Sunday, June 30, 2019

Tackling the TBR Week 24: June 22 - June 30, 2019



Each week I will be keeping track of books that I have read from my TBR. I have a huge backlog of books and often end up reading new books that are not even on my list, instead of trying to whittle down the list that continues to balloon up on Goodreads. Chuckles had the idea first, and we are going to use this as a chance to encourage each other to get those books read instead of always grabbing new ones and thus never making a dent in the physical and digital stacks we already have. It will also give us a chance to take a good look at our lists and see if there are ones we are no longer interested in. We will be posting on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and the last day of the month.


Previous Week's TBR Total: 3,362

Books Added to TBR: 3

Books Removed from TBR: 3

Currently Reading: 5

Books Read: 8

Books DNF-ed: 2

New TBR Total: 3,357

Happy Reading!
Sarah

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Eleanor Says...Magic Tree House Edition II


I started this feature in order to not only give children's books more time and space, but to hear from a child about the very books they should (or should not) be reading. Eleanor often pretends to be blogging on her own 'laptop' and I thought this would be a fun way to combine the two things I love most: my daughter, and books.

While I try not to blog too much while Eleanor and I are both home, she knows that I write about books I love and loathe, and that I have a blog. I asked if she would like to tell people what she thinks of kids' books, and if we could put her ideas on my blog too. She liked this idea a lot. I explained to Eleanor what the star-rating means, and that she can say anything she thinks about the book, that nothing is wrong; she can talk about things she did or did not like, as well as how the story made her feel. She now asks as soon as we finish a book if we can talk and write about it.

Here are Eleanor's thoughts on a few of our recent reads, straight out of her five year old brain:

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Eleanor Says: I did not like the tornado because it almost killed them. I liked that Jeb was mean at first but then they became friends. If you want to become friends with someone, be nice and say hi. And then if you see each other a lot more times you might become friends. Jack and Annie and Jeb became friends.

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Eleanor Says: They were freaking out because of the big wave. It came from the ocean because of the earthquake. They were safe. I didn't like when they laughed at Jack. I liked when they were all happy and friends again at the end. They told their story of everything they did with a hula dance.

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Eleanor Says: It was funny when the gorillas played with Jack and Annie. I didn't like when Jack scared Bu-Bu. I liked when they all played together. Big Guy was happy, he patted Jack on the head after Jack scared the black leopard away.

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Eleanor Says: I liked it because Otis and Olive helped Jack and Annie. They helped them since they got kicked out of the game. They helped them with secret shortcuts. I didn't like when the not nice people said mean things to Jackie Robinson.

State of the ARC #17


State of the ARC is a monthly feature hosted by Avalinah's Books. I am so glad I stumbled upon it, because it helped me so much in tackling my ARC list in 2018. Now things are under control, and this post doesn't cause me as much worry as it used to. Links go to Goodreads, unless I have finished the review, in which case it goes to that. All ARCs are from NetGalley unless otherwise noted.

Pending/Wishlist = One
Crusaders: The Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands by Dan Jones

Not Started = Zero

Started = Zero

DNF = One
Hacking Darwin, 4-23-19 (received two days after publication) I may come back to this one but I am just not feeling it right now and have no motivation to read it

Finished/Review to Come = Zero

Review or Feedback Sent = Zero

Whew!! I officially have no ARCs to read at the moment! I never thought this day would come - and we all know it is highly likely that I will go on another request binge and be right back where I started when I first discovered State of the ARC.


What does you ARC situation look like for this month?

Happy Reading!
Sarah

Stacking the Shelves #53


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature co-hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality. It is a chance to showcase all the goodies you've collected throughout the week, whether they're bought on-line or in-store, an ARC or a final copy, borrowed from a friend or the library, physical or digital, etc. Never has my addiction been more obvious than when I am now keeping track of every single book I acquire.

Library Treasures
376585 17168240
25814355 313224

What did you add to your stash this week?

Happy Reading!
Sarah

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Big Or Small, Fun For All!


I spend a fair amount of time bragging about what a fantastic gem we have here in Omaha, The Durham Museum. Eleanor and I have enjoyed this place for many years now - from our very first visit to see Sue the T. rex in 2013 when she was a month old...



...to our most recent visit together this past Wednesday for story time, to my own visit tonight with friends for a 21+ night, this museum truly is a treasure. Not only does the museum bring in absolutely stunning traveling exhibits, the programming to go along with said exhibits are so much fun. To go along with Scotty, the museum is offering tons of great camps, weekly story times and craft/activities, trivia and prizes, guided exhibit tours, crafts, giveaways, raffles, and dino-themed games. They've really gone all out for this one and I love it!

I mentioned previously that Eleanor was able to attend a dinosaur-themed summer camp a couple weeks ago, and the camp ended with a presentation by a paleontologist, Dr Lindsay Zanno, who spoke to the kids about her work in the field, what paleontologists do, the tools they need, and so much more. Eleanor enjoyed this, as did I. She asked lots of questions, and I feel like I can only keep her at bay so much longer before I finally cave in and let her watch Jurassic Park. We've even found books at the library specifically for kids about how to be a paleontologist and I love her curious little mind.



In addition to Dr Zanno presenting to the campers, she also presented two other lectures the next day, one geared more towards an all-ages audience...




...and then one more for adults that detailed Dr Zanno's find of a T. rex smaller than any of us might have ever imagined, aptly named Moros intrepidus - harbinger of doom. A kiddo in the audience asked why she chose that name and Dr Zanno said she thought it was fitting because this smaller tyrannosaur was the precursor to the large and ferocious beasts we think of today when we hear 'T. rex'.



Eleanor attended both with me and a couple of our friends, and it was really interesting to hear about so many different aspects of Dr Zanno's work. I was also impressed with the fact that despite seeing her speak three times, there was little overlap in material. I loved the field work photos especially, and even though being a paleontologist was a dream I had when I was younger, I know spending days out in the grueling temperatures would probably make my head explode now.

Aside from interesting lectures, this evening The Durham hosted a 21+ event called Dinos and Daiquiris, and it was a blast! My friends and I debated for quite a long time about what to wear. Previously the museum had hosted an event called Flappers and Fizz, and we all dressed in clothing from the 20s, that was a no-brainer. This one was more difficult though, because we were not sure if we should dress up as in, be classy. OR, dress up as in, be paleontologists. We settled on the latter and despite being among the very few attendees who dressed the part, we had so much fun on the dino scavenger hunt, drinking delicious daiquiris (I learned how to spell daiquiri solely because of this event, no joke), and even making little dino bath bombs.







But, let's face it, the real thrill of the evening - if you are a parent anyway - is wandering around the exhibit WITH NO CHILDREN.

We got to take time to read the displays!
We got to wander leisurely!
We got to take silly pictures! 

Okay...so Eleanor and I do that last one, too. But you get the idea. I feel like I am just using the same words over and over, but it was such fun and we eagerly await the next 21+ event that the museum hosts. This place is unlike any other, and I can not recommend it enough.

Time and again I am really proud to live somewhere that values community places like museums and libraries. These spaces are the keys to both our past and our future and we must ensure that future generations understand this.

Saturday, June 22, 2019

New Feature! Eleanor Says...Magic Tree House Edition I


In a statement that will surprise no one...Eleanor and I have been reading a TON this summer. She is super into the Magic Tree House books right now and I love them because they give her examples of adventurous, independent kids (who are marginally bratty and whiny in the first couple books, but thankfully that changes quickly). I also love the non-fiction titles that go with them to give kiddos more information about people, places, and events that have most interested them, while still being very kid-friendly.

While I try not to blog too much while Eleanor and I could be doing things like, you know, reading and playing games and building giant forts that take up our entire living room (this is seriously a thing, as I type this post right now), she knows that I write about books I love and loathe, and that I have a blog. I asked if she would like to tell people what she thinks of kids' books, and if we could put her ideas on my blog too and she said yes. We've already been typing up very brief reviews on Goodreads, with Eleanor dictating what she did and did not like in the books we have read so far, and this is the perfect time to let her be part of this blog too. I explained to Eleanor what the star-rating means, and that she can say things she did or did not like in the book, as well as how parts of the story made her feel. She liked the idea and now asks me as soon as we finish a book if we can talk and write about it.

Here are Eleanor's thoughts on a few of our recent reads, straight out of her five year old brain:

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Eleanor Says: It was like a tree house that you only play in, except this one is different because it is magic and you can point to the picture and go there. I liked when the t. rex almost ate them because I like Scotty (Mom edit: the dinosaur currently on display at the Durham is Scotty, I have mentioned this a time or two before...). 

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Eleanor Says: I liked that the knight helped Annie and Jack escape. I just liked all of it.

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Eleanor Says: I liked this book because it was funny. I like when Annie snuck and took the bear. She saved him. The crowd was cheering, then it was silent.

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Eleanor Says: I love this book very much. They go to Pompeii. Pompeii was by a volcano that exploded. Pompeii got buried in ash. Some people lived and some people died. Jack and Annie had to run so fast to get away as quick as a flash.

Stacking the Shelves #52


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature co-hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality. It is a chance to showcase all the goodies you've collected throughout the week, whether they're bought on-line or in-store, an ARC or a final copy, borrowed from a friend or the library, physical or digital, etc. Never has my addiction been more obvious than when I am now keeping track of every single book I acquire.

Purchased
33098701 30227527 36610139 40539505 42244989
Library Treasures
29955553 220082617654701 32620339 5863221 40594415 38471802 6538811 31287693 40984368 409155424090943940396571

What did you add to your stash this week?

Happy Reading!
Sarah