South of Sunshine by Dana Elmendorf

I really wanted to like this book.  I really, really did.  Alas, I just could not get into it.  I kept picking it up and trying, but I just could not even continue. The friendships and relationships felt completely forced and fake.  The stereotypes were over the top.  I would read a few pages, get annoyed, and put it down.  Try again.  Nope.  I got about 55 pages in and finally gave up.  Very sad, as this book had a TON of potential.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

  

How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown

First, let me say sorry in not doing a review recently.  It's been a crazy busy start of the year as both parent and school librarian, plus we're still working on our dining room remodel.  I finally finished this memoir last night.

Mike Brown was a young up and coming star astronomer at CalTech (pun intended) when he starting looking for planets beyond Pluto.  The problem came when he found something that would start a chain of events leading to Pluto's demotion from planet to dwarf planet, thus changing school science textbooks and museum posters forever.

In my day, we had 9 planets....

There is a fair bit of sciencey stuff going on here, but Brown does a good job of explaining things in everyday terms.  The key part of this being a decent memoir is the amount of reflection Brown does.  He's respected and hated at the same time for the biggest astronomical discovery of our time.

This isn't going to rank among my favorite memoirs of all time, but it was a pleasant read and would be perfect for planetary lovers.  Our seniors interested in science might like this as they start their memoir assignment later this month.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics

Creepy, gory, scary, weirdness.  

Just like Lukavics' Daughters unto Devils, the horror is strong with this one.

I had the pleasure of attending a virtual conference session with Lukavics, where I learned of this second novel.  I ordered it from Amazon, and it will be added to the WHHS LMC collection as soon as I finish typing this review.

Lucy lives in a old mansion with her all-business father Felix, aunt Penelope, cousin Margaret, and their staff.  Lucy's mother Eva passed away when she was very young, and Penelope moved in to be a surrogate Mom.  Margaret and Lucy were raised more like sisters, as it is clear Felix and Penelope developed a relationship.  The mansion once belonged to a wealthy woman who opened a home for orphaned children.   

Shortly after the opening of the story, the cook hangs himself.  Then Penelope disappears.  Margaret jumps out an attic window.  The new cook does something that made me want to vomit.

All the while, the country club Felix (and Eva before her death) belongs to seem to be chomping at the bit to kick Felix and his family out.  Felix alludes to the club having a strong interest in the mansion.  But it's their wives everyone needs to be watching out for...

This is not a read for bedtime.  

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

SUMMER READING FORMS ARE DUE TOMORROW!!!!!!

Back to School Update

Hello Everyone!

Well, the first two days have come and gone!  As always, it's a crazy few days as we work out the kinks of a new school year.

Mrs. Taylor is working tirelessly to get IDs processed and new students accounts set up.  If your ordered or new ID doesn't show up as expected, please be patient.  Modified and Work-Study IDs--same thing, patience!  They are being made and delivered as fast as humanly possible.  New students, please know our computer and gmail accounts are created and managed by an outside IT company.  We've been informed it will be AT LEAST Thursday morning before any new accounts will work.  Please let your teachers know they can call us to verify this fact.

You may have noticed Mr. Winters is missing from the LMC.  He is covering the Homework Help Center while Mr. Brown is on paternity leave.  We expect him back early October, but in the meantime you can find him in D...something.  I can't remember at the moment!

Ms. DelGado is joining us this year.  She will be working with classes as requested by teachers on skills such as APA and MLA formatting.  Please say hello and welcome her to our family.  

Mrs. Treacy is working on updating the sign-in rosters for the new year.  Remember to sign in with your full name until the rosters are printed.  

Mrs. Lynch and I look forward to an awesome school year.  We will be focusing on Google integration, utilizing our database subscriptions, and of course, sharing our love of books!  I am so very happy to say two of my faves were checked out today!

I will continue to review new books here once the school year routine gets settled.  I'm happy to announce I completed the EdTech Team Teacher Leader cohort, earning As in 6 graduate courses over 12 weeks!  It was not easy, and I am super proud of myself.  

Summer reading forms are due by 9/9.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.  

End of Summer

Sadly, the end of summer vacation approacheth.

I did not meet my goal of 30 books, which I'm disappointed about.  The last two weeks have gone whirlwind:

We spent a long weekend in Hershey, which culminated in the Guns n' Roses concert.  AWESOME.

Our house painter is finally available and is starting Monday.  We have aluminum siding, and it had to be sanded and primed in places by us to reduce the cost.

My husband decided he no longer likes our dining room.  We've already tiled a new hearth for the pellet stove.  I waxed the floor yesterday, and my Nana's rocking chair is in a new spot.  Because we just can't do anything the easy way, we are building a home bar.

Mrs. Paredes asked me to present on workshop on Google to Special Area teachers (World Language, Art, Music, Tech. Ed., and Business) on Thursday.

Mrs. Taylor is being pulled from the WHHSLMC to help in the Main Office after we lost a secretary to transfer and another to retirement.  She'll spend the first part of the day there.  Mr. Winters is being pulled to cover the Homework Help Center while Mr. Brown is on paternity leave.  Mrs. DelGado will be coming down from the upstairs computer lab to help us out.  Bookings have already started!

I'm almost done with the work for course #6.  I will have completed the equivalent of 12 graduate credits this summer (6 2 credit classes).  Once my final work is evaluated, I hope to be an EdTech Team Teacher Leader.

Get those summer reading forms in!

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Mrs. W.

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The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

This was suggested by Amazon a while back, and I requested it through WHPL.  It was an enjoyable read overall.

Set in the 1700s, Henry "Monty" Montague is setting off on a Tour, something akin to a Gap Year.   He's been kicked out of school for being gay and is on his last chance to inherit his father's estate.  He's an absolute drunk.  He's in love with his best friend, whom he is not sure is also gay but is most definitely black.  His sister wants to be a doctor, which is ludicrous at the time.  Their father is concerned about the family image, while their mother seems to have postpartum depression after an oops baby.

To "straighten Monty out", his father arranges for he and Percy (the black best friend being raised by white relatives) to go on the Tour but escorted by a rule happy guide, dropping sister Felicity off at Finishing School (not medical school), and then Percy will go to school in Holland while Monty learns the business of running the estate.  That is NOT what ensues.

The three end up having every possible thing go wrong, from pirates to highway robbers to alchemy to Venetian tombs collapsing.

There were several moments I laughed out loud, and I was really pulling for Henry and Percy (and for Felicity to fulfill her dream).

I'm putting this on our wish list!

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My Lady Jane by Hand, Ashton, and Meadows

I'm sorry, but this book is terrible, and I'm giving up about 1/3 of the way in.

Miss Jackie at WHPL warned me when I picked this up that she disliked it.

I know this is meant to be funny, a parody of a really serious time in England.  I found it annoying and stupid way beyond hilarity.

High court members are shape-shifters, Jane's husband is a horse, Edward isn't really dying.

The real Jane was beheaded by her own family, as was her husband.  It was not funny and most definitely not a happy ending.

No from me.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.