Zee Reads

So, I’ve had yet another decent month of reading. I have reached Level 5 of 6 Levels, but these last 2 levels are HUGE – consisting of 20 and 15 each. 35 books in 8 months?  That’s between 4 and 5 books a month.  Yeah, we got this!

First up –

Takes place in the Future

An interesting read. What would you do if your child was dying, the doctors have given you no hope and on the night you’ve been given that diagnosis, a stranger shows up at your door, offering a cure. You simply have to go into the future.

Would you jump at the chance, not asking about the consequences?

Next up – Takes place on a different planet

Now I’m going to be honest. I intended to read a human-alien sex romp or a Star Wars or Star Trek book. Typically, when I think fantasy, I think alternative universe for the Earth. Let’s be honest – JRR Tolkien’s stuff is supposed to a history of Earth and Terry Brooks stuff all connects together and yeah – it’s us.

But sometimes, it’s pretty obvious that a lot of fantasy, doesn’t take place on any form of Earth. Like this one. This is a prequel to a series, I believe I have the first one. Second son to the king. He’s not important, except to become a warrior to protect The Heir. His father lets him know this over and over and over. The abuse is just staggering. Needless to say, when the Spare shows immense magical abilities, his life changes.

Tarot Cards and Fortune Telling

 

Jolie, a barely practicing witch, who is comfortable in her solitude, had a ghost walk through her business;s Tarot Cards and Other Witchy Things front door. Next thing she knows, a hot warlock and a hotter vampire are sniffing about… there are more of these – hmmm mmmm

Book with Dreams and Visions

When one man is brutally murdered and the priest he works for mortally wounded, Willet Dura, reeve to the king of Bunard, is called to investigate. As he begins to question the dying priest, the man pulls Willet close and screams in a foreign tongue. Then he dies without another word.

Willet returns to his task, but the clues to the crime lead to contradictions and questions without answers, and his senses are skewed. People he touches appear to have a subtle shift, as though he can divine their deepest thoughts. In a world divided between haves and have-nots, gifted and common, Willet soon learns he’s been passed the rarest gift of all–a gift that’s not supposed to exist.

Now Willet must pursue the murderer still on the loose in Bunard even as he’s pulled into a dangerous conflict that threatens not only his city, but his entire world–a conflict  that will force him to come to terms with his inability to remember how he escaped the Darkwater Forest–and what happened to him inside it.

This was a really good book. There are several more and I’ve got them tagged for purchase.

A free Choice

I could put these in the Mystery spot, (In fact, I have on the game board) but it was a short story – really short – and I”d just soon read as REAL book for the mystery. This was short, needed MUCH development, so like many short stories, imho, it was more of a sketch and not a fleshed out story, which is what this needed to be.

And last… Historical Drama

Elizabeth Chadwick appears to be highly enamored of William Marshal, who was probably England’s Greatest knight. I was introduced to William many many years ago in a historical romance novel regarding him and his wife Isabella. Elizabeth has like 5 or more books dedicated to the life and times of William Marshall, so I decided to start with #1. 

It’s not about William Marshall, but his father, John Marshal, who was Marshal to Henry I of England and was Marshal during the great Civil War that split England between Henry’s only child – Matilda – and her cousin Stephen. Every thing I’ve read about Matilda states she was an unlikable human being – cold and full of herself. When she was young, she was married to the Holy Roman Emperor – who was MUCH older than herself. This made her an Empress and when she was married to a much younger Angevin Duke, well life wasn’t pretty. She felt the whole thing was beneath her and refused to have anything to do with him for years. Needless to say when Henry died, the nobles didn’t want her, her husband or her kid on the throne and went with her cousin, Stephen, which started off a rather bloody and long-lived civil war.

I don’t think I like John in this story. More history than romance, his first wife is written to be a weak woman, more concerned about the sin of lusting after her husband than being a wife. She was a business arrangement, a ward to marry because John, with little, had nothing to recommend him as a husband. The ease at which he set her aside after 11 years of marriage and 2 sons (neither of them William) for a more advantageous marriage – the whole thing just made me cringe…

Now I don’t know if this is a true telling of the incident, if Aline – his first wife – was this inept at life, if he was that cold to her, but according to historians, he set her aside, married someone else almost immediately and had his first wife married off to someone else just as fast.

Makes me glad I didn’t live in that time period.

For all intents and purposes, John Marshal lived in a difficult time and made the best of what was going on around him. There is an incident – again, this is backed up by history, when King Stephen (John originally sided with Stephen and then went over to Mathilda when ganged up on by other, higher placed officials, who convinced Stephen that John was going to switch sides. When Stephen came to take his holdings, John DID switch sides and managed to run the king off.) captured young William, he threatened to hang the child unless William surrendered. He was so far as to build a catapult and threatened to sling the child at the castle walls. William’s response was – Go ahead. I can make more. 

Of course, he was betting on Stephen being an old softie – which he was – and no he didn’t kill young William, but still…

But that’s the listing for this month.

Level One:

Madam Malkin’s: Bookish world to revisit ( Magic Kingdom for Sale/SOLD!)

• Flourish and Blotts: Bestselling book (Little Women )
• Ollivanders: Book with magic (A Court of Mist and Fury )
• Magical Menagerie: Animal on the cover ( Pogonip)
• Apothecary: TBR book you need to read (The Spider Stone )

Level Two:

• Gryffendor : Book with red on the cover ( ) 
• Ravenclaw: Book with blue on the cover (A Court of Mist and Fury )
• Slytherin: Book with green on the cover ( ) 
• Hufflepuff: Book with yellow on the cover ( ) 

Level Three:

• Astronomy: Sci-fi/Dystopian (Burn District)
• Charms: Middle grade (The Red Pyramid )
• Dark Arts: Villains or anti-heroes (The Nameless Dwarf – The Antman of Malfern )
• Defence Against the Dark Arts: Dark fantasy ( Frostborn – the First Quest)
• Flying: Around the world ( Wings of a Butterfly)
• Herbology: Self help (Resumes that work )
• History of Magic: Authors’ first book (The Sword of Shannarra )
• Potions: Choose a book with your eyes closed (Strangled Prose )
• Transfiguration: Book with shapeshifting ( Kitty and the Midnight hour)

Level Four:

• Arithmancy: Book with a number in the title (Phase 6 )
• Care of Magical Creatures: Book with magical creatures (Divine Fornication )
• Divination: Takes place in the future (Cure)
• Astrology: On a different planet ( Non Heir)
• Cartomancy: Tarot cards and fortune telling (Fire Burn and Cauldrin Bubble Jolie Wilkins )
• Dream Interpretation: Book with dreams and visions ( Shock of Night)
• Muggle Studies: Contemporary Book (Dead Flies )
• Ancient Runes: Historical Fiction (A Place Called Courage )

Level Five:

• New Term: First book in a series/duology ( )
• Name in the Goblet of Fire: Recommended by a friend ()
• Letter from Snuffles: Mystery ()
• Dobby is Free: Free choice ( Mystery of the Halloween Mask )
• Wizard Chess: Book with a contest ( )
• Golden Egg: Book with dragons ()
• Eat you’ll feel better: Treat yourself! buy yourself a new book! ( )
• Free Space ( )
• Luna Lovegood: Diverse reads ( )
• Black Lake: Book with sea creatures/mermaids ( )
• Harry Potter: Chosen One ( )
• Fred and George: Funny book ( )
• Yule Ball: Fairy Tale retelling ( )
• Neville Longbottom: Brave character ( )
• Hermione Granger: Empowering ( )
• Hedge Maze: A maze or a labyrinth ( )
• Free Space ( )
• Fleur: Romance ( )
• Book from a Jar ( )

Level Six:

• Newt Scamander: Author with your initials ( )
• Cursed Child: Play ( )
• Extendable Ears: Audiobook ( )
• Lavender Brown: Chick Lit ( )
• House: Based on your House ( )
• Fantastic Beasts 3: Book to movie in 2019 ( )
• Beedle the Bard: Male author ( )
• Fantastic Beasts ( )
• Percival Pratt: Poetry ( )
• Avada Kedavra: Horror ( )
• Accio: One word title ()
• Sybill Trelawney: Female author ( )
• Pottermore: Book club book ( )
• Crimes of Grindelwald ( )
• Dumbledore: Book by a favorite celebrity ( )
• House Cup: Goodreads Awards winner ( )
• Advanced Potion Making: Backlist book ( )
• Molly Weasley: Book your mom loves ( )

• Philosopher’s Stone: Published the year you were born ( )
• Book Hermione would read ()
• Harry Potter Series: Young Adult ( )
• Mental Health ( )
• Severus Snape: Standalone ( )
• Released in 2019 ( )
• Book of Spells: Classic ( )
• Moody: Based on your mood ( )
• Dursley’s: Nonfiction ( )
• Ginny Weasley: Fierce females ( Alex Archer)
• Free Choice ( )
• Shrieking Shack: Thriller ( )
• Lupin: Paranormal ( )
• Marauder’s Map: Magical book for adults/teens ( )
• Tonks: Character with dyed hair ( )
• Book Harry would read (A dark fantasy or )
• Book Queenie would read ()
• Free Choice ( )

Because I LOVE these things!!!

 

ManCandy Monday!

And how are we all?

14 days left. Today was a horrid day – just not the way to start off a week. First, neither one of our alarms went off so guess who overslept? I’m talking over 90 minutes over slept! I clocked in one hour late! I don’t care.

3 fights in my first class. The instigator of the 2nd and 3rd fight was actually SENT BACK to my room even tho I complained. I wrote that little rat up anyway. I’ll write him up every single day if I have to.

Fight in my 2nd grade. Called both girls parents. One had her braid ripped out. I”m on good terms with one parent.

The rest of the day tho, was pretty okay. I’m exhausted.

Zee Reads tomorrow. Hear the crickets now!

And now, ManCandy Monday. Again, it’s an all Richard edition!

I’ve tried several times to watch this and I can’t get past the heavy accents.

He’s talking about me again!

And there ya have it! Have a great evening!

If Carly Q can perv on

those little KPop boyz…. then I can perv on Mongolian Heavy Metal Throat singers

The hottie at 1:11… hmm mmmm

And… don’t ask me why…. but….

 

The dij player folks… the dij player! Or the drummer. I’m horney, not so picky.

So something cool DID happen today

SO this morning, I”m playing THIS on my sound system during morning duty. 1 of my older girls comes up to me and says – How did you know this is my favorite jam?

I kinda glared at her and said – that is NOT a jam! It’s headbanging!!! So I taught her and a few of her friends how to thrash and we thrashed to this for a few minutes.

For the record, it’s Mongolian Throat singing.

I listened through the playlist to a BUNCH of stuff… stirred my pagan blood I don’t talk much about!!!

Guy Day!!!!

Guy Day! Guy Day! Guy Day! 15 more days before summer. 18 more days before I get a much needed break.

Please pray I find a job elsewhere.

I slept like the dead last night and I’m STILL exhausted. My legs are tired. I must have ran all night.

Anyway… shall we?

Why yes! Yes you are.

What? You getting naked? Yes. Yes that is a good idea. In fact, that’s a GREAT idea!

I’ll meet you at the altar!

That should sate you… for at least 10 minutes.

Dear Teacher of the kids of my last class of the day

Thank you so much for giving them a party before music, making sure they had plenty of cupcakes and candy and soda. Thank you for bringing your hyped up children to my class and turning them loose and thank you oh so fucking much for NOT TELLING ME your kids were sugared up.

And thank you for not bringing me a cupcake for putting up with your little heathens!

Have some Richard!

I realize

that when I’m frustrated, I shop. Maybe that will mean over the summer, there will be no shopping.

Today, that was not the case!

Innit purty???

Yes, another music tunic. The other 2 are long sleeved and one of them is fleeced.

I have pretty white tunics this would look good with!

Just kill me now.

Somedays

It’s easy just to say no.

ManCandy Monday

We are barreling down the final stretch at work – 20 days, the last 4 weeks. Because of the way the schedule is set up, the group I’ve got now, I’ll see this week and then not again this school year. We be done. And then next week and the week after.

I”m good with this. My current 5th grade I can’t wait to see the back of them. Actually, I can’t wait to see the back of pretty much all of them. I was informed by admin last week that next year will be absolute hell with the incoming heathens who make our current heathens look like angels. We will be getting around 450 BaeBae’s kids. It’s obvious they’d like me to be elsewhere. Well, I’d like to be elsewhere. Not once has either one of them asked me how my son is doing and every time my AP asks me a question and I answer it, responds with – I’d like to see proof of that.

This has come back to bite her in the ass. You’d think she’d figure it out. I don’t lie. I don’t need to.

Such is life. I can’t believe I’m burning out. That’s what’s happening – I’m burning out. This week, a teacher in SC posted her resignation effective immediately. She spelled out the problem of teaching – long hours, extra duty, abbreviated lunches, lack of bathroom breaks, coming in early, staying late, taking work home at night, on the weekends, the holidays. No overtime. We’re supposed to get daily planning, but in the case of my 1st year, 3 of the 5 days were taken up by data meetings, faculty meetings, team meetings. It’s thankless for the most part.

I read an article over the weekend that stated the US classroom was becoming more and more violent. That included elementary. I saw a video where a teenager grabbed a large binder and proceeded to beat the hell out of a student minding her own business sitting in a desk. The bully knocked the entire desk over so the girl couldn’t escape and continued to beat her down. NO ONE DID ANYTHING!!! The other students just looked the other way. Of course, I don’t know the back story, but you’d think at point an adult or someone would say enough.

Add to that several weeks ago, just over the state line, two 4th grade girls got into a fight in the classroom. By the end, one child was life flighted to the nearest trauma unit where she eventually died. Now according to the autopsy, she had a heart defect that was undiagnosed and that’s what killed her, not the fight, so there will be no charges filed. But the child’s mother swears the girl her daughter was fighting with has bullied her since KK and no one has done anything about it. I see a law suit in the making.

This is not what I signed up for.

Sigh.

The other day, I was tell y’all about a Renn Fest Outfit I used to wear…

I had a long, belled stocking cap that dragged the ground. I ended up winding it around my head like a turban. It was cute.

Anyway. ManCandy. I need it. So do you. And tonight, it will be an all Richard edition.

Yes, it’s a manip, but still…

Have a great evening.