Good-bye, 2010

I just finished rereading The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares.

Here's a little recap of my reading year:
Number of books read: 71 (22 were rereads)
Number of pages read: 19,256
Favorite book read: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

The 4 Month Challenge, December review:
I read eight books for a total of 75 points.

And that's it for 2010. Hope 2011's even better.

STANFORD BEAT UCONN!!!!

And it was a thing of beauty. Score: 71-59.

Stanford's women's basketball team was the last team to beat UConn in the NCAA Final Four in early April 2008 and they ended UConn's record-breaking 90 game winning streak tonight (Thursday night). The game also marks the Cardinals's 52 consecutive win at home.

Taking the TBR Dare

I just signed up for the TBR Dare. I'm in for the whole thing, going until April 1 (my birthday coincidentally). Hopefully I"ll make but I'm expecting to fail spectacularly.

Out with a Bang Readathon Update 2

I finished The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. I love the whole series. I read each one when I was (almost) the same age as the characters. I think Ann Brashares does a great job of capturing what it is to be a teenage girl. I'm always amazed when adults get it right. I've already forgotten what it was to be a teenager (so much that I don't think I could convincingly write about being a teenager), but rereading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants brought me right back to when I was 15. This is partly because of nostalgia but mostly because of Brashares's ability to convey both the joys and pains of being a teenager.

I'm now torn between what I should read next. As I was reading Sisterhood, I had the overwhelming desire to read the second novel and to read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (which also has a sequel). I think I'm going to try and squeeze in Stargirl tonight and possibly start another novel. We'll see how that goes.

MINI UPDATE

I think I have to give up the idea that I will finish reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books. I got no reading done this morning. We took down our Christmas tree instead. And now I'm off to a basketball game (Stanford vs UConn... it's going to be big). Since that has basically eaten up my entire day, I'm going to try and finish Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares before the new year. Two books seems manageable. Three might have been possible, but I also want to hang out with my family/do things other than read in the last two days of 2010.

Out with a Bang Readathon update

I started The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. I'm hoping to finish all four by the new year, but at the rate I'm going I might make it through two. I also wanted to reread The Last Summer (of You and Me) but I highly doubt that will happen. I know I could at least get through all the Traveling Pants books if I just sit and read, but there are so many other things that need doing too. Maybe I'm just bad at readathons.

I'm still working my way through The King of Attolia. If The Queen of Attolia is all about war and battles (I know I said it was about politics, but I'm taking that back). The King of Attolia is all about politics. It sounds boring, fake politics in a fake world, but I can't stop reading. Probably because it doesn't feel fake. The characters and their problems feel very real. I might just have to stay up until I finish it.

In other news, today is the start of the Out with a Bang Readathon (it runs from Dec 29-31). I just decided to join. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in a few more rereads so I'll be ready to start on my TBR pile (and the TBR Dare) come January 1.

I finished The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner around midnight last night. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner has a twist at the end, but I had forgotten that Turner did the same in TQoA. I'm now rereading The King of Attolia, trying to get in all my rereads before the new year when I might participate in this challenge. We'll see how the next week goes.

And to end this post here's The Queen and the Soldier by Suzanne Vega. Turner's books always make me think of this song. 

Image from Google

There are 10 days left in 2010. Crazy.

What I've done today:
* slept in
* finished my Christmas shopping (almost)
* finished The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
* listened to Teenage Dream by Katy Perry on repeat obsessively

What I'm going to do today:
* see Burlesque
* finish my Christmas shopping (completely)
* buy rice

What I should do today (but won't do):
* clean

Thrilling, huh?

I also realized I read a TON of YA fiction this year. Over half of the books I read could be counted as YA novels. Pretty good.

PS I looked at my goodreads and I don't think I read any books in January 2010... appalling but understandable (I had just finished my seminar and strangely, I tend to read less during vacation). I'll do better in January 2011.

Shakespeare Reading Challenge

THE PLAYS (taken from wikipedia)
Comedies

    * The Tempest

    * The Two Gentlemen of Verona

    * The Merry Wives of Windsor

    * Measure for Measure

    * The Comedy of Errors

    * Much Ado About Nothing

    * Love's Labour's Lost

    * A Midsummer Night's Dream

    * The Merchant of Venice

    * As You Like It

    * The Taming of the Shrew

    * All's Well That Ends Well

    * Twelfth Night

    * The Winter's Tale

    * Pericles, Prince of Tyre (not included in the First Folio)

    * The Two Noble Kinsmen (not included in the First Folio) (of doubtful authorship; may have been written in collaboration with John Fletcher)

Histories

    * King John

    * Richard II

    * Henry IV, Part 1

    * Henry IV, Part 2

    * Henry V

    * Henry VI, Part 1

    * Henry VI, Part 2

    * Henry VI, Part 3

    * Richard III

    * Henry VIII

Tragedies

    * Troilus and Cressida

    * Coriolanus

    * Titus Andronicus

    * Romeo and Juliet

    * Timon of Athens

    * Julius Caesar

    * Macbeth

    * Hamlet

    * King Lear

    * Othello

    * Antony and Cleopatra

    * Cymbeline

The bolded titles are the plays I've read. Some in high school, most in college. I was supposed to read Two Gentlemen of Verona as summer reading before my senior year (it was one of five works we had to read, the others being Frankenstein, Ivanhoe, 1984 and something I can't remember now). 

 I definitely want to read Othello, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice. I think I'll aim to read another tragedy and one history to round out my 6 for the year. If I decide to up it to 12, I'll probably try to read two more plays from each category.

I'm on a reading roll lately. I think it helps that I 1) only read two five books in November and 2) am rereading children's books from my youth.

I just finished The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. I loved this book. I wasn't so young the first time I read it (I was 14 I think?). I also read The Queen of Attolia around this time. I then kind of forgot about the books until a few years (maybe six?) later when I realized there was another book in the series and one more to be published.

I bought The King of Attolia and read it a couple of summers ago. I enjoyed it but was struck by how slow it was and how much of the book was about politics.

Rereading The Thief, I realize that it was much the same as The King of Attolia (maybe substitute politics for geography in this one though). It was so slow, most of the book is description of the geography of the countries as the characters travel through them, one of the most exciting parts is downplayed as it's happening and is only relayed to the reader through a story told after the fact. It actually has a lot of elements that I hated in Lord of the Rings (yes, I hate them). But for some reason I loved the book when I was younger (it's a great story despite my complaints above) and I can't hate it now.

I'm hoping to get through The Queen of Attolia soon. I don't remember liking that one as much as The Thief. I can't even remember the story. Hopefully it won't disappoint.

“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.”

-Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid, Lemony Snicket

Warning: This review contains minor (mostly vague) spoilers. 

I recently reread When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt. I first read it one summer - I think I was eleven or twelve - while I was staying at my grandmother's house. I liked it a lot.

When I started rereading it - a decade later - I thought I felt like I was reading an entirely different book.

I was amazed at the small details I remembered, Scarlett's lip gloss, Kate's POW bracelets, Juan's five iron. But I had forgotten whole characters and story lines. I thought there was much more about Toby (the main character) and his crush in the story. I completely forgot that his mother is absent the entire time.

However, I liked the book just as much the second time around, maybe more. It made me nostalgic for my own childhood when I first read it. But it also made me nostalgic for a childhood I never had (the book is set in a small town in Texas in 1971).
 
I also like that Holt writes about heavy subjects - the book touches on death, divorce, obesity/otherness, adolescence - without feeling preachy. There is a subtlety - Holt never beats her reader over the head with a message of acceptance - and a simplicity to her writing that make this book a good read for anyone (although that could be the nostalgia talking).

The 4 Month Challenge, Month 1 Progress

FIVE POINT CHALLENGES:

Read a book by your favourite author

Read a YA book, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt 

Read a book written in 2010

Read a book with a colour/color in the title, Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Read a book set in any country other than your own, The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

TEN POINT CHALLENGES:

Read a book with any ‘family’ name in it.  Eg: Father, daughter, uncle, etc., The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan

Read a book you’ve read before, Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech

Read a fantasy book, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Read a book a book you’ve been meaning to read for ages

Read a book set in the same country you live in, The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

FIFTEEN POINT CHALLENGES:

Read a book written before you were born

Read a book suggested by a blog

Read a book set in a country/place you’d like to visit

Read a book about a person who is still alive (Memoir, bio, auto-bio, etc)

Read a book that is the first in a series

TWENTY POINT CHALLENGES

Read a book about a person who is passed (Memoir, bio, auto-bio, etc)

Read a classic you’ve never read before

Read a book you need to read for another challenge

Read a book of short stories

Read a book with a food in the title, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid by Lemony Snicket


Total points: 75

Challenges

These are the challenges I'm going to attempt in the next year (slash the end of this one). 

The Four Month Challenge December 2010 - March 2011

Off the Shelf Challenge January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011
     I'm going to commit to Making a Dent (30 books) but I'm hoping I'll be able to get through 50 (On a Roll)

Shakespeare Reading Challenge January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011
     I'm going to commit to Desdemona (6 plays), but I'd like to make it to Henry V (12 plays)

50,000

I did it. I hit 50,000 words tonight and am on schedule to finish this novel tomorrow. Now, if only I could think of a title for this beast.

 PS I recently started watching Parenthood and am so disappointed that Lauren Graham and Peter Krause are siblings. I'm still holding onto the hope that they will hook up.

Updates

1. My hands are freezing.

2. I'm super behind on my novel.

3. I hate reviewing books.

4. I'm taking a blogging break until December at the earliest.

5. I finished The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan. My least favorite book of hers, but I just started rereading The Hundred Secret Senses my favorite Amy Tan.

PS I just realized that midnight has come and gone and it's now Thanksgiving. I was going to make a list of everything I'm thankful for, but I decided that everything on the list was kind of generic. Although, I do want to say I'm so thankful for my parents. They're the best.

So here's a little video from one of the HIMYM (How I Met Your Mother) Thanksgiving episodes. 

This show is keeping me sane. Not watching it? Start right now.

“There are no ski lifts in the world of creativity. You gotta haul your own ass up the slope every time you want to come back down it. It’s not so bad, the more you climb up, the stronger you get, and the higher you can go, which makes for better runs.”

-Fred Gallagher

Meme Monday (NaNoWriMo edition)

Meme from here.

When and how did you find out about NaNoWriMo? From people's 101 in 1001 lists.

How many times have you done NaNoWriMo? Counting this one, one.

How many times have you won? If you haven’t won, what was your best result? n/a and n/a

How did you do last year (or your last participation)? n/a

Where do you write and with what do you write? I write in bed usually, or on the floor. I like to write lying down with my computer. I have however written parts of my novel in my car in a notebook with a pen.

How do you find time to write? I write in the morning. I usually make myself write for an hour straight. The first four days of writing I hit my word quota in that one hour of writing. If you divide it up evenly, writing 50,000 words in 30 days means you only have to write 1667 words a day. It's not that bad.(But I'm currently behind by ~5000 words... argh!)

Are your partners, friends and family allies or enemies? I've only told one other person I'm doing this. She's been great.

What are your strengths and what do you use to help you get to the end? I'm a fast typer. I don't have any issues with writing down everything that comes into my head for a particular scene. I think that's only because I'm not treating this like a real work. I know it's rough, I know a lot of it's crap.

What are you weaknesses, obstacles and challenges that hinder you from finishing? One of my weaknesses in writing is descriptive passages, but I'm trying to turn that into a strength by describing everything I can in my novel. It also adds to the word count, so bonus there. My biggest challenge is making myself write in the time I have. Sometimes it's hard to get started. Once I do though, I'm usually OK for the day.

Do you plot/outline/plan or do you write by the seat of your pants? How much do you plot or how unprepared are you? I plotted a little before the month started and I try to have a rough idea of what scene I'm going to write next when I stop each day. That way I can jump right into the writing the next morning. But I am currently learning a lot about my characters and the story as it goes along. I have no idea how it's going to end.

Do you participate in the real life community, go to write ins and meet ups in your area? I don't have time. They all meet when I'm busy.

What are your writing aids? Special snacks, music, totems, rewards or punishments? I rewarded myself with a prize when I hit 10,000 words. I have another prize for when I hit 25,000 words. I try not to listen to music or do anything else while I'm writing. That way I really concentrate on what I'm doing.

How to use an apostrophe.

A nice reminder for everyone. 

I'm currently several thousand words behind on my NaNoWriMo novel, so apostrophes are the least of my worries. However, I'm sure there are some people out there who are ahead in the word count, or not doing NaNoWriMo at all who will find this useful. 

It just occurred to me that even though I started this blog so I'd have a place to update my progress throughout the read-a-thon it doesn't have to be a blog strictly about books.

Sure, I love books and I love reading, but I also love other things. Like knitting, TV and movies, playing handbells, good food, my new Filofax, Sporcling. And I'm also doing other things. Like trying to figure out my life and being a babysitting machine.

So these things might start cropping up here.

“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.”

-Joseph Pulitzer

Meme Monday

I finally finished the beast that was the first meme for Meme Mondays. This one is much shorter (even shorter since I deleted some of the questions) and comes from here. Go there for the full meme.

What's your favourite reading spot now that the weather's turning? (if your climate is changing for the warmer, the question still applies!) Bed. I almost always read in bed unless I'm not at home, or it gets unbearably too hot (but I have a high tolerance, especially when my only movement is turning pages).

What single book sums up the Autumn/Fall season for you? The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier. I have reread it every year for the past few years, usually around this time. Autumn can be a stressful season what with the homework and holidays. I like rereads and children's books at this time because they're comforting and familiar.

What books are you hoping/expecting to read between now and Christmas? (a selection is fine)... I'd love to reread all the Harry Potters and the Chronicles of Narnia before I see the films.

What's the best book you read over the summer? I really enjoyed The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. 

Do you like to turn leaves, or are you a Kindle convert? Definitely a fan of paper books.

Ten Rules for Writing Fiction

This article is great. I especially love Margaret Atwood's, Neil Gaiman's and Helen Simpson's bits of advice.

NaNoWriMo Laments

1. While I like my story (mostly), I'm pretty sure no one else will.

2. The main impetus for my story is something I know nothing about (drugs and drug dealing). Eh... once I get past the part I'm slogging through right now, it will mostly be relegated to MacGuffin status (hopefully).

3. I was writing like a beast for the first 4 days. I would sit down, write for about an hour, hit all the plot points I'd planned to and hit my goal for word count. But I've slowed down am already behind and it isn't even the end of the first week.

I think I've slowed down mostly because I've hit a really boring point in my story. I'm trying to write it chronologically because I'm pretty sure if I let myself skip around, I'll end up with all the main episodes of my novel and nothing to connect them to each other. Or only the exciting parts will get written and huge chunks of the story will be missing. Hopefully I'll be able to make myself bust out this one bit quickly and be back on track to finish on time.

And not a lament:

I'm actually having fun. It's kind of cool to just type words (I think my typing might have improved in the last few days). There's been very little editing, lots of crap coming out, possibly tons of continuity errors (it's impossible to keep track of all the small details of the plot when writing this quickly, but it's liberating. It's crap, who cares? I'm writing for the first time in forever, and I'm going to reach my goal of 50,000 words. Unless it kills me.

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November

Happy Guy Fawkes Day everyone!

This week has been crazy, so I dug out one of my favorite books, The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier. I've reread it almost every year since I first read it.

I like to read something familiar when life gets crazy (as it always does around this time of year, what with school in the past, work in the present and the holidays always). This year I have the added stress of trying to complete NaNoWriMo around strange schedules, practices, family dinners and trips. I'm already over 2,000 words behind. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up between today and Sunday.

“Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely necessary.”

-Jessamyn West

Meme Monday

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
~$400, I think. It was on textbooks.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
If I’m just browsing and see something that looks interesting, I usually open the book to somewhere near the back and read a little before I buy it. If I’m looking for a specific book that I’m really set on reading, I usually pick it up without looking through it first.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Only really bad writing or terrific boredom.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

Yes, but I now have too few shelves and too many books, so there are a lot of them sitting in unorganized piles on my floor.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

Keep books.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy as mentioned before.

52. Name a book that made you angry.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I thought the end was such a cop out.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

I really enjoyed The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I didn’t think I would because it was recommended to me by a friend with very different taste in books.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

I expected to like Lighthousekeeping  by Jeanette Winterson more than I did. I also expected to like Then We Came to the End  by Joshua Ferris more than I did. I didn’t even finish it.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?

Anything from my youth.

This is the last of the first meme for Meme Monday! Now I have to find another for next week... I liked just being able to hit post for the last four weeks.

In other news, I'm starting nanowrimo this week. Check it out here. The website is pretty slow. I think that's because today is the first day, so the site is getting a lot of traffic. I fully expect to fail miserably at this challenge (why did they put it in November? If the rest of the world is like me, this is one of the craziest months of the year), but hopefully I'll get some writing done. We'll see. 

Also, most of my posts this month will be related to NaNoWriMo. Just a warning.

I LOVE Wishbone. I used to watch it with my grandpa when I stayed with him and my grandma every summer. They only had basic cable so I watched a lot of reruns of I Love Lucy and PBS. I wish they would release the series on DVD so I wouldn't have to save all the episodes on my TiVo.

Also, Happy Halloween!!!

New Challenge?

I'm thinking of joining this challenge. I currently am challenging myself to read the books I own but haven't read. I'm going to wait until closer to the end of the year to sign up (if I do decide to sign up). That way I can see how many books I read this year and gauge my level according to that.

In other news my body has been rebelling these last few days. I don't know what's up. Probably an allergic reaction to something. It's not fun though. Luckily it hasn't happened while at work (knock on wood).

And I started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I'm only 13 pages in. This is one of my first crime fictions. I hope I like it because I already bought the other two.

“All good books have one thing in common - they are truer than if they had really happened.”
–Ernest Hemingway.

An open question from The View from Saturday: 

"If you could live one day of your life all over again, what day would it be? And why?"

I don't know what day I would live over again. I think I focus on bad things much more than good things, so most of the days that really stand out in my mind don't seem that great. I might relive a day from when I was living in the UK, or a day in Hawaii.

Also, my choice depends whether that day would be exactly the same (in which case I would choose a good day) or if I could change anything (in which case I would pick the worst day of my life).

However, I think if it were a good day, I would be alone (make of that what you will) and if it was the worst day of my life, I would try to correct my one regret.

And what I'm reading now: I started rereading A Horse and His Boy (my least favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia) but I might give up and reread Lamb by Christopher Moore or The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold instead. Or perhaps something else will become my next read by tomorrow. We'll see.

I've been writing lame reviews of books as I finish them here, but I think I'm going to stop that. I already write lame reviews on my goodreads account. If you're interested, there's a link in this post and on my page. If I ever get better/have the sudden desire to post the same thing in two places on the internet (it's been known to happen occasionally here and on my tumblr), I might start up again.

However, I do want to put the books I am reading up here still. It gives my "what I'm reading" tag a purpose. Also, I care more about what everyone else is reading than about what they think about it (I'm shallow like that).

Today I finished Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech and started The View from Saturday by EL Konigsburg. I'm trying to decide what to read after I finish this. I had an epiphany this weekend but did not write it down so I of course promptly forgot it. Here's to hoping it returns soon (along with my ability to construct a readable sentence).

Meme Monday

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
I hate the library at home. At school last year, anywhere between one and ten.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Sometimes. I tried to only check out books I knew I would read.

38. Favorite fictional character?

I don’t really have favorite characters in books. If I had to pick, I’d say Lyra Silvertongue from HDM or Hermione Granger from Harry Potter.

39. Favorite fictional villain?

See above.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Whatever I'm reading at the time, YA novels, rereads.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
I have no idea. I go through phases where I'll read like mad for a while then not read at all.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
The Lord of the Rings, but I'm going to finish The Return of the King one day, if only to say that I did it. 

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Too much noise around me, especially conversations. I'll often find myself eavesdropping instead of concentrating on what I'm reading.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (tentatively... I've only seen this one once).

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Almost every other film adaptation of a book I've read (there are lots of movies made from books I've never read and I don't really care about those). The Golden Compass and Disney's The Bridge to Terabithia are high on the list though. They looked so awful from the trailers that I didn't see either of them. 

I've been on a mini-vacation this weekend and am so happy to be back home sleeping in my own bed. It's been a lot of fun, but I can't wait for my schedule to go back to normal.

Image from Jacobsen Architecture

This photo combines my love of white bedrooms with my love of bookcases. Perfection.

Today, in place of a book quote, I give you the words of Sarah Silverman.

"Dear America, 
When you tell gay Americans that they can’t serve their country openly, or marry the person that they love, you’re telling that to kids, too. So don’t be fucking shocked, and wonder where all these bullies are coming from that are torturing young kids, and driving them to kill themselves because they’re different. They learned it from watching you."

I just finished The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Fun fact: Ellen Raskin illustrated the original book jacket of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. It was really interesting. In the beginning I had trouble keeping all the characters straight (there are a lot of characters). But once I got into it, the mystery kept me reading. It's like Clue (the movie) with an element of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl thrown in.

This was the fiftieth book I read this year. I reached my goal of reading 50 books this year and 8 books this month. I read a lot of children's lit though (aka shorter books), so I'm a little more than a thousand pages short of my 15,000 page goal. Something to work on in November and December (not that I'll stop reading this month...). 

Another goal: to read a (preferably a new to me) Newbery Medal winner from every decade. When You Reach Me and The Westing Game get me started with... the 2010s (is that right?) and the 1970s.

It was that or to read every Newbery Medal winner from one decade. Maybe I'll tackle that one next year I only have to read three new books to complete the 1990s,* but I'll probably tackle the 2000s. I've only read one of those.**

*The three I haven't read are Maniac MaGee by Jerry Spinelli, Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and Missing May by Cynthia Rylant.
** The one I have read is The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Meme Monday

26. Favorite cookbook?
I do not cook and do not have a favorite cookbook.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
This Is Water by Davis Foster Wallace.

28. Favorite reading snack?

I don’t eat too often while I’m reading. I find it hard to hold the book and eat at the same time.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Maybe The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, but this doesn't happen much for me with books. Strange since it happens with movies all the time.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I rarely read book reviews.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
If I think a book deserves one star (on goodreads), I give it one star. I don’t feel bad about it.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Japanese or French. Most of the translated books I own are Japanese (Murakami) or French (Dumas).

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, or The Lord of the Rings.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, but I will conquer it one day.

35. Favorite Poet?
I like what I've read of Frank O'Hara. Also Shel Silverstein. 

I'm also going to a bookstore today. I was trying not to buy any more books for the month (ideally the year), but I have to give in and get my own copy of When You Reach Me. Hopefully I can resist the call of other books while I'm there.

This is a sickness

But the very best kind of sickness.

I just finished When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead and it is the most beautiful thing I've read in a while. I wish it had been written ten years earlier so I could have read it when I was 12. This book is like an old friend I've just met (to steal from Gonzo), and it's made me want to give five stars to every children's book I've ever read.

Even though I wasn't surprised by the ending, I'm confident I could reread this book many times and still take away something different, or notice something I missed the last time I read it. Also, it doesn't hurt that this book references A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle several times (I totally have a signed copy of A Wrinkle in Time that also says Tesser Well).

This book was also great because it broke me out of the reading slump I hit after the read-a-thon when I started Watership Down (aka Lord of the Rings with rabbits). Hopefully my next reads (probably Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech with some Watership Down thrown in with the hopes that I'll actually finish it) will keep this ball rolling. One more book to 50 for the year!

“I never deliberately learned to read, but somehow I had been wallowing illicitly in the daily papers. In the long hours of church—was it then I learned? I could not remember not being able to read hymns. Now that I was compelled to think about it, reading was something that just came to me, as learning to fasten the seat of my union suit without looking around, or achieving two bows from a snarl of shoelaces. I could not remember when the lines above Atticus’s moving finger separated into words, but I also stared at them all the evenings in my memory, listening to the news of the day, Bills to Be Enacted into Laws, the diaries of Lorenzo Dow—anything Atticus happened to be reading when I crawled into his lap every night. Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” –To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch

Meme Monday

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Only when I am desperate and have no other way of marking the page.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
I used to when I was in school but I never write in my personal copies of books.

18.  Not even with text books?
See above.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English.

20. What makes you love a book?
I love a book when it teaches me something, anything. However, I also love books that simply entertain.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

It depends. I have to have really enjoyed the book and I have to think the other person will enjoy it too.

22. Favorite genre?
Fiction?

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Biographies

24. Favorite biography?
I read Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin this year. It's technically a memoir, but it was very good.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
No

PS Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone! (I celebrated by watching HIMYM. Sadly, this week's episode didn't mention Canadian Thanksgiving.)

from tumblr

Read-a-thon Wrap Up

I fell asleep. But that's actually good. I'll be able to function today (mostly).

I squeezed in a little more reading. I got 110 more pages read from 1:20am to 1:55am.

Here are my totals for the read-a-thon:
Title of book(s) read since last update: I finished Fantastic Mr. Fox and started Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator both by Roald Dahl
Number of books read since you started: 5.5 plus part of a Harry Potter audiobook and 20 pages of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Pages read since last update: 110
Running total of pages read since you started: 1,018
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 35 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 12 hr
Mini-challenges completed: 4

It was fun. Hopefully next time I won't have so much to do around the read-a-thon and I'll be able to read more. Still, I'm pretty happy with how this one went.

One last huge thanks to all the cheerleaders. You all did such a great job motivating me to keep going. Whenever I felt tired, I'd come reread a cheer. It was great that even though I was reading alone for most of the day, it never felt like I was alone.

And thanks to the organizers and mini challenge hosts, everyone who helped put the read-a-thon on. It was great! I can't wait for April.

(If the 24 Hour Meme ever gets posted, I'll add my answers to this post.)
(Ask and you shall receive. These showed up right after I posted the above. )

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Probably Hour 1 (I had trouble choosing what book to start with) and Hour 21 (when I fell asleep)
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I enjoyed rereads from my childhood. They went pretty quickly because they're short, the language is easy, and I already knew the story. I also thought Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day was a good read-a-thon book.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope. I think it went great.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I thought everything went really smoothly. The Cheerleaders were probably my favorite part (I know I've gushed about them a lot over the last 24 hours, but it's all deserved).
5. How many books did you read? 5.5 plus part of a Harry Potter audiobook and 20 pages of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
6. What were the names of the books you read?
* Animorphs 10: The Android
* Burning Bright (started before the read-a-thon)
* The Secret Lives of People in Love
* Animorphs 11: The Forgotten
* Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
* Fantastic Mr. Fox
* Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (partially read)
* Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (partially listened to) 
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Of the new reads (aka excluding the Animorphs books) I enjoyed Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day most
8. Which did you enjoy least? I enjoyed all of them. If I hadn't liked any, I would have stopped reading that book and started another.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? I was not a Cheerleader, but might sign up to be one next time. 
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I'm very likely to participate again if I'm free on that weekend in April. If I can participate for the full 24 hours, I might just read (just to see how much I can read if I fully devote myself to the 24 hours). If that read-a-thon is like this one though (with lots of interruptions throughout the day) I might sign up to read and be a cheerleader. Either way, I'm excited for the next read-a-thon!

Hour 19

Title of book(s) read since last update: I'm just finished Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson. Number of books read since you started: 4.5 plus part of a Harry Potter audiobook
Pages read since last update: 77
Running total of pages read since you started: 908
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1hr  5 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 11 hr 25min
Mini-challenges completed: 4

My eyes are feeling very tired. It is time for a nap for reals. If there are no more updates from me, it means my nap turned into sleep. Here's to hoping that doesn't happen. To anyone still awake and reading/cheering, I applaud you.

Hour 18

Title of book(s) read since last update: I'm still reading Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson. I would highly recommend this book for the read-a-thon. It's very entertaining and a quick read.
Number of books read since you started: 3.5 plus part of a Harry Potter audiobook
Pages read since last update: 74
Running total of pages read since you started: 831
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1hr 
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 10 hr 20min
Mini-challenges completed: 4

I ended up not taking a nap. That will come later. I really want to push and finish this book before midnight. I think I'm just going to miss that mark. We'll see.

Hour 16

Title of book(s) read since last update: I started Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
Number of books read since you started: 3.5 plus part of a Harry Potter audiobook
Pages read since last update:  83
Running total of pages read since you started: 757
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1hr 15 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 9 hr 20min
Mini-challenges completed: 4

I think I need to take another break, chill out, move around, maybe nap a little. I think most of my updates have either involved taking a break or food. I promise I'm reading too, that's just not as interesting to write about.

Hour 14

Title of book(s) read since last update: I finished The Forgotten (Animorphs 11)
Number of books read since you started: 3.5 plus part of a Harry Potter audiobook
Pages read since last update: 127
Running total of pages read since you started: 674
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 55 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 8 hr 5min
Mini-challenges completed: 4

I'm starting to get tired. It's time to rally (and possibly caffeinate a little). Thanks for all the encouraging comments! They're helping a lot.

Hour 13

I just got home and I'm feeling pretty good. Here's what I accomplished reading-wise while at work.

Title of book(s) read since last update: I finished The Secret Lives of People in Love and started The Forgotten (Animorphs 11)
Number of books read since you started: 2.5 plus part of a Harry Potter audiobook
Pages read since last update: 109, plus I listened to the equivalent of 33 pages
Running total of pages read since you started: 547
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1hr 40min reading, 55 min listening
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 7 hr 10min
Mini-challenges completed: 4

Now I'm off to eat dinner and read some more!

Mid-Event Survey

 1. What are you reading right now? Animorphs 11: The Forgotten

2. How many books have you read so far? 2.5 (plus some of an audio book)

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Not sure yet. I don't have a list and didn't pick out anything ahead of time. I'm just reading as the spirit moves me.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Unfortunately I had to work, so I haven't been reading all day.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I had to work, but I tried to read as much as I could (I was babysitting) while away from home.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How not daunting it's been. Maybe it's because I just had a huge break (we'll see how I'm doing in the early hours of the morning), but it hasn't been as challenging as I thought it would be.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope. I might at the end though. We'll see.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? If I were able to participate for the full 24 hours, I might sign up as a Reader and a Cheerleader. 

9. Are you getting tired yet? Not yet.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? For me, I've read one YA title, one novel and a book of short stories. I think variety is the key. Also, even though I have a complex about finishing every book I start, for the read-a-thon, I would say if it doesn't interest you, pick up something else.

Hour 7

I've gotten no reading done this hour.

Instead I took a nap, ate lunch and rehydrated. Now I am about to change (I'm still in my pajamas) so I can go to work. This means no updates for a few hours. And by a few I mean six or seven. I'm going to try to keep reading while I'm gone and will post an update as soon as I get back to my computer.

Happy reading everyone!

PS And here's another shout out to the cheerleaders. I haven't responded to too many of you individually, but I have read all your comments/cheers/encouragements. Thanks so much! You're all awesome!!!

Hour 6

Title of book(s) read since last update: Still reading The Secret Lives of People in Love
Number of books read since you started: 1.5
Pages read since last update: 63
Running total of pages read since you started: 405
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 55min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 4 hr 35min
Mini-challenges completed: 3

Show Me the Books Mini Challenge

It's not a very good photo (I'm not a very good photographer), but this is one of my many TBR shelves. I own a ton of books that I've never read. Hopefully I'll get through a few of these today!

Hour 5

Title of book(s) read since last update: I finished Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier and started The Secret Lives of People in Love by Simon Van Booy
Number of books read since you started: 1.5 (I started Burning Bright before the read-a-thon)
Pages read since last update: 45
Running total of pages read since you started: 342
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 30 min 
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 3hr 40 min
Mini-challenges completed: 2

I took a little break from reading to eat a proper breakfast (bagel with cream cheese and lox) and watch this week's episode of The Big Bang Theory. Now I'm ready to read some more.

And I want to say thanks to all the cheerleaders! You're all doing a great job. I love seeing all your encouraging comments when I come here to post a new update.

Hour 3

Title of book(s) read since last update: I'm finishing Burning Bright (~30 pages to go)
Number of books read since you started: 1 finished, 1 almost finished (that I started before the read-a-thon)
Pages read since last update: 127
Running total of pages read since you started: 297
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1hr 40 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 3hr 10 min
Mini-challenges completed: 2 (if you count the introduction meme) 

Back-in-the-Day Children’s Book Mini-Challenge

What were some of your favorite children’s books when you were younger? I mentioned in my first Monday Meme that I loved series as a child. One series I didn't mention is Harry Potter, but that might be because I read that series from childhood (age 11) to young adulthood (19). 

Do you have any new favorites now that you’re an adult? I recently read Ella Enchanted and am pretty sure I would have loved it as a kid. I enjoy rereading children's books I loved more than reading new ones though. I can't help but love them now because I loved them then. There's not that nostalgic element with children's books I read now. 

Have you included any children’s or YA titles in your Read-A-Thon stack this year? I have included some YA titles in my read-a-thon plans. I started with an Animorphs book and might break out a few more when I get tired.

Hour 2

Title of book(s) read since last update: Animorphs 10: The Android
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 170
Running total of pages read since you started: 170
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hr 30 mins
Running total of time spent reading since you started: (keep track of this one to be eligible for a prize!) 1hr 30 mins
Mini-challenges completed: 1
Other participants you’ve visited: 0 (I probably won't visit too many blogs this read-a-thon)
Prize you’ve won: 0

And now I'm going to make myself some tea and get something to eat. Then more reading!

Hour 1

Let the read-a-thon begin!

Where are you reading from today? From home and where I'll be babysitting later today (all in the Bay Area)
3 facts about me...  1. This is my first read-a-thon. 2. I'm a really good whistler. 3. I also love to knit.
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? I didn't make a pile. I'm just going to grab another book from my shelf as I finish one. I tried to make a pile, but it was going to be about 20 books big, which is overwhelming for one day.
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? I just want to participate for as long as I can and read as much as I can. But I have to do some things today (which will cut into my reading time) and I have a lot of commitments tomorrow morning/afternoon (which require that I get some sleep tonight).
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time? This is my first read-a-thon. I hope some others out there have good advice!

"I can never read all the books I want; I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones and variations of mental and physical experience possible in life. And I am horribly limited."

-Sylvia Plath

I finished The Great Gatsby today. I'm not very good at book reviews, so instead I'm posting a few paintings by Jack Vettriano that make me think of The Great Gatsby.

Narcissistic Bathers

The Waltzers

The Letter

Amateur Philosophers

Meme Monday

I bumped the number of questions up from 5 to 10. That way I should finish within the month. Also, the questions all came from here.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
Nope, but I sometimes read e-books on my computer. 

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I usually read a book quickly enough that there's not a lot of time to read another one at the same time, but even when I read one more slowly, I still usually only read one at a time.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Well, I just started this blog, so no.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
My friend recommended a book by Cassandra Clare to me. I didn't get past the first chapter. And I usually finish every book I start.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
To Kill a Mockingbird  by Harper Lee was excellent. It was my first time reading it. I had read parts of it freshman year in high school, but never read the whole novel until this summer.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not too often.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Novels.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yes.

14. Favorite place to read?
In bed.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
Depends on the person. My biggest pet peeve is when someone breaks the spine of one of my books. I don’t really mind other damage (as long as it’s minor). I'll lend a book to anyone once, but if it comes back broken I'm not likely to let them borrow another one.

from tumblr

It's National Book Month. One of my goals for the month is to try and finish at least 7 books (that will bring my total to 50 books read this year). Definitely doable with the read-a-thon coming up.

I finished The Catcher in the Rye by today. It was OK. It took me four days to finish though. When I was reading it, it was easy to read. When I wasn't reading it, it was hard to pick up.

Also, when I started reading it I realized I knew NOTHING about the plot. No one really talks about what happens in the book (maybe because not much happens in the book). People always talk about how much they love or hate Holden Caulfield. At times I thought he was a genius and at times I thought he was the most annoying character ever.

I'm off to start The Great Gatsby now. I read parts of it when I was a junior in high school (I think I even wrote a paper on it), but I've never read it all the way through.

And just for a laugh, here's the Book-A-Minute summary for The Catcher in the Rye:

Holden Caulfield Angst angst angst swear curse swear crazy crazy angst swear curse, society sucks, and I'm a stupid jerk.

Read-a-thon update

Today I was offered a baby sitting job on October 9 (the day of the read-a-thon) which will take up about 1/3 of my day. I took it. While it would have been nice to turn the job down and just read all day, I need the money to support my book and shoe habit. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in a little reading between sessions of playing Barbies.

"We need to make books cool again. If you go home with someone and they don't have books, don't fuck 'em."

-John Waters

Meme Monday

 Here are the first five questions to a book meme. I'll try to post five more answers each Monday until I've finished this meme (there are 55 questions). Then I might move onto something else or find another meme. Meme is a weird word, but I figure Meme Mondays is nice because of the alliteration.

1. Favorite childhood book?

I loved series: The Baby-Sitters Club, The Boxcar Children, Animorphs, Nancy Drew, the Ramona Books. But I read so much more as a child than I do now, so it's difficult to remember which one was my favorite.

2. What are you reading right now?
Burning Bright by Tracy Chavalier and The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
I despise my library. Whenever I want a book, they never have it. I wanted to check out Wuthering Heights  by Emily Bronte one day, and they have ZERO copies.How is that possible!?

4. Bad book habit?
Buying them and then not reading them but I'm working on this.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
See answer to 3. 

Banned Books Week

Like the title of this post says, this week is Banned Books Week. Read more about it here.

Also, here is a list of classics that have been banned or challenged. Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne is on this list as a challenged book... which tells me that some people are seriously deranged.

In honor of the week (which I just learned about five minutes ago, so pardon my lack of information), I will read at least one of the books on the list. I'm going to try reading The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. I started it once before but feel that I've missed the right time in my life to read the book. We'll see if I'm right or if I can still appreciate it even though I'm not 16 any more.

If I finish that or decide that I want to read a different book, I'm going to read The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy reading to everyone whether you're reading a banned book this week or not.

I just started this blog for the 24 hour read-a-thon (to learn more go here). This is where I'll post my updates on the day. Hopefully it will look prettier and more polished then!