September and October 2024 Wrap Up

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. Time really gets away from me these days.

Work is still crazy, but I'm not going to get into it right now.

Being a mom is still hard, but I love my little munchkin more than I could have expected.

It's hard not to feel like I am failing left and right these days, but that is something I am working on. And getting counseling for.

Gabriel had his first Halloween. He was a bat! There are a couple of photos on my Instagram for anyone interested in seeing. But he was the cutest little bat ever, if I do say so myself. Halloween was also Kevin's and my third anniversary.

I read a lot of books, especially in October. I am going to try to keep the reviews short. Here we go!

 

Made You Up by

Francesca Zappia

Narrator: Amanda Ronconi

Re-read

5 stars out of 5 stars

 

The Sword of Summer, the Hammer of Thor, the Ship of the Dead

and Hotel Valhalla, Guide to the Norse Worlds

by Rick Riordan

Narrators: Various

Re-reads

Rating: Overall 4 stars out of 5 stars 

 

The Graveyard Book by

Neil Gaiman

Narrator: Neil Gaiman

Re-read

5 stars out of 5 stars 

 

Castle of the Cursed by

Romina Garber

Synopsis/Thoughts: This was an Owlcrate book and I participated in a read-a-long on the Nest app. Estela is the only survivor of a mysterious accident on a subway, an accident that claimed the loves of both of her parents. With no where else to go, she is forced to return to her family's ancestral home--a castle in Spain. But la Sombra is harboring secrets and mysteries of its own that Estela must solve to understand her family and her place in it. This book was alright, but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Some things just struck me as odd and some were maybe too formulaic, in my opinion.

3 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Wrath of the Triple Goddess by

Rick Riordan

Narrator: Jesse Bernstein

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is the seventh book in the Percy Jackson series and I had to read it ASAP. Luckily, it takes place around Halloween time, so it fit great! Percy needs three letters of recommendation in order to get into the university in New Rome. To that end, he has to house- and pet-sit for Hecate. But her pets and her house are far from normal. I enjoyed this book very much, which is not at all surprising.

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Witchy by

Ariel Slamet Ries

Synopsis/Thoughts: This graphic novel was included in an Owlcrate box some time ago. This is the first in a series. It is about Nyneve whose very long hair should indicate that she has extraordinary powers to go with it, but that couldn't be further from the truth. When the Witch Guard comes to her school to recruit students, she is conflicted. The Witch Guard is influential and powerful, but they are also responsible for the death of her father. I enjoyed this and will consider reading more of the series. I appreciated the diversity and thought the story and characters were interesting. 

3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

House of Salt and Sorrows by

Erin Craig 

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is an older Owlcrate book and a re-telling of the twelve dancing princesses. Annaleigh and her family might be cursed. Once there were twelve sisters. But once her mother died, she was followed by a few of her sisters: one to a plague, one to drowning in the bath, one to a fall in the library, one to a long fall off a cliff. What is even worse is that it seems the disturbed spirits of her sisters still haunt the halls of their home. Meanwhile, Annaleigh and her remaining sisters discover a way to travel to other lands and attend wonderful balls where no one knows them and no one thinks they are cursed. This book was absolutely appropriate for Halloween. Parts of it were seriously creepy and occasionally a little scary (for me, but I am a wimp). It was a very good read, even if some of the images still haunt me.

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by

Shea Ernshaw

Narrator: Cissy Jones

Synopsis/Thoughts: Following Sally's marriage to Jack, the Pumpkin King, she begins to struggle with going from nobody to the Pumpkin Queen. Distressed by her inability to fit in, she travels to the grove of trees and finds another door. But she accidentally releases a monster into Halloweentown that puts everyone to sleep. It will be up to Sally to save her home and maybe she will learn how to be a proper queen in the meantime. This was a fun little read, definitely worth looking into if you like the Nightmare Before Christmas world.

3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Lenny Among Ghosts by

Frank Maria Reifenberg

Synopsis/Thoughts: Lenny (the second) ends up needing to get to a boarding school at the last minute so his parents can travel for work. In a strange turn of events, he ends up at Shadowsout Castle Academy. But he quickly learns that the school is full of ghosts. But the castle is also at risk of being torn down and Lenny might be the one to save it. This is a middle grade novel (or younger), but it was surprisingly charming. It was a pretty fun, quick read.

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Lakesedge by

Lyndall Clipstone

Synopsis/Thoughts: This was an older Owlcrate book that I started a couple of years ago and never finished. Until this year. I didn't start over, just picked up where I left off, so my memory of the start of the story is a bit murky. Violeta and her brother (with his shadowy magic) end up in the cursed estate of Lakesedge with Rowan, the head of the house, and his small household. Due to some dark magic, the corruption of the lake is spreading, ready to claim lives. It is up to Violeta to work with the Lord Under to try to save the estate and the world. But there is more at stake than Violeta realizes. This book was alright. I didn't love everything, but Violeta's connection to the Lord Under interests me. I do have the second book and will likely read it one of these days so I can find out how the story ends.

3 stars out of 5 stars

 

The Cruel Prince by

Holly Black

Synopsis/Thoughts: This was another old Owlcrate book and I did a read-a-long with another Nest user. Jude's world was turned upside down when a mysterious man turned up in her home and murdered her mother and father in order to take her older sister back to the High Court of Faerie. Jude and her twin sister were spirited away with their big sister and grew up in a faerie household. As humans, most fey despise them, but Jude and her twin are desperate to fit in. When the crowning of the next High King goes awry, Jude gets mixed in with her enemy, Prince Cardan, to try to save the High Court. I actually liked this book more than I expected to. I will try to get around to finishing the series in the near future. And I know we aren't really supposed to like the faerie that stole Jude and her sisters and raised them, but we all have a case of serious Stockholm syndrome...

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

A Forgery of Roses by

Jessica S. Olson

Synopsis/Thoughts: Another older Owlcrate book! Myra was born a magical gift: she can change someone's appearance by painting them. She can even heal. With her parents missing and a sick younger sister, she is forced to accept work from the governor's wife that would bring her dead son back to life. But once she arrives at the manor, she discovers that there is much more going on behind the scenes. And to begin, the boy's death may not have been an accident. With the help of the dead boy's brother, they try to uncover the secrets before the clock runs out on Myra's time. There were some things that I really liked about this book. Some things were definitely a bit spooky and I liked some of the characters. Overall, it was a pretty good story.

3 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

The Haunting of Hill House by

Shirley Jackson

Synopsis/Thoughts: This book was included in an Owlcrate box a couple of years ago. I think most people know the general premise of the story. I will say the book is not like the movies that I remember seeing. Some parts were definitely creepy and occasionally scary to me. But it was also interesting to see how the story and characters developed in relation to the house. I think it is worth a read.

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by

Josephine Leslie

Re-read

5 stars out of 5 stars

Strange Practice and Bitter Waters

by Vivian Shaw 

Narrator: Catrin Walker-Booth

Synopsis/Thoughts: Strange Practice was a re-read for me (despite telling myself that I wasn't going to read this series this year). I found Bitter Waters, a novella that is book 3.5 in the Dr. Greta Helsing series and I had to read it because I adore these books. Bitter Waters centers on the tale of a young girl who was turned to a vampire against her will and was found and rescued and taken to Dr. Helsing. Then it is up to Greta and her friends to help the girl and figure out how to stop the vampire who turned her. I love these books. I don't even know why. They are often very funny and creative. I love the idea of there being a doctor for the "differently alive" people of the world.

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

Favorite book read in September and October: Aside from The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, the Graveyard Book, and the Greta Helsing books? Probably the Wrath of the Triple Goddess

Least favorite books read in September and October: Maybe Castle of the Cursed

I was finally able to catch up and get ahead of my reading goal. October is always a good time for me to do that. I was behind going into October, but managed to get several books ahead. I have now read 68 books towards my goal of 75 books. I might actually make it this year!

Now it is time to get ready for holidays and holiday reads! I will try to get a post or two up about our goings-on and holiday TBR maybe.

Thanks for sticking with me. I hope other people got to read some fun spooky books. Or maybe found some ideas here for next year.

2024 Spooky Reads

Yay! October is here! My favorite month and favorite season. I think I am generally happiest October through December.

Anyway, it is time for spooky reads!

Most of these came in Owlcrate boxes. I figured I would try to use this month to get through some of the more eerie books. I don't think I will get to all of them, but I will do my best. I am hoping that the Haunting of Hill House won't be too scary for me. I figure I can just stop reading it if it becomes too much.

I also plan to do a buddy read of the Cruel Prince with another Owlcrate Nest member. That isn't a spooky book, to my knowledge, but it would be nice to read it with another person. Also not shown is Rick Riordan's new book, Wrath of the Triple Goddess, which I have on audio. I just didn't want to wait longer to read it. But it actually takes place right before Halloween and is already a bit spooky. So that was fortunate!

Does anyone else have fun spooky reads this year?

July and August 2024 Wrap Up

Another two months have gone by. I have a hard time keeping up with the baby to take care of. Being a parent is the hardest thing I have ever done. It feels worth it, but it is definitely challenging. And I miss sleep sooooo much.

Otherwise, Gabriel is doing well. We had to find him a new daycare when his last one got suddenly shut down because the owners sold the building. It was really sad because we loved it there. Hopefully we will start making more connections at the new place. Luckily a couple of the teachers and kids from our last daycare are at the new one so we get to see some familiar faces sometimes.

Work has been challenging still. I struggle so much because I love my work, but none of my supervisors like me and I don't think I will ever advance or have opportunities other people on my team will. It strikes me as odd because I am generally very well-liked and respected by most people in my department and definitely by people outside of my department. That makes me feel better anyway and those are the people that I enjoy and stay for.

In other news, we also lost Ruthven. We'd been battling respiratory issues since we adopted him and he just couldn't fight anymore. It has been sad, but I am trying to find some companions for Varney. I don't want him to be alone if we can help it.

In good news, spooky season is coming! That is the best time of year, obviously. I hope to make a little post with spooky TBR or something next month, but we know how that goes for me. I should at least get an Instagram post up.

On that note, here are the books I read in July and August.

Title: What the River Knows 

by Isabel Ibanez

Synopsis/Thoughts: Inez's parents spend more of their lives in Egypt than in Buenos Aires with her. Upon their sudden demise, Inez runs away to Egypt where her uncle is to uncover the secrets about her parents' lives and deaths. This was an Owlcrate book that I was interested in but took a while to get around to. I really enjoyed it and I am really looking forward to the next book. There was a bit of a cliffhanger that I need answers to!

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: Sunset Springs

by Kacen Callender

Narrator: Qamar Yochanan

Synopsis/Thoughts: After loosing this job, Charlie is forced to move back in with his mom in the small town he hoped he'd never return to. He also has not been back since he transitioned and he is sure it will be uncomfortable. Reconnecting with Jackson was a pleasant surprise. This story was fine, but I just didn't love it. I think the lack of communication to build drama is maybe overdone in this one? The story itself was quite sweet though.

2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: Get A Life, Chloe Brown 

by Talia Hibbert

Narrator: Adjoa Andoh

Re-read

3 stars out of 5 stars

Titles: The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire, and The Serpent's Shadow

by Rick Riordan

Narrators: Katherine Kellgren and Kevin R. Free

Re-reads

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: Of Jade and Dragons

by Amber Chen

Synopsis/Thoughts: Aihui Ying dreams of becoming an engineer and attending the Engineer's Guild university that her father went to. When her father is suddenly murdered, she heads out to learn more about his past and uncover his assassin. Which means disguising herself as one of her brothers and traveling to the capital. On the way, she encounters Aogiya Ye-yang, the eighth prince to the High Command. Ye-yang helps by entering Ying into the competition to gain entry to the Engineer's Guild. This was the June Owlcrate book and I participated in the read-a-long. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I really liked Ying and Ye-yang's relationship and reading about the challenges to get into the Engineer's Guild. I will probably read the next book.

3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: Ruthless Vows

by Rebecca Ross

Synopsis/Thoughts: Iris has returned home from the front with her brother, but without Roman. Meanwhile Roman wakes up in Dacre's clutches with little to no memory of who he is. He is fortunate enough to reconnect with Iris, though he does not remember her at first, and he has to choose between her and being loyal to Dacre, who saved his life. I read the first book a while back and enjoyed it. I had to see how it ended. Overall I really liked this duology.

4 stars out of 5 stars

Title: Slow Dance

by Rainbow Rowell

Narrator: Rebecca Lowman

Synopsis/Thoughts: Shiloh and Cary were (maybe) supposed to end up together. They were best friends throughout high school. But now they are into their 30s. Shiloh is a divorced mother of two living with her mother and Cary is traveling the world as a member of the Navy. When they reconnect at the wedding of another good friend, can they change their lives to what they maybe should have been? This was Rainbow Rowell's most recent adult novel (I think she has only written two others, Attachments, which I really like, and Landline, which is one of my all-time favorites ever). I was excited to read it. There is something about the way she writes her adult characters that is intriguing to me. I loved this book.

4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Title: Stay Gold

by Tobly McSmith

Re-read

5 stars out of 5 stars

Titles: The Foxhole Court, The Raven King, and

The King's Men by Nora Sakavic

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Re-reads

4 stars out of 5 stars

I have no excuse... I guess these are becoming comfort reads for me. I made a playlist that is longer than it needs to be... I found the following on Tumblr and it feels fairly accurate and is also funny. 

 

Title: Sleep Like Death

by Kalynn Bayron

Synopsis/Thoughts: Eve has trained all her life to defeat the Knight one day. The Knight is an evil monster who grants wishes in the worst possible way. Eve and her mother, the queen, are desperate to stop him. But then the queen starts secluding herself in her room and Eve hears her speaking to someone, though she must be alone. There must be more going on than Eve knows. This was the July Owlcrate book and I participated in the read-a-long for it. It was easy to get ahead of the daily reading goals. I really enjoyed this spin on the Snow White tale.

4 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: Scavenge the Stars

by Tara Sim

Synopsis/Thoughts: Amaya was sold to a debtors ship as a young girl and will soon be free. Until she rescues a man found in the sea. He offers her riches and revenge if she will help him restore his name. If it means she can help the other children on the ship, she is all in. But things get a little murky when she befriends Cayo, the son of her target. This was an old Owlcrate book that I finally picked up. It was pretty good and I really liked Amaya and Cayo's relationship. I don't know that I will read the next book though.

3 stars out of 5 stars

Favorite book read in July/August: Slow Dance or Stay Gold

Least favorite book read in July/August: Sunset Springs

I have now read 48 books towards my goal of 75. I am still a touch behind, but I hope I will catch up now that we are getting into spooky season!

May and June 2024 Wrap Up

May and June were busy months that went by quickly.

Gabriel started daycare in May and has been going each day. Which was very hard for me at first (I cried more than he did, for sure), but has since gotten much better. Gabriel likes his daycare and we really like the people who work there.

I had my first Mother's Day and Kevin had his first Father's Day. With a human baby, I mean. Gabriel continues to grow and mostly be wonderful and happy. And continues to be very central in my life, of course.

Kevin and I got to go on a little vacation to Florida without the munchkin. We got to spend time in Harry Potter World and Disney World. It was fun and wonderful, even if it was a bit weird to be away from Gabriel.

Otherwise, Varney was neutered and I am trying to get him and Ruthven back into the same cage again (ornery rats...).

Work is... just work. I am trying to maintain a balance and not make everything my problem. But things are constantly made my problem anyway. My issue with this is that I don't receive much recognition or any compensation to go with these extra things that end up being required of me while others holding the same position I do (or even above my position) are not expected to take care of these types of things and most of them are making more than I am. I have been better at pushing back, but it isn't always possible. And it does very much depend on who is asking me for things. There are some people who I like and respect and I have a hard time saying no to them. But they also show up for me, too, so that feels more OK. But otherwise I am trying very hard to push tasks and responsibilities back to the person who should be taking care of those things. My counselor and I talk a lot about practicing radical acceptance. That I don't have to agree with things in order to accept them. And how to accept things that are not in my control. We also talk a bit about how and why I get defensive about certain things and how to work on myself to deal with those issues... Which I like less, but definitely needs to be addressed. Ultimately, I think all of these things have helped me focus more on the parts of my job that are actually my job and letting things fall apart if that is what needs to happen (which it has). And helps me maintain better balance because my career is important and I love my work, but it is definitely not my whole life nor do I want it to be.

Anyway, that was long and rambling and probably nonsensical. But I wanted to get a little bit of that out.

I have gotten a bit behind on my reading goals. Part of that is because I started listening to music again. I go through phases with music, but since I have been listening to that while I drive, I am not getting through audio books as quickly. But I have managed to keep reading and I have actually worked my way through more of my Owlcrate book backlog.

Now for some quick reviews!

 

 Titles: The House of Hades and the Blood of Olympus

by Rick Riordan

4 out of 5 stars

Re-reads

 

The Time Machine

by H.G. Wells

Synopsis/Thoughts: Classic story that I never read before. This came in an Owlcrate box from many, many years ago as a bonus book. I'm glad that I finally read it since it seems to be one of those that everyone reads. It was pretty good, though I was not immensely satisfied with the ending of the Time Traveller's time in the future. (Also, since he can time travel, I feel like he could have saved Weena. Or maybe he went to do that at the end, who knows?) Overall, I liked it, but I do tend to like dystopian stories.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: How Not to Hate Your Husband

After Kids by Jancee Dunn, narrated by the author

Synopsis/Thoughts: Well, the books is basically what the title says it is! And this book really packed a punch. I definitely recommend it to any couple who is having or has children. I was feeling a lot of resentment towards my husband at times after Gabriel was born, though our situation was not nearly as extreme as some. And Kevin is so great about doing other household chores that baby care falling mostly to me felt more fair than some situations you hear and read about.

Seriously, read this book. I sobbed when their first therapist gave her instructions on controlling her anger (disappearing into a closet to tell a photo of her daughter that she knew what she was feeling was going to hurt her daughter but that her anger was more important right now than her daughter was. Oof.) And I laughed at the brilliancy of consulting an expert in de-escalating hostage situations to teach her husband how to deal with her when she was on a rampage. So many things made so much more sense when I read this. And I laughed and cried and got angry and felt happy all in turns.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Title: A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

Narrator: Kay Eluvian

Synopsis/Thoughts: During the war in Waterloo, Viola is assumed to be dead, but she survived and used the news to live her life as herself for once, even at the cost of her wealth, status, and friends. Including the Duke of Gracewood who was her closest companion in the days before her disappearance. Fate, of course, brings them back together as Viola helps Gracewood heal and Gracewood learns who Viola is all over again. Overall, I enjoyed this story. While I didn't love everything, many parts were very sweet and surprising and nice. 

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: Crier's War by Nina Varela

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is an old Owlcrate book and felt appropriate to read in June. Once, humans created Automae to be pets and playthings of the wealthy until the Automae revolted and took over and forced humans to serve them. Lady Crier is an Automae, designed and built at the request of her father, the Sovereign. Ayla is her human maid servant who dreams of avenging the death of her family by destroying the Sovereign and his family. Until Crier and Ayla begin to fall in love and learn that maybe there are other ways to live. This book was a good read and I really liked the interactions between Crier and Ayla as they learned more about one another. I think I would like to finish the duology to see how their story pans out.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Narrator: Joe Jameson

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Re-read. I just love this book and the voice and humor of the story.

 

Title: Song of the Six Realms by

Judy I. Lin

Synopsis/Thoughts: Xue is a very talented qin player, but she is a nobody. Until she captures the eye of Duke Meng when he hears her play. He makes an offer she can't refuse: to come play for him in exchange for her freedom. Upon arriving at Duke Meng's estate, she discovers there is much more to him and to his home than first meets the eye. And the Duke needs her help. This was a recent Owlcrate book and I participated in the read-a-long on the Nest app. I really enjoyed this book, maybe more than I thought I would. There were a few times I cried, mostly about Xue's uncle. It was a lovely story and many of the characters were really wonderful and interesting.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith

Narrators: Theo Germaine and Phoebe Strole

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Re-read. I just love this book so much. I finished it and wanted to turn around and read it all over again.

Title: Love Without Sex by

Sophie Lucido Johnson, narrated 

by the author

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is a look at different and modern relationships. Not just romantic relationships, but about friendships and chosen family as well. I feel like there was a lot to unpack here and it was a very interesting and informative read. I know that some of the lifestyles discussed are not for me, but it is interesting to see how people think and feel and make different things work. A couple of things resonated with me, especially the idea of community living with chosen family. As someone who is lucky enough to have friends who are family, this was interesting and appealing to me.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Favorite book read in May/June: Stay Gold. Or Boyfriend Material. I can't help it, I love them so much.

Least favorite book read in May/June: I suppose Crier's War or A Lady for a Duke, since I rated them a bit lower.

I have now read 33 books towards my goal of 75 books. Goodreads estimates that I am 4 books behind schedule. I am trying to find shorter books that I've been wanting to read that may help me catch up. I also have been trying to participate in more Owlcrate Nest read-a-longs. They are a good way to really keep me on track and set goals for each day. But there isn't much pressure and feels encouraging instead of daunting. Maybe that will help me catch up, too.

Road to Parenthood

I wasn't sure when I wanted to share this post, but Mother's Day seemed appropriate.

I wanted to share this because it was a big deal for us. I alluded to some of this about a year ago, but wasn't up to sharing yet.

Our close friends and family know, but I will share with everyone now that it is all in the rear-view mirror for us.

We were having difficulty conceiving. It was very discouraging and frustrating. I think it made me a little depressed for a while there. (That is actually why I was listening to Boyfriend Material ad nauseam last year; I found it funny, light, and comforting so I just kept re-listening to it over and over and over.) After a some time, we were referred to a fertility clinic in our area.

We had some testing done and I had to go through some procedures to see if any issues could be identified (nothing obvious was found). In the end, we had an IUI (inter-uterine insemination) done. We are some of the lucky ones because that procedure worked for us and worked the first time. We didn't get a solid answer as to why we were unable to conceive on our own, but top suspect was the normal timing of my cycles. I had long cycles, but my ovulation came late in my cycles and may not have been giving my body enough time for an embryo to implant before menstruation started. Sorry if that is TMI, but I wanted to share for others who may have a similar problem.

I wasn't ready to talk about all of this until we made it through. I guess I felt like I might jinx it.

But I knew that I wanted to share because it was difficult and isolating. I think a lot of people who go through these things feel like they are alone in their journey. And that just isn't true. There are so many people who need to use fertility services for one reason or another. It seems like everything online is meant to look picture perfect, like no one has problems like this, but that isn't real. So if there is anyone reading this who has gone through or is going through something similar, know that you aren't alone. And just because people don't talk about it doesn't mean it isn't happening.

I was lucky. While I felt really discouraged and down for many months, I had good support from family and friends (some of whom had or were having similar experiences). That helped me a lot, to have all of that love and support. I know not everyone has that, either. Which makes it even more important (in my opinion) to share these stories and provide support and maybe some hope.

Thank you for letting me share. And know that I am here if anyone is going through this and would like someone to talk to.

Gabriel ~1 week old in the first onesie we were given. It came from the fertility clinic we were at once we had confirmed pregnancy.

March and April 2024 Wrap Up

Hello and welcome back to my (hopefully) regularly scheduled blog posts.

Some little updates.

Parenthood has continued and is challenging but can also be lovely. Gabriel has the best smiles and giggles and he makes the cutest noises and I can never get enough. However, getting anything done is difficult. Once he is resting or entertaining himself, I need to do dishes or laundry or take care of the pets or shower or any number of things. It never ends, but Gabriel is worth it.

I had to return to work in March. That was difficult. I wasn't as upset about leaving Gabriel home as I thought I might be. It is hardest to say goodbye in the mornings, but once I am at work it all just feels like it did before. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. Part of it is that Kevin is home with him for a couple months so I know I don't need to worry about him. Once Gabriel is in daycare I imagine that will change.

But anyway, work has been... interesting. And not in good ways. Some changes were made while I was out that put me in a not-so-nice position. It is frustrating because I actually love my job, but the favoritism in my department is so extreme. It is insane. A couple of things did change for the better and I was so happy to see my work friends again. I actually work with a lot of neat people who I really enjoy. But I am not going to hold my breath on things getting better. I am trying to make sure that I don't overwork myself like I used to, since it doesn't result in any rewards or appreciation. It has actually been nice taking that step back. And I have only been working my regular 40 hour weeks and trying to focus my energy on things that are more important to me.

I do get to go on a little vacation soon without Gabriel. I am looking forward to it, but I also know that I am going to miss him like crazy!

I think that covers most of what is going on these days. So here are the books I read in March and April.

 

Title: The Son of Neptune by 

Rick Riordan

4 stars out of 5 stars

Re-read

Titles: Dragonwatch, Wrath of the Dragon King, Master of the Phantom Isle, 

Champion of the Titan Games, and Return of the Dragon Slayers 

by Brandon Mull

Synopsis/Thoughts: This series follows the Fablehaven series. I had actually read the first three books a few years ago, but never finished the series. And I didn't remember it well, so I started from the beginning. After the demons have been moved to their new realm, the dragons begin to rise and turn the table on the humans, wizards, and other people who wished them confined to sanctuaries. Kendra and Seth are called on to help by becoming caretakers of a dragon sanctuary and later joining in the war against the dragon king. Many things converge and many adventures are had. I love the Fablehaven series and I really enjoyed these, too They are a very magical story, but still take place in our world. I liked seeing Kendra and Seth developing more and stepping into their powers and having such a big role to play. It was nice to see old favorite characters return and go back into this world.

4 stars out of 5 stars 

 

 Title: Heartless Hunter

by Kristen Ciccarelli

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is a sort of Scarlett Pimpernel story (and yes, I had to look up what that was). In case you don't know, the Scarlett Pimpernel is a hero rescuing aristocrats sentenced to death during the French Revolution. But he leads a double life as a wealthy, but generally worthless gentleman and in secret is resourceful and quick thinking. In this story we have the Crimson Moth who is saving witches from being put to death by the new regime. Some of the officers (including high ranking officer Gideon) of the new regime suspect that she is hiding in plain sight. Rune plays the part of a shallow, flirtatious, and patriotic lady, but is secretly a witch helping to set other witches free. When she becomes a suspect, Gideon pretends to court her to find her secrets. Rune, knowing she is a suspect, pretends to let him. Until it stops feeling like pretend. There are a lot of layers and little things going on in this story and it kept me guessing and surprised me. I really, really loved reading this book and I am looking forward to the next book. I think I read that it was going to be a duology. This was an Owlcrate book and I participated in the read-a-long, but kept getting ahead because I couldn't put it down.

4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Title: The King's Men

by Nora Sakavic

4 out of 5 stars

Re-read 

 

 Title: The Sunshine Court

by Nora Sakavic

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is the first book in a duology (I think) and the fourth book of the All for the Game series. The story picks up from the time Jean was rescued from the Nest by Renee and how he transfers to USC and starts to recover from his experiences. I actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I was originally so invested in the characters in the first three books that I wasn't sure that I would be as interested in these. But I really liked Jeremy, Cat, and Laila. And I was really rooting for Jean. I am excited for the next book, whenever that will come out.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Title: The Mark of Athena

by Rick Riordan

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Re-read

I'm not sure if I had a favorite read this month. I really enjoyed the Heartless Hunter and the Sunshine Court.

I have now read 23 books towards my goal of 75 books. I'm a bit behind according to Goodreads, but I hope I will pick up soon. I especially need to work on reading my Owlcrate books. My slow progress there sometimes frustrates me and I need to find a way to make a better effort. It would be helpful if I stopped re-reading books, I think.

Oh well. Thanks for reading. Until next time!

2024 Updates

Hello and welcome back to my blog.

Sorry for the super long delay. First, my husband needed to use my computer for over a month back in September/October. Then we didn't have internet for about another month or more. By then we were approaching the end of the year and the holidays. I was in the third trimester of pregnancy which brought back some of my nausea and left me generally exhausted. Work continued to kick my butt. We were trying to prepare for the baby. We took in a stray kitten in August and adopted two new rats in October (I was supposed to wait until after the baby, but they needed a home! I couldn't say no). It was just a crazy time.

Our son was due on January 17th 2024, but decided to come early. My water broke a little before 9am on December 24th, 2023 and Gabriel was born at 10:17am. And then we had this little baby to care for which was new and scary.

Being a parent is probably the hardest thing I have ever done. I think I have started to get the hang of some of it, but it is exhausting and challenging. It is impossible to keep up with everything, but I am trying my best. And there are wonderful things about having this little one. And I love that he is a baby and mom is still able to fix everything and make him feel better. He's starting to smile and make intentional noises, which is adorable and makes me immensely happy.

My anxiety has been way up high. I want to make sure that Gabriel is getting cared for and that chores are getting done. I am also not getting much sleep, which always spikes my anxiety. And I am not back at work yet, but there have been changes made there that are very much against me and against my advancement. That has been discouraging, frustrating, and has also increased my anxiety. If I wasn't on anxiety medication, I would be having panic attacks about going back. I figure that isn't a great way to feel about my place of employment, which has been discouraging. I have been missing my work friends, though, and I am looking forward to seeing them and getting back in the lab.

I am trying to enjoy the rest of my time off. Obviously it is heavily spent on caring for Gabriel and doing the never ending dishes and laundry that come with that. Luckily for me, Kevin helps where he can and has kept up with many of the household chores so I don't have to worry so much about those.

I have been going to counseling for a while now, mostly to deal with work anxiety, but we have been covering a lot of things surrounding parenthood now, of course.

I fell off of the journaling bandwagon last year and decided I wanted to get back at it this year. I needed a way to simplify it to make it easier for me to keep up with. But I also wanted it to be more fun and interactive so it felt less like a chore. That has been really nice so far. And I have started including different things that I never did before, like vision boards, inspirations and aspirations, and other notes that come in handy. I am trying to keep track of things that are important and trying to help myself since I have all of these big things going on. It has been really nice so far and I may make a little blog post about what I am doing and why.

I have still been reading, but these days it is easier to get through audiobooks than physical ones. And because of my anxiety it has mostly been re-reading. But I did join a group read through the Owlcrate Nest app for the January book. That has helped me stay on track, even though I haven't participated in the discussions (I do still read through the questions and some of the things other people post). Between that and my journal, I have had something else to focus time and energy on in the times I get a break.

I haven't decided what this blog will look like moving forward. I'd like to still post about the books I read each month, but it can be very time-consuming. I will likely need to simplify what I have been doing. Maybe post two months at a time and stop reviewing re-reads. Which probably means it would be a good idea to go through my blog and update tags to include book titles in case anyone (or I) want to go back to those book reviews. That will be a bit of a long term project, but I will see if I can do that.

I have a couple other posts started, one is a disease post and one is sort of about Gabriel. I have made it a goal to pick back up on my blog, but it might take a little time for me to figure out what it will look like. I hope you will bear with me.

Meanwhile, here are the books I read in January and February this year:

 

The Lost Hero by 

Rick Riordan

4 stars out of 5 stars

Re-read

Red White and Royal Blue

by Casey McQuiston

4 stars out of 5 stars

Re-read

 

 

 The Fablehaven Series

by Brandon Mull

5 stars out of 5 stars

Re-read

 

Charmed Life and the Lives of Christopher Chant

by Diana Wynne Jones

4 stars out of 5 stars

Re-read

 

The Foxhole Court and the Raven King

by Nora Sakavic

4 stars out of 5 stars

Re-read

The Jungle Book

by Rudyard Kipling

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is the traditional Jungle Book that most people are familiar with. This version is a full cast podcast read of the Jungle Book stories. I had never read them before, so it was a fun, quick read. I won't lie though, I spent much of the time trying to figure out how all of the characters and stories were represented in the Graveyard Book.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

A Fragile Enchantment

by Allison Saft

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is a fairy tale of a girl, Niamh, brought to a palace as a royal tailor for the younger prince's upcoming wedding. And in normal fairy tale fashion, the two fall in love despite the prince's engagement and Niamh's common-born status. This was an enjoyable read. I liked a lot of the characters (and I liked Sinclair, but I don't feel that other people liked him as much) and I liked the magic (especially Niamh's). This was an Owlcrate book and I sort of participated in a read-a-long through the Owlcrate Nest app.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

I have read 13 books towards my goal of 75.