Review: Booked

Booked by Kwame Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

A well written novel in verse about a young boy who wants to play soccer, but his dad wants him to learn as many words as possible. Nick is helped along the way by his friend, his librarian, and new friends to figure out how to please both himself and his family.

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Review: Three Missing Days

Three Missing Days by Colleen Coble
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it (but read the other 2 first)

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing and NetGalley for this Advanced Readers Copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this continuation of the Pelican Harbor series (One Little Lie, Two Reasons to Run) and have to wonder if it will continue beyond a trilogy.

Police Chief Jane Hardy has had a lot of drama in her world since learning that her son Will was alive, her father kept the truth from her, and they can now all be together. That is, until someone kills her son's adoptive mother and frames her son for the murder. The entire book revolves around why someone would want to kill the woman and why they would want to pin it on Will. Through the twists and turns of the story, I had some inklings of who the killer might be and why, but the final reveal was not exactly as expected. I do love a good hidden surprise at the end.

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Review: Absolutely Everything!: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention

Absolutely Everything!: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention by Christopher Lloyd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight Audio, and What on Earth Books for this Advanced Reader Copy.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It was a great way to learn at a high level about all things throughout all history. I loved that the timeline was presented as a 24 hour clock, as that's easy to understand by most people! I would often listen to a chapter while driving or just out for a walk. It was easy to follow and interesting to learn new things.

At the end there was mention of another book for other history that may have been left out. I look forward to that next book!

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21 in 21 - April Update

 

 

I said I would update the blog once a month with an update on my 21 in 21 project.  Here's the April update!  It's been a rough one....

1. Donate 1 item per day
1. January - I'm 25 items behind
2. February - On Schedule
3. March - I'm 31 items behind
4. April - I'm 61 items behind
   
2. Bike 52 hours
1. January - I have completed 0.5 hours so far
2. February - I am 1% complete
3. March - I am 1% complete
4. April - I am 1% complete
   
3. Run 52 hours
1. January - I have completed 1.98 hours so far
2. February - I am 6% complete
3. March - I am 6% complete
4. April - I am 7% complete
   
4. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Dane County
1. January - I have completed 0 of 61.6 total miles
2. February - I have completed 0 of 61.6 total miles 
3. March -  I have completed 0 of 61.6 total miles
4. April - I have completed 0 of 61.6 total miles
5. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Fond du Lac & Sheboygan Counties
1. January - I have completed 0 of 39.6 total miles
2. February - I have completed 0 of 39.6 total miles 
3. March -  I have completed 0 of 39.6 total miles
4. April - I have completed 0 of 39.6 total miles
6. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Green County
1. January - I have completed 0 of 22.7 total miles
2. February - I have completed 0 of 22.7 total miles
3. March -  I have completed 0 of 22.7 total miles
4. April - I have completed 0 of 22.7 total miles
7. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Rock County
1. January - I have completed 0 of 63.9 total miles
2. February - I have completed 6.07 of 63.9 total miles
3. March - I have completed 6.07 of 63.9 total miles
4. April - I have completed 6.07 of 63.9 total miles
8. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Walworth & Jefferson Counties
1. January - I have completed 0 of 25.2 total miles
2. February - I have completed 0 of 25.2 total miles 
3. March -  I have completed 0 of 25.2 total miles
4. April - I have completed 0 of 25.2 total miles
9. Hike the complete Ice Age Trail in Washington County
1. January - I have completed 9.7 of 45 total miles
2. February - I have completed 13.67 of 45 total miles
3. March - I have completed 20.11 of 45 total miles
4. April - I have completed 25.58 of 45 total miles
   
10. Mail 1 "just because" postcard each day
1. January -  I'm 14 behind, but working through them!
2. February - I'm 42 behind... This is way harder than I thought it would be!
3. March - I am 58 behind... Trying to catch up!!
4. April - I'm 88 behind.  I need to sit down and just do this!
   
11. Mail 1 "just because" gift each month
1. January - I mailed a scarf to my friend Hallie
2. February -  I mailed a baby gift to my friend Kathy
3. March -  I mailed a few small gifts to my friend Brenda
4. April -  I mailed a gift to my friend Elizabeth
   
12. Get a massage once a month
1. January - I had a massage on January 4
   
2. February - I had a massage on February 26
3. March - I had a massage on March 14
4. April - I had a massage on April 17
   
13. Complete the 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge
1. January - I have completed 4 of 50 reading challenge prompts
2. February - I have completed 7 of 50 reading challenge prompts
3. March - I have completed 11 of 50 reading challenge prompts
4. April - I have completed 12 of 50 reading challenge prompts
   
14. Maintain a feedback ratio of 80% in NetGalley
1. January - I am currently at 36% and I have 46 out of 72 books left to read/review
2. February - I am currently at 37% and I have 48 out of 76 books left to read/review
3. March - I am currently at 38% and I have 47 out of 78 books left to read/review
4. April - I am currently at 40% and I have 48 out of 80 books left to read/review
   
15. Sort through 1 box/tub/crate/drawer per week
1. January -  I'm 2 behind
2. February - I am on schedule
3. March - I am 4 behind schedule
4. April - I am 7 behind schedule
   
16. Watch 1 TED Talk per day
1. January - I am on schedule
2. February - I am 8 behind
3. March - I am 11 behind
4. April - I am on schedule
   
17. Complete GEP 3 for DAR
1. January - I have not yet registered
2. February - I have not yet registered
3. March - I have not yet registered
4. April - I have not yet registered
   
18. Update Blog monthly with 21 in 21 status
1. January - Updated on January 26
2. February - Updated on February 28
3. March - Updated on April 1
4. April - Updated on May 3
   
19. (Re)Learn to Cross Country Ski
1. January - Contacted a local instructor about scheduling a private lesson
2. February - No update
3. March - No update
4. April - No update
   
20. Watch one "new to me" movie each month
1. January - I watched Girl on the Train on January 30
   
2. February - I watched Judy on February 28
3. March - I watched Coming 2 America on March 5
4. April - I watched The Rape of Europa on April 25
   
21. Get a facial once a month
1. January - I had a facial on January 3
   
2. February -  I had a facial on February 6
3. March - I had a facial on March 6 
4. April - I had a facial on April 17
   

Wisconsin Friends Explore Challenge - April Update

 

 

April Update of the Wisconsin Friends Explore Challenge!

Like my 21 in 21 Challenge, I'll try to update this monthly with a current status.

1. Hiking
1. Hike 50 miles total on WSPS properties
1. 3.1 miles at Aztalan State Park on 4/11/21 (3.1 total) 
2. Hike every trail on one WSPS property
1. Hiked all trails in Aztalan State Park on 4/11/21 
2. Camping 
1. Camp six nights total in the WSPS
2. Camp overnight while backpacking at least once
3. Water Activities 
1. Fish at three different WSPS properties
2. Paddle five different bodies of water on WSPS properties
3. Visit and photograph 5 different waterfalls on WSPS properties
4. Build and photograph sand sculptures on 5 different WSPS beaches
4. Biking 
1. Bike 50 miles on state trails or WSPS properties
5. Photography 
1. Take a selfie from 10 scenic overlooks   
2. Take 10 photos of historic buildings, which includes lighthouses, located on WSPS properties
3. Photograph examples of Indigenous Cultures on 10 WSPS properties
6. Visiting 
1. Visit a WSPS property in each of the six districts
1. Northwest District
2. Northeast District
3. West Central District
4. East Central District
5. Southwest District
6. Southeast District 
2. Visit the same WSPS property once a month, March through September 
1. Can't accomplish this one, since I missed visiting a park between March 20 and April 1. 
7. Flora & Fauna 
1. Identify and list 25 plants seen on WSPS properties-take photos of at least three 
2. Identify and list 25 different birds seen on WSPS properties-take photos of at least three
1. Identified Robin in Aztalan State Park on 4/11/21
2. Identified Downy Woodpecker in Aztalan State Park on 4/11/21
3. Identified Red Winged Blackbird in Aztalan State Park on 4/11/21 
3. Identify and list 25 insects seen on WSPS properties-take photos of at least three
8. Geocaching 
1. Find 15 geocaches on WSPS properties
9. Service Projects 
1. Join a Friend's group
1. I joined Friends of Lapham Peak with a lifetime membership on April 5, 2021
2. Clean up litter for 2-3 hours total at two or more WSPS properties
3. Pick garlic mustard for 2-3 hours at a WSPS property
10. Winter Activities 
1. Cross-country ski 50 miles at a minimum of 2 properties

Review: Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it (but read the others in the series first!)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Wednesday Books for this advanced reader's copy.

I was extremely excited that the popularity of the Enola Holmes movie on Netflix had apparently caused a desire to restart the Enola Holmes series of books!

I really enjoyed this re-start, which allowed Enola to work together with Sherlock on a new case, rather than working in the shadows.

Enola and Sherlock are hired to find the location of Felicity, wife of Earl of Dunhench. They're hired by Felicity's twin sister Leticia, who says she was informed of her sister's death by the Earl and she didn't believe it. After a lot of interesting twists and turns, the case is solved..... but not necessarily in the way that they all agreed upon.

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Review: The Road Trip

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great "light" read after a very long and historical book. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this Advanced Reader's Copy.

Addie and Deb are on a road trip to a friend's wedding when they're in an accident with Dylan (Addie's ex) and Marcus (his friend) who are also on their way to the wedding. Joining Addie and Deb is Rodney, an odd duck who just wanted a ride to the wedding. Addie and Dylan didn't end well, but Addie and Deb offer to let Dylan and Marcus join them in their tiny Mini for the remainder of the journey as Marcus's car is repaired. As the story moves forward, chapters are interspersed with present day and the past giving us a chance to learn more about how we got to this point. There were some twists along the way, but I'm a sucker for a happy ending!

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