume there's still some notification required to the school?

>177 rosalita: Thanks, Julia. The tylenol has kicked in and brought the fever down so he's starting to perk up a bit.

Good question! I notified his homeroom teacher that he's not feeling well so that she would know why I won't be reporting any hours spend on school stuff today. He has to log 27 1/2 hours each week to stay on the good side of the truancy officers.

Happy fall!! My favorite season. Hope Charlie continues to rally.

>179 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! He's starting to feel much better, than goodness.

>178 scaifea: Interesting! I'm glad he's starting to feel better.

>181 rosalita: Julia: Me, too!

Charlie is much better this morning, so it's back to school work for him today. His desk is set up in the dining room and since we've decorated for Halloween it looks so festive and cozy and fall-like in there and we love it (fall is Charlie's favorite season, too). Because of that Fall Mini-Break on Wednesday, I'm done with teaching for the week, so I'll spend it working on course prep for next semester. Our walks are becoming downright chilly and I love it - this weather calls for soup for dinner!

On the reading front:
I got through a nice chunk of Sapiens yesterday, which continues to be well written and really interesting, and I seem to be back on track with my audiobook listening and am about 1/3 of the way through A Tale of Two Cities. I may get through some more today if I manage to squeeze in some pajama-sewing time later.

Bonus Question Update:

So, the bonus question on the most recent quiz: What's your least favorite word? Answer highlights:

4 "moist"s this time around. That's about normal, really.
Pittsburgh
annoying
slaughter
Worcestershire
rust
no
prerequisite
belly
gruel
riddle
February
coagulate
square (This one was fascinating: the student said he doesn't like it because it doesn't at all sound like the shape, like circle or rectangle does. I *love* that.)

What's *your* least favorite word?

>184 scaifea: - "abandoned" because I can't pronounce it. I always add an extra "ed" at the end...

>185 katiekrug: Katie: Interesting! The student who answered "prerequisite" had similar reasons: he said he always forgets the second -re- when he pronounces it. Funny, because when I say that word in my head, I switch around the *first* -re-, delete the second, and it comes out as "perquisite."

My least favorite word---at the moment---is "actually". Because it's so overused, and it doesn't mean anything. Nevertheless, I hear myself using it. *grimace*

>187 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Oh, that's a good one. I had a professor in grad school who could never let female grad student make a statement without countering it with a "Weeeeeelllll actually..." Gross.

>Ewwwww....TW: Mansplaining

>188 scaifea: and >189 laytonwoman3rd: -

How did the mansplainer die?

He fell into a well, actually.

Hi Amber... I finally remembered to star your thread, instead of just infrequently ghosting by.

>184 scaifea: This is an interesting concept for word classification.
Based on my criteria for least favourite, I'm picking prescription because I can never instantly remember, is it pre or per? Yes, it is pre but I have to consciously think about it, rather than just intuitively say/write it correctly.

On a different topic, I was reading reviews for Tom's Midnight Garden. Is it suitable (not dated or scary) for an advanced 9-year old reader? Does it have a happy sort of ever after?

>190 katiekrug: LOL!! Love it.

>189 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: YES. (I didn't use the term because I think it bothers some people? But YES.)

>190 katiekrug: Katie: *SNORK!!!!* I LOVE IT.

>191 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy: I'm the same with prescription. Such a hard one.

And yes, I think Tom's Midnight Garden would be perfect for a precocious 9yo. There's nothing scary in it at all, and the ending is not too pat, not at all syrupy, and a nice combination of wistful and happy. I highly recommend it.

>192 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Right?!

>193 scaifea: - I didn't use the term because I think it bothers some people? Most likely it bothers men who have overweaning senses of their own importance and intelligence. One of our senior staff is like that, and you can practically hear the eyes rolling any time he talks in a meeting where more than two women are present.

>194 katiekrug: Katie: That seems *highly* likely to me, yes.

>195 scaifea: - In which case, I say "bother away!"

Heh.

>196 katiekrug: Ha! Fair point!

>190 katiekrug: Bahahaha!

Hmm, I think I'll go with "bossy" as my least favourite word. Almost always applied to girls and women, whereas boys and men who act the same would be praised for showing leadership qualities. Grumble...

>198 MickyFine: Excellent point, Micky! That drives me right up a wall.

>190 katiekrug: LOL, that's perfect!

>193 scaifea: Thanks for the reassurance... I may have already asked Mickey that question, but forgot to update my list of book gift ideas.

>198 MickyFine: Yeah, I was always told that I was bossy. And still am, I suppose, never having managed the fine art of being 'adroit'.

This sentiment (@ 198) reminds me of two outstanding authors who address such patronising arrogance ~ Elizabeth Hilts (Getting in Touch With Your Inner Bitch) and Emily Toth (Ms. Mentor's Impeccable Advice for Women in Academia). I didn't read these books when I most needed them, but have since made up for that lapse.

>199 scaifea: I'm up there with you, Amber.

>201 SandyAMcPherson: Wordslut has some great thoughts on words like bossy. I highly recommend it if you're interested in gendered language.

>201 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy: You're welcome.

I keep those authors in mind - thanks!

>202 MickyFine: Micky: Adding that one to the list, too!

>202 MickyFine: Ha! Wordslut! Never heard of that title before...

~ It's a BB, Mickey!

More course prep for next semester for me today - I'm nearly finished with the Latin class and then I'll move on to Mythology. We ended up having pasta for dinner last night (thanks to Katie's thread), so I'll make the soup tonight. I didn't make it into the sewing room yesterday at all, but maybe today?

On the reading front:
I read more of the John Cleese memoir yesterday and while I'm enjoying it, it's also slightly frustrating that I can't tell whether he's being self-deprecating or just pretending to be self-deprecating and therefore really just being a pompous jerk. Or maybe he's just being very British?

What We're Watching:
Tomm picked Agents of Shield last night, which just Keeps. Getting. Weirder. And I love it.

>205 scaifea: Or maybe he's just being very British?

Self deprecation is certainly a cultural trait. Boasting about oneself is not done, and the measure of what constitutes "boasting" differs from ours. Self deprecation can be a way to boast without boasting, if you see what I mean.

That said, while I loved Cleese in his Python days, of late he has struck me as both pompous and trying too hard to reclaim the limelight he once enjoyed.

------

On another note, hope you have a great day Amber! 😀

>206 lauralkeet: Laura:

Self deprecation can be a way to boast without boasting
Exactly, and I suspect that's what he's doing here and it's irritating. I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I'm afraid you may be right about him these days. Blerg.

And thanks!

Debating what I would classify as my least favorite word... I probably would've been one of the students who said "moist" too. It is appropriately uncomfortable in sound, isn't it? I kinda love the thinking of your student who didn't like "square". Reminds me of how I've always preferred grey to gray, and it looks greyer with the "e" to me. Gray seems more happy and less drab or dismal, so the different spellings have slightly different meanings to me.

Hi Amber. Congratulations on returning to teaching. Chiming in on my least favorite word..it is any word used to described the female body in a nasty way.

>208 bell7: Mary: Moist has never bothered me and I'm fascinated that it bothers so many. So interesting!

I'm right there with you on grey/gray - I've always preferred grey, but for me it's because it just looks and feels...better? Gray seems to garrish, or something.

>209 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda! Definitely valid to pick words based on intent. For me I think it's just any word used as a slur of any kind. Just makes my stomach hurt.

More of the same for us here at Scaife Manor today. I spend most of yesterday trying to write up Latin exams for next semester, only to decide that I want to change up how I do assessments completely. So it was both sort of a waste of a day but also a really good thing because I'm really happy with the decision and excited about the change. I like it so much that I'm changing *this* semester's exam strategy, too, which means that I spent the rest of yesterday rewriting *those* exams and I'll spend today working on the same.

Tomm dropped his car off for an oil change yesterday, which means that Charlie and I left the town limits for the first time since March. We just drove to the next town over, but still, it felt both strange and nice. Also, I think I may in fact need to get my doctor to prescribe anxiety meds once this is over and I have to start driving in Columbus traffic again on the regular (that's not an exaggeration - I'm really out of practice and was starting to have issues with it even before all this started). Anyway, we go back to pick up the car this evening, and Tomm is treating us to dinner pick-up on the way back. We've not had a non-homemade meal since we ordered pizza in July, so this feels like a real treat!

On the reading front:
I didn't get much reading time in yesterday, but what time I did find I spent with Anpao, which is turning into a lovely little retelling of a Native American myth/story. It's pretty well done so far, at least.

What We're Watching:
It was my pick last night, so I decided to introduce Charlie to the glory of Clash of the Titans. He loved it, of course, because how could you not?

>211 scaifea: I'm assuming the 1980s Clash of the Titans? I remember watching that one in grade six (at that time the curriculum included Greece and Greek mythology for social studies) and finding it a strange but fun experience. The metal owl still lingers in my memory.

>212 MickyFine: Micky: Well, of course. Why choose some crappy remake when there's a Ray Harryhausen version?! And yes - Bubo!! I love that owl.

>213 scaifea: It's true. Claymation Medusa holds up better than contemporary digital effects. :P

>214 MickyFine: Micky: Sing it, sister! Claymation Medusa is The Best.

My exams for this and next semester are nearly finished, so today I may move on to prepping the Latin schedule and syllabus for the spring. I also need to do the weekly bill sorting and pick up groceries and keep an eye on Charlie's school stuff. Oh, and the Friday After-School Snack making. So we'll see how much Latin work gets done.

Our carry-out dinner was delicious, but I'm paying for it this morning with a stomach ache. Blerg. I guess I'm not used to outside food anymore...

On the reading front:
Yesterday's reading time was devoted to The Field Guide to the North American Teenager and it's really good so far. The main character is instantly loveable and hilarious and cool, and I can't wait to see where this one goes.

What We're Watching:
Thursday is GBBS day here at Scaife Manor. We're on the season with Steph and Henry and I just want to squeeze them both but also I am completely in love with Noel. So yeah. I have *feelings* toward this show.

>216 scaifea: Oof, sorry about the tummy ache! I find that restaurant food often has much more salt in it than I use, so when I've been good and not had it for a while, I then alarm myself by how thirsty I am that evening. :-D

>217 foggidawn: Thanks. It's starting to feel a little better. And YES. I was *so* thirsty last night and this morning! It's kind of gross, when you think about all that salt. *sigh*
The worst part is that I *need* coffee in the morning, but I knew my stomach couldn't handle it. So I am...not chipper...this morning.

Amber, my daughter is also a big bake-off fan and is especially excited that the season which just started in the UK will air on US Netflix in almost real time. Each episode drops here just a few days after it airs over there. You're welcome.

>219 lauralkeet: Laura: I saw that! We tend not to be real-time-tv people, though, so it will still be a little while before we get to the new season. I'm excited for those who will take advantage of that, though!

Makes sense Amber. I wasn't knowledgeable enough to know where you were, season-wise.

You left out the important information about your dinner: WHAT WAS IT?!?!

>221 lauralkeet: Laura: Honestly, I don't know where we are, season-wise, either! Netflix is inscrutable to me sometimes.

>222 katiekrug: Katie: Country-fried steak with ham-and-onion green beans, mashed potatoes with country gravy, and buttermilk biscuits. So, you know, nice and light on the stomach. I make such smart food choices.

>223 scaifea: That sounds delicious -- but yeah, also heavy and salty.

>224 foggidawn: You said "delicious" twice there, did you know? (But yeah.)

>223 scaifea: - That sounds SO good, but yeah. It explains the stomach ache :)

>226 katiekrug: Katie: Yep. And now that the stomach hurt is easing up, I'd say it was worth it.

Interesting conversation about restaurant salt. We've been eating at home pretty much all of the time since March but we did get some take-out the other night and from a restaurant we've never frequented. Mine lasted for three meals and I had an upset stomach each time...hmmm.

Mr. Fine and I have been ordering take out once a week as our small way of supporting local so we haven't missed out on dining out quite as much. Plus we've discovered some great local restaurants that were new to us.

Glad the meal out was ultimately worth it.

>223 scaifea: Goodness, I do love a good country-fried steak! I think the answer to your upset stomach is to make sure you eat this meal at least once a month so your system can re-acclimate. :-D

>230 rosalita: - +1

>228 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Ooof, I'm sorry you went through the same stomach ache! It's interesting how different home cooking and restaurant food is, though, isn't it?

>229 MickyFine: Micky: I like the idea of supporting local business! We've also enjoyed saving the money that we normally spent on eating out, too, though.

>230 rosalita: Julia: Right?! Oh, they're so good. I think you're onto something with that acclimation idea. Like Iocane Powder...

>231 katiekrug: Katie: Agreed!

>216 scaifea: Snap!! I just downloaded The Field Guide to the North American Teenager from Overdrive this afternoon!
So happy to see this positive referral.

So poor an experience with the carry-out dinner ~ we've avoided take outs thus far. Hope it clears up promptly.

We’re also doing a fair bit of take-out these days. Gotta keep the restaurants going!

>233 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy: I hope you like it as much as I am. It won the Morris Award ("honors a book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature") this year, and those generally are very good.

>234 drneutron: Jim: Good for you! So many are really hurting right now, I know.

We started the weekend off by sitting in the backyard enjoying our firepit, and the weather was perfect:



Today I think I'll do some baking (we've already had chocolate and croissants for breakfast and I'll make a Butterscotch Pie later), some sewing (I *still* haven't finished those pajama pants), and some reading.

On the reading front:
My firepit-enjoying book was Sapiens, which is still going along nicely. I'll probably switch to The Field Guide to the North American Teenager today, because it's coming up due soon, and I'd like to squeeze in the newest Lumberjanes volume, too.

>211 scaifea: Amber, I understand your anxiety regarding Columbus, Ohio traffic. Driving through Columbus en route to Beavercreek, my hands and knuckles were firming on the car wheel as I remembered to stay in the lanes marked in the direction I needed to continue.

Can it be that Charlie will be a teen? It seems so difficult to believe. He's a part of us since he was a little guy!

>237 Whisper1: Linda: Columbus is no Chicago or NYC, but driving in it still makes me so anxious. When I lived here as a grad student it didn't bother me nearly as much (it still made me nervous, but only moderately so), but now? Ooof. I chalk it up partly to getting older and my anxiety issues getting steadily worse, and partly to Columbus traffic getting a lot worse (*so* many more people live here than did when I was in grad school).

And yes! Charlie has grown up among the LTers, it seems. He's eager to make his own account soon, too. I've warned him that he is a bit of a celebrity here, and he just giggles.

It is amazing how quickly our children grow, and in my case, my grand children as well.

Amy (who lives in Ohio) will be 48 in October.

Breanna, her sister is ten years behind her.

Amy's twin's will be 17 in March, followed by their sister Zoe who was born a mere year and one month later!
Breanna's child Kayla (who was the absolute love of Will's life) will be 17 in February.

I admit to growing older along with them.

I hope you Saturday contains a lot of reading time.

>238 scaifea: I find driving in traffic is a thing you need to do with some regularity to be comfortable... even a short break from it loses you some confidence. And driving in traffic you know is completely different from driving in traffic somewhere new or relatively unfamiliar.

>239 Whisper1: Linda: Right? Charlie's growing up has been such a fun adventure so far, and I'm continually excited to see how he grows into the next stage.

>240 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Yes, I suspect that's true for people with normal levels of anxiety. We were here two years before Covid and I had not gotten even remotely less troubled about the driving yet. It's a real issue for me and one that I really do think I need to seek some help with eventually (once I have to start driving regularly again).

The butterscotch pie came out pretty well! I don't always have great luck with meringue, but I call today's a success:



This is my second favorite pie, after blueberry. Yum.

96. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Charlie's bedtime book, 335 pages) - 9/10 = A-
Laura, Mary, Pa, Ma, Baby Carrie, and their trusty dog, Jack leave the Wisconsin woods and strike out for territories west. They pick a spot, build a new house, and start a new life, only to be told they've settled in Indian Territory and must move on.
I *loved* these books as a kid, but it's been a long time since I read them and I'd forgotten about the not-so-great attitude toward Native Americans. Well, it did start some good conversations with Charlie about dated literature and how those attitudes change and how we can still appreciate a story and still be aware of its shortcomings.

>242 scaifea: I'll take that in lemon, please.

>243 scaifea: Another Little House fan here, but agree some aspects don't age well. A couple of years ago I read Prairie Fires, a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, that did a nice job of placing the events of her life in historic context, and dispelling some of our modern-day romantic notions about "pioneer life." The book also discusses Wilder's adult life and relationship with her daughter, Rose, and things get weird at that point. It's an interesting book if you happen to come across it.

>244 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: I do love a good Lemon Meringue Pie, too, but I don't think I could get Charlie to eat it and I *know* Tomm wouldn't, so it'll probably not get made.

>245 lauralkeet: Laura: I've got that one on my wishlist! I hope to get to it soonish.

>245 lauralkeet: Yes, I found Prairie Fires an interesting take on the Little House books, Laura Ingalls Wilder's life and the American myth of rugged individualism and anti-federalism.

>242 scaifea: Never had butterscotch pie-it looks yummy!!!

Let's see. I read the Little House on the Prairie books in fifth grade, so exactly 60 years ago now--isn't that absolutely amazing! Well, it is to me. And yes, the attitude toward native Americans was dated even then, but still, it is what historically the attitude of the settlers was. And I love butterscotch--you don't find it around enough these days. And I have an interesting anecdote from about the time of when I was reading the books above, where the kitchen help accidentally used salt instead of sugar in making the lemon merigue pie for school lunch (that being in the days when school kitchens cooked from scratch!).

>243 scaifea: Like Roni, I recognize the books reflect the attitude present in the past. It presents an opportunity to discuss those attitudes and why we disagree with them today. I remember the TV series received criticism for changing some plot elements to update current attitudes. I was a little older than the target reader age was for the books when the TV series aired, and even I remember thinking at the time, "That's not what the book says." I suspect if the attitudes were updated to meet today's standards, we'd all be saying, "That's not historically accurate." When I read an older book, I try to remind myself it was written in a different time and place. The "Little House" books were historical fiction at the time they were written. That complicates things even more because we are dealing with our own historical lens, the historical lens of the time the book was written, and the historical period of the setting.

>248 figsfromthistle: Oooh, it's *so* good and not at all difficult to make (as long as the meringue works out)!

>249 ronincats: Roni: I think I read them for the first time in 3rd grade and Charlie's in 6th (although we read the first book a few years ago together), so you're right in the middle!
And my first thought was that you had "kitchen help" in your own home as a kid and, well, wow. FANCY. *snork!*

>250 thornton37814: Lori: Yup, that's partly what Charlie and I talked about. I love that he's so open to and interested in talking about all sorts of aspects of the books we read and the shows and movies we watch. He honestly does make this parenting thing pretty easy.

Well, the pajamas are finally finished, so today I need to figure out what fabrics I need to order for the Halloween costume. We also all have our various weekend house cleaning duties, but then I'm hoping for a significant amount of reading time.

On the reading front:
I read through another Lumberjanes volume yesterday and then turned back to The Field Guide to the North American Teenager. I'm hoping to spend most of the afternoon with it today, too.

What We're Watching:
Gilmore Girls for our last evening before the Halloween Movie Marathon begins tonight! Every time I rewatch GG, I get wooed by Jess in the beginning and forget that he in fact never stops being an actual jerk even after they start dating. Ugh.

Hi, Amber.

I'm enjoying the discussion about the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Debbi and I hadn't read them as kids, so we've been reading them out loud together, and now we're on the last one, The First Four Years, after Laura and Almonzo get married, and have Rose.

I also liked Prairie Fires a lot. As someone said here (Laura?), the part with Rose gets weird. I thought we didn't need to read quite so much about Rose's (to me) unappealing views as an adult.

On a different topic, good for you for re-jiggering your exams and methods of evaluation. When I was teaching, writing the exams and grading them were the "price" I had to pay for the enjoyment of teaching the class. Ours were bluebook essay answers, and took forever to grade. I wish I could've thought of some way to make that part better.

>253 jnwelch: Joe:
It's been too long since I've read the LIW books so I don't remember details that well, but I think I always liked the first couple more than the others? We'll see if Charlie wants to continue with them.

I've been teaching Latin for about 23 years off and on now, and every time I find something to tweak, either in how I present the material or how I assess the students' progress. This time around it's to try to cut down on the temptation to cheat since everything in virtual, but I also in the process stumbled onto the idea of one-on-one oral translation exams, and I think I love the idea. We'll see how it goes. I'm teaching Mythology in the spring, and I'm seriously toying with the idea of a one-on-one oral essay exam for that course, too. I love the idea of the assessment being more of a conversation between teacher and student, especially since I feel more remote from them as individuals in the online-only format. Again, we'll see how it goes, but I'm excited and hopeful that it will be good. (And yes, the reduction of grading time is a huge plus, although, of course, some of that will be spent in all those one-on-one meetings, but doesn't that sound like a much better use of the time?)

Amber, I have missed several threads (thank goodness for FB so I've been able to keep up a bit with Charlie's school exploits!).

Interesting reading about your experience teaching virtually. I have not yet talked with someone who has not said it's simply harder.

"I love the idea of the assessment being more of a conversation between teacher and student..." YES!!!

I did not read the LIW books as a kid but P read them aloud to me in the early years of our marriage. We've been talking about taking them down again for another read-aloud. Not that they are soporific but we need soothing bedtime reading these days.

>236 scaifea: I love that photo.

>255 EBT1002: Ellen: Virtual teaching definitely has its challenges. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to connect with the students well at all, but I'm happy that that's not the case. And yeah, I'm pretty excited about the assessment change - we'll see how it goes!

I agree that the Little House books can be soothing. We've just started Summerland as our new bedtime read, and I had forgotten just how good the writing is. So far it's an excellent bedtime read, too.

Back to teaching today, and prep work and helping Charlie with his school stuff. Yesterday I ordered the fabric I need for Charlie's costume, so hopefully that comes soon so I can get started.

On the reading front:
I finished The Field Guide to the North American Teenager yesterday - I'll try to get my mini-review posted later today.

What We're Watching:
Our Halloween Marathon has begun! Last night we watched a collection of Halloween episodes of little kids' shows (Barney, Kipper, Bob the Builder,...) that we've watched for years. Definitely a comfort watch.

The new thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324783#7273891