Title: Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die #3)

Author: Danielle Page

Publisher: HarperCollins 2016

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 270

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings; I love Libraries

My name is Amy Gumm. Tornadoes must have a thing about girls from Kansas, because—just like Dorothy—I got swept away on one too. I landed in Oz, where Good is Wicked, Wicked is Good, and the Wicked Witches clued me in to my true calling: Assassin.

The way to stop Dorothy from destroying Oz—and Kansas—is to kill her. And I’m the only one who can do it. But I failed. Others died for my mistakes. Because of me, the portal between the worlds has been opened. And if I don’t find a way to close it? Dorothy will make sure I never get to go home again. Now it’s up to me to: join the Witches, fight for Oz, save Kansas, and stop Dorothy once and for all.

So I would say that I loved the last 75 pages of this book. The last 1/4 was an amazing ride through Oz's magic. We even get to meet Lurline in person! The first 3/4 of the book was a bit slow. The entire section in Kansas was a bit boring and I kept hoping Amy would get back to Oz soon. This review sounds like I didn't like the book at all, but I did. Just wish the first sections would have moved a bit faster. I loved the characters in this one especially The Nome King and Ozma. Plus we get to see the epic battle at the heart of Oz. Loved it! On to the last book in the series...

Dorothy Must Die

Next up on the TBR pile:

High Summer Readathon

From Seasons of Reading:

It's time to sign up for High Summer...and in case you haven't heard, I have a special treat this year (that is sure to become a tradition). During the last weekend of the readathon, we are having a 48 hour Christmas in July Readathon! Don't worry...you do not have to participate if you're not IN to Christmas, but if you are, this is for you. Also, you can even choose to read Christmas books during the entire High Summer Readathon. I'm flexible!

The official dates are July 17 through July 30, starting at 12:00am Monday the 17th, and ending at 11:59pm on Sunday, the 30th. That's central time (U.S.), but you can adjust your times according to your time zone. Of course, like most read-a-thons, the books read must be novels or novellas, adult or young adult are fine, non-fiction, and you can even read children's books too (as long as you do read some novels too). Also, Christmas books this time too! You DO NOT have to participate the entire two weeks. Join in when you can, start in the middle, end early...whatever works best for your schedule. As with all of my readathons, it will be two weeks of relaxed reading during which we can personally challenge ourselves and whittle away our ever looming TBRs.

Guidelines for the readathon can be found HERE or you can access in the tab at the top of the blog. Any information regarding rules for our readathons can be found there. Please do be sure to check the guidelines to make sure you're following along correctly. There are specific rules regarding signing up and wrapping up, especially in regards to the giveaway. Also, regarding the giveaway, I'll be again adding a Google form to capture names and email addresses so if you're interested in winning a prize (and you've met the sign up and wrap up criteria), I will ask you to fill in that form which will be located on the prize page.

It's been awhile since I participated in a readathon. J will be away on a work trip during the readathon so I should have ample time to indulge in a bit of self-care.

Goals:

Read three books
Review all books read
Read at least 1 hour a day

TBR Pile:

Clockwork Princess
Clockwork Prince
Yellow Brick War (in progress)
The End of Oz
50 Great American Places
Dead Feminists
The Kingdom of Ohio
Dearly, Departed
Big Little Lies (in progress)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Locke and Key: Small World

Title: Locke and Key: Small World

Author: Joe Hill

Publisher: IDW 2017

Genre: Graphic novel - Horror

Pages: 72

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; I Love Libraries

Three years after wrapping up their award-winning, best-selling Locke & Key saga, the team that built Keyhouse returns to Lovecraft, Massachusetts with a new tale of terror and suspense! An impossible birthday gift for two little girls unexpectedly throws open a door to a monster on eight legs!

Another Locke and Key volume! I got so excited when I saw this on the library's new books shelf. I loved this little vignette from the history of Keyhouse. We get to see yet another key in action and a fun little story. A quick read, but very enjoyable.

Next up on the TBR pile:

52 Weeks of Arthur 2017: W19-27

Continuing this project from 2016, I'll be posting a roundup of Arthur pics every 9 weeks. See W1-9 here. W10-18 here. On to Weeks 19 - 27:

W26: Watching the twins at Great America

W27: Enjoying the waterpark at Great America

Next up on the TBR pile:

I Love Fun Videos!

Love these list videos and this one is very interesting...

Yep. I watched a ton of those movies as a child.

Looks pretty stupid, but I do like Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart!

Hugh Jackman in a musical? I'm sold!

Oh yeah!

Not gunna lie, I'm excited for this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Present by Jodi Taylor

Title: Christmas Present (The Chronicles of St. Mary’s #4.5)

Author: Jodi Taylor

Publisher: Accent Press 2015

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 41

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

It's Christmas Eve at St Mary's, And all through the house, Nothing is stirring ... Except for Max, Peterson, and Markham, sneaking out at midnight for an assignment that is very definitely off the books. It's ten years ago tonight that Senior Historians Bashford and Grey went missing in twelfth-century Jerusalem. So how did they end up in AD60 Roman Colchester? Max has a theory. Peterson has a plan. Markham has bacon sandwiches. Colchester has Boudicca and her bloodthirsty Iceni hordes. And then there's the giant pig ... the enraged giant pig ...

Another great St. Mary's adventure. As much as I love the main books in the series, these short stories are lots of fun. In this one, we get to meet Boudicea!!! The settings of these short stories are almost the best party. Beyond the setting, we get some great character growth of Markham and Guthrie, two of the great side characters in the series. Super short read, but I loved it!

The Chronicles of St. Mary’s:

#0.5 The Very First Damned Thing
#1 Just One Damned Thing After Another
#2 A Symphony of Echoes
#2.5 When A Child is Born
#3 A Second Chance
#3.5 Roman Holiday
#4 A Trail Through Time
#4.5 Christmas Present
#5 No Time Like the Past
#6 What Could Possibly Go Wrong
#6.5 Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings
#7 Lies, Damned Lies, and History
#7.5 The Great St. Mary’s Day Out
#7.6 My Name is Markham
#8 And the Rest is History
#8.5 A Perfect Storm
#9 The Long and Short of It

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Tuesday -- The Hamilton Mixtape "Immigrants"

A great song and a powerful video!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Quentin: 40-41 weeks

With the twins here, this house is crazy!

Likes: Climbing everything! Food, snuggles, toys that make noise, stuffed animals, watching the twins

Dislikes: Being cold, being hungry, diaper changes

So happy about pushing the stool back and forth

Sleeping: Q is finally napping! Holy cow! I'm so incredibly excited that he often takes an afternoon nap. This started about a month ago and it's added so much productivity to my day if we are home. Of course, we are out and about, naps don't always happen. Just excited about this nap thing!

Eating: All the things except ice cream! I think ice cream is too cold for him. Every time we have ice cream, he begs for some, takes a tiny bit and immediately regrets his decision. It's so cute!

Playing: These past two weeks, Quentin has figured out so many of his toys. He loves anything he can manipulate (change shapes, press buttons, make noises). His favorite is the little animal ferris wheel.

Saving that bit of banana and cheerio for later apparently...

Milestones:

Practice steps — Not yet. He just started pulling up and standing at the couch.
Better balance — Definitely. He can stand fairly steady now.
Imitating mom and dad — Not anything I noticed.
Pointing for things — Nope, not yet.
“Baby talk” — Not really
Showing a preference for specific toys. books, lovies, etc. — Definitely!
Sitting down from a standing position — Not really. He falls on his butt and doesn't get upset.
Waving — Nope
Experimenting with volume — Yep! He makes lots of noises with varying levels of volumes.
Biting phase — Nothing over here

Out and About: So many outings!

Seven Seas Park
Rocket Fizz (candy store)
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
Fourth of July Fireworks at the Berkeley Marina Festival
Great America Waterpark
Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek
Pacific Pinball Museum

Next up on the TBR Pile:

Life Right Now #19

As I look outside my window: Admiring the different shades of green on the trees out back.

Right now I am: Taking a moment before crop day starts. Hoping to knock out a few leftovers projects today.

Thinking and pondering: What's the best way to get the twins' stuff home? Their clothes plus back to school supplies and general shopping to limiting the space in their luggage. We need to contemplate our packing options.

On my bedside table: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (book club selection); Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige

On my tv this week: I knocked out a few episodes of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell while J was busy working one night. It's been on my to watch list for awhile now. So very good! On the movie front J and I finally watched Cockneys vs. Zombies (so so funny) and Empire Records (love that one). We introduced the twins to Oh Brother Where Art Thou. I'm not sure they really appreciated its awesomeness.

Listening to: Not much besides NPR Up First and Politics podcasts.

On the menu for this week:

Monday - Black Bean Soup; Taquitos
Tuesday - Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Wednesday - Vegetable Beef Soup
Thursday - Tater Tot Casserole
Friday - Lasagna
Saturday - Leftovers?
Sunday - Apple Cheddar Stuffed Chicken

On my to do list: I have a few random crafty projects to finish. I also need to start gathering our Back to School supplies. I've already gotten my list of clothes to buy for the twins. Now I need to get my list for their other supplies. Plus I'm hoping to knock off a few more months of my blog fix. Oh yeah, and read my book club book and be able to watch the mini series before the 23rd...

Happening this week:

Monday - Car Oil Change Appointment; Grocery, Errands
Tuesday - Oakland Zoo
Wednesday - Golfland Arcade (twins); Seven Seas Parks (littles and me)
Thursday - Stinson Beach Visit
Friday - Mission San Jose; Krispy Kreme; Sonic for lunch?
Saturday - Stamp Club
Sunday - ???

What I am creating: I need to catch up with our Project Life albums. I also want to start my June memory planner pages. And I have a stack of old card kits that I want to finish for my Thank You and Happy Birthday stashes.

My simple pleasures: Ice water and hats on a hot day; playing card games with the twins

Looking around the house: After getting home yesterday from the Pinball Museum, we did a crazy clean up of the downstairs. Sweeping, wiping, and vacuuming. It's looking good down here!

From the camera: The twins enjoying some pinball yesterday.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Angel

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: McElderry Books 2010

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 497

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (NPR Teen); Mount TBR

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

A friend loaned me this trilogy after we discussed how I was not a fan of the Mortal Instruments series. She claimed this one was better. So I finally go around to reading it and this series is most definitely better. Even the moments when Tessa really annoyed me, it was just her. I didn't loathe every character like in the other series. And thankfully this volume was free of absolutely ridiclous plot twists. The twists were appropriate and well timed. To took me awhile to finish this volume, but I really did enjoy reading it. I'll be continuing this series just as soon I finish my book club book...

The Infernal Devices

#1 Clockwork Angel
#2 Clockwork Prince
#3 Clockwork Princess

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Last week I was wanting warmer temperatures as it just didn't feel like summer. And now that the temps are much higher, I'm regretting that wish...
I've been dragging the boys to all kinds of hidden gems around the Bay Area. Tomorrow's adventure is the Ruth Bancroft Garden specializing in succulents.
Feel like I've been reading my current book (Clockwork Angel) for forever! I seriously need to sit down for an hour or so and knock out the rest. I'm interested, I just am failing to find the time.
Trying to use up my retired DSP scraps. Doing pretty good this week!
My library hold is ready! Unfortunately I will have to wait until Saturday as the library is closed on Fridays.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope everyone is having a great day celebrating! We'e hoping to head to the Berkeley Marina for a festival and fireworks.

July 2017 Life Goals

Let’s check in on June’s goals and my progress:

Check off 10 items from our summer bucket list -- Success! We've checked off 12 items:
- Great America
- Half Moon Bay Beach
- Golfland (CV and Sunnyvale)
- Chabot Space and Science Center
- Asian Art Museum
- Fremont Eats
- Oakland Museum of California
- Rocket Fizz
- Its-It
- Baskin Robbins
- Dairy Queen
- Pool Party
Update our clothing wish lists -- 50% success. I've gotten the twins a fair amount for summer and fall, but need to update Arthur and Quentin's lists.
Knock out at least six months of the blog fix -- Success!
Meal plan for June and July -- Success!

July's Goals:

Check off 10 more items from our summer bucket list -- We want to finish off the summer strong!
Back to school shopping for twins -- Always a necessity!
6 months of blog fix (July - January 2016) -- I really want to make some progress on this...
Read 3000 pages -- Hoping to get a little more reading in during July.
Weekly self-care -- Seriously I need to schedule self-care as it never seems to happen naturally...
Big plan August - December -- We need to look at the family calendar big picture.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

Title: The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die #2)

Author: Danielle Page

Publisher: HarperCollins 2015

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 309

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings; I love Libraries

My mission? Kill Dorothy. Except my job as assassin didn’t work out as planned. Dorothy is still alive. The Order has vanished. And the home I couldn’t wait to leave behind might be in danger.

Somehow, across a twisted and divided land, I have to find the Order, protect the true ruler of Oz, take Dorothy and her henchmen down—and try to figure out what I’m really doing here.

The first book was good, but holy crap the second book was so much better. The twists and turns were great. I loved seeing Amy explore more of Oz and encounter new and old characters. Meeting the Magril was especially interesting. I loved getting the glimpse into the inner workings of Oz. The cliffhanger ending was torturous (but in a good way). My only issue was the seemingly non-event of the Scarecrow's demise. I wanted more of climax to that one...

Dorothy Must Die

Next up on the TBR pile: