My kids' school had their fall book sale; Sophia got a My Little Pony Early Reader book, Joshua got a Beast Quest book and a box of rocks (comes with a booklet to explain the different rocks). Then I picked up for both of them Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World and Poppy Field.

This weekend we will be out adventuring around our town, taking in the different activities going on for Remembrance Weekend. On Monday I am taking a trip to London to see Chicago the Musical; since I am not driving, I hope to get some reading while traveling. Glad I got my flu shot this week. 

With the Festive Task game underway, I am trying to catch up so I can add up my points for the doors opened so far. I am halfway through Let the Circle Be Unbroken and Princess Elizabeth's Spy, so they are the priority right now. Then it is on to A Gentleman's Game and Love's Unfading Light.

Happy Veterans' Day to my brothers and sisters in arms. Happy reading to everyone! See you all on Tuesday.

And so begins No School November, a loving name the parents of the students who go to DoDEA schools (American schools on base run by the DoD). Between the holidays, the parent-teacher conferences, the mandatory teacher training the kids are out of school more than they attend. Today is the first of those days off, so I am making my kids get their annual flu shot (mandatory to attend DoDEA schools) so they don't get too comfy being at home.

This weekend we are attending our town's Bonfire Night. I can't wait but right now all my hopes are on it NOT raining on our party. Old man winter has definitely arrived and set up shop here in East Anglia. Then on Monday starts my town's Remembrance Day activities - each day will have something going on (poetry session at Tilly's Tea Room and Shop, Darren Norton giving a monologue at the Heritage Center for example). I am hoping to make it to a couple of these events.

In between refereeing my kids and going to Great War events, I plan to read:

1. Feminasty by Erin Gibson (library borrow)

2. Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (library borrow)

3. Let the Circle Be Unbroken (Logans #5) by Mildred D. Taylor (24 Festive Tasks)

Have a happy reading weekend!

My AF library is losing subscriptions to a number of databases/ebook services due to budget issues at USAFE HQ, so my Halloween Bingo list went to crap. I had hoped to use much of my library's eboo/digital audiobook stock to get my card to black out, but now I am combing through my own books to replace those that I lost access to.

This week I DNF'd two books for Halloween Bingo (Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury and In the Woods by Tana French). I have an alternative for the carnival square, but I am just not cut out to read Noir, so I am leaving this square blank. I've read The Siren by Kiera Cass (Drowning Deep square) last week and Presumed Guilty by Tess Gerritsen (Diverse Voices), so reviews to follow.

This weekend is the our Cub Scouts pack's Rain Gutter Regatta, and the kids and my husband had a lot of fun building their boats for tomorrow. On Sunday, I am pulling babysitting duties for friends' so they can have a kid-free trip to the Harry Potter Studio tour, the last "To Do" item on their UK list before they move back to the States next month. 

So this weekend's/upcoming week reading:

1. Touch of Midnight by Lara Adrian (Relics and Curiosities)

2. Kiss Me Hard Before You Go by Shannon McCrimmon (Creepy Carnivals)

3. Fairest by Marissa Meyer (Grimm Tale)

4. Croc's Return by Eve Langlais (Shifters)

5. Eighth Grade Bites by Tony Lee et al (Dead Lands)

I have Seduction in Death (#13) for the Unlucky 13 square and Leverage in Death (#47) by JD Robb for the New Release square on request/wait list at the library. Fingers crossed they come into my possession sometime this week.

Continued good luck to those participating in Halloween Bingo and Happy Reading to all!

This week I watched as my daughter (my youngest) went into her first day of Kindergarten. Now that both kids are in school, I have some time for myself which means going back to the gym and volunteering at the library again. 

I read more books this week than I did for all of August. Seems Halloween Bingo is the cure for my reading slump. But now I have to review a bunch of books. For non-Halloween Bingo reading, I am working my way through Secondhand Time. For H'ween Bingo reading, her is what I am reading this weekend and into next week:

1. The Siren by Kiera Cass (Fear...Deep square)

2. An Affair with Mr. Kennedy by Jillian Stone (Darkest London square)

3. A Touch of Midnight by Lara Adrian (Relics and Curiosities square)

4. Black Rose by Nora Roberts (Ghost Story square)

5. Wolves at the Door by Skye Jones (Cryptozoologist square)

6. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (Creepy Carnivals square)

I am slipping into a reading slump. Nothing is appealing me and I keep DNF'ing books. This week's DNF was Written in Blood (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop - it was wonderful world building but I couldn't stand Meg and her less than usefulness at adulting. I am considering DNF'ing Secrets of the Tulip Sisters by Susan Mallery if I don't get some plot/action going and I am already tired of a side character's repetitive dieting/hating her curvy body. 

So I am going to try to read more from Tulip Sisters and start Crewel World (Needlecraft Mysteries #1) by Monica Ferris with the hopes I can finish at least one book before the end of the month. One more week of summer vacation for my son and I may just put off reading to spend a little more time with him and my daughter before school starts up again.