Thoughts on BEDA 5/31

So, here is the problem I always encounter when I attempt BEDA... I don't do ANYTHING! Seriously, I hang out with my family and work (during BEDApril) and read. And I'm happy with that. But it is not a good combo for BEDA. You can't just blog about watching TV with your gma and reading HP fanfiction. I mean, you CAN, but not for 31 one days! Maybe next year I'll do BEDOctober or BEDMarch and BEDMay. Those are active months. But I'm sticking with BEDAugust this year, folks. I'm doing it! When I finish this blog I'm going to set up a picture blog to post early tomorrow and then I'm still going to do another post tomorrow evening. It's going to happen! Now that I've said this, I am committed! Two blog posts tomorrow!

In exciting news, I finally have one of my new bookshelves built and installed! It is so EXCITING! As I've mentioned before I am redecorating my room and adding storage space. One step is helping my dad build bookshelves to go in and add (much needed) space for books. Some might say "buy fewer books," to them I say "I don't understand the words you are saying." Since not buying books isn't an option, I needed shelves. Now I have one adorable bookshelf and I must decide what books to put on this small shelf that flanks my bed. It's an adventure! Of course my father and grandmother are amused by my anxiety over shelving books, but I'm used to their mockery!

Oops! BEDA 4/31

Well, as you can see I missed a day. HOWEVER, I am COMMITTED to blogging for 31 days. I know I say that every single BEDA, but I mean it this time. I'm doing a lot of interesting things right now with this redecorating project and I actually have things to blog about. So I am DOING IT! I fully intended to blog last night after my weekly movie date with my grandmother, if for no other reason than to discuss my feelings about the movie: Mirror, Mirror. But here's the thing...I was kind of underwhelmed. It wasn't BAD, but I didn't think it was GREAT either. I suppose I just expected a little bit more from a fairy tale retelling. In my opinion the characters were kind of flat and I didn't really care what happened to any of them. It didn't help that E spoiled a MAJOR part of the ending, so even then big *GASP* moment was kind of ruined. Alas, this was no Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* level of disappointment, but I will probably not be rewatching this film. I didn't even think Julia Roberts was convincing as a villain. Nathan Lane, however, was AMAZING and well up to his usual standard. And of course the small appearance of Sean Bean** warmed my tiny fangirl heart! All in all, if you like fairy tale retellings, check this out. If you like AMAZING fairy tale retellings, read Jackson Pearce's books.




*OotP is arguably the worst movie I've ever seen. I can't think of another movie that I've EVER been more disappointed in, so much so that had I paid for my own ticket I would have written to Warner Bros and requested a refund. I was SO disappointed in that movie and it has become the yardstick I use to measure other disappointing movies.
**Although, I did remark to my dad that I was astounded that he was not viciously killed at some point because that seems to be his MO.

Summer Break Thus Far

So far summer break has been HECTIC! This isn't really unexpected, I've had cousins around since Thursday, have a family cook out today for Memorial Day, and have been attempting to get paperwork done before the work day at my office since I have to use that day for file review/updates. So far I've had a mani/pedi to celebrate the start of summer, baked cookies, made Nutella swirl ice cream pops, and froze lemonade so I can attempt to make my very own Lemon Berry Slush.* All of these things were accomplished with E by my side. I also had The Clone over Friday night, and have been plagued by allergies which thoroughly  ruined all my plans to work outside yesterday. Instead of weeding my herb bed and restacking wood so I can hang my hammock, I slept on the couch for three hours and watched several episodes of ANTM. I know, I live the high life. 

Right now I'm letting tea steep so I can make sweet tea for out cook out, and trying to plan a summer reading list. Also highly exciting plans. The plan for today is to spend the evening with the family, swim in my aunt's pool while trying to avoid being drowned by the cousins, and probably have E back tonight for slushes and movies. Now that she is out of school I'm sure I'll have her here at least three times a week, probably more. This is always fun, but slightly exhausting...sometimes I have trouble keeping up with a nine year old, especially one with so much energy! Hopefully this summer with little to no work will give me the time I need to work on some projects here at home and to successfully deal with the stress I've been under due to family drama. I'd like to start next school year a happier, healthier person and I'm planning to use this summer to do make that happen!

*Hands down my favorite thing on the Sonic menu.

BEDA 8: The Problem with Loving Books

Clearly this is no longer BEDA...however, I do hereby swear that there WILL be thirty blog posts by the end of April.* I don't really have any excuse for not posting yesterday, and really what is the point of dwelling on our past failures? ONTO THE ACTUAL BLOG POST!!!

It's no secret that I love books. Just flat out adore them. I love them in any format - hardback, paperback, ebook, with the dust jacket, without the dust jacket, new, used, borrowed, etc. It doesn't really matter to my how I get my hands on a book as long as I have books. The problem is...space. And also time. There will never be enough time in my life for me to read all the books that I will desire to read. And that makes me a little sad, but it also makes the discovery of books that I love and cherish even more special in the long run. Currently I have a LOT of books. I have stacks of books and shelves filled with books and my friends have stacks of books that I've loaned them and I have an ereader that is ALSO filled with books. It's no surprise that one of my Major Summer Goals is to reorganize my bookshelves and catalog all of my books. This is vital for numerous reasons. 1) I'll know what books I own, 2) I'll know where my books are, and which books are off in the Wild Blue Yonder, and 3) I'll be able to weed through my shelves and donate books that I don't need for whatever reason.

Another major issue with having ALL THE BOOKS is actually deciding what to read. I ran into this issue this weekend when I had several hysterical crying outbursts because of Family Drama (centering around my mother) and I just wanted something fluffy and funny to read. You know what I don't own a lot of? Fluffy, funny books. So I was torn, should I read something I love (HP) and find comfort in that? Should I pick up something random from my shelves and risk it being filled with angst? Should I just ignore all the books and watch super hot brothers kill demons on Netflix? I had too many options, which usually happens when it comes to deciding What to Read.** Truthfully, I'd rather have too many options when it comes to What to Read than no options at all. And sometimes I look around at all of the books I'm hoarding and I remember that there are children and adults all over the world who don't own books. And then I dislike myself just a little bit. I'm good about giving books away and donating money to book related charities and the like, but I still feel kind of greedy when I see how much I have. I'm sure that by the end of summer I will have donated a large number of books to my local library or I will have them boxed up and ready to mail out to some sort of book drive. And then I'll start the process of purchasing and hoarding books all over again.






*No really, guys...I am GOING to do this. Really!
**For the record I just read a book I had already started.

A Post About YARN

It's that time of year again where it is cool in the evenings and there are new TV shows to watch. And also when I can crochet without any major issues from the heat. I went to Michael's this past weekend to get yarn to finish up a blanket I'm making for a lady I go to church with and I also picked up a book so I can start branching out as far as projects are concerned. I usually stay in my "safe zone," focusing on my AMAZING ability to crochet a scarf in no time and making these super easy granny square blankets. While I absolutely adore my "Hodgepodge Blankets," I really do want to challenge myself more. The book I got has a pretty easy sweater pattern and I'm really nervous excited to try it.

While I was there I also bought BEAUTIFUL yarn. I have no idea what I'm going to make with this, but I'm going to have to find a pattern and make SOMETHING, just to see how it is going to work up. I would love to make a throw out of it, but it is pretty lightweight and I'm not sure how the gauge will work, especially since my stitches are so tight. Anyway, you all should expect more frequent yarn posts, now that I'll have my hands on more projects.

I've also finished several books from my Y'all Fest reading list! I've actually read more books this month than I did last month. So many of these Y'all Fest books are fantastic, and I really wish I could manage to write a review that said something intelligent about how amazing these books aren't, but so far I haven't been able to. I'll just say you should all read The Name of the Star, Paranormalcy, and The Vespertine. They were wonderful books, and all are very different from the others, even though they all have elements of the supernatural.

Reading

I've been really lucky at work recently, what with only having three clients and all. Especially since two of my client's are really low impact. I've had time to actually do paperwork AT WORK, ya know...when I'm getting paid instead of at home for hours after work. Since I've had practically no paperwork I have been reading a lot. Which is VERY GOOD because I have Y'all Fest in November and I'd really like to have read at least one book by each of the authors who will be there. Right now I'm reading a lovely steampunkish novel called The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge and The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell.

I'm not certain what exactly The Vespertine is about, but it is one of the most amazing books. The way Mitchell describes her MC's thoughts and feelings is incredible and I am completely in love. And honestly, I think that says something about Mitchell as a writer. Usually if I get seven chapters in and have no idea where the story is going I toss the book aside and try again later. I never want to put The Vespertine down. There is a sense of elegance and mystery in the book. Set in the late 1800s in Maryland it focuses on girls who are attempting to find husbands. A common practice back in the day. There is also a flirtation with the occult, the girls sneak off to see a medium and I'm pretty sure that they plan to start dabbling as well. Soon I will be reading about seances and spirits. Already the MC has "seen" the future. I'm not sure that she has actually had a vision or if her imagination has ran away with her.

In short this book is beautiful. I have a (very, very sad) Tumblr account that is rarely used, but as I've read this book I've posted quotes from the book. Actually I think that may become the reason for my Twitter account. To post book quotes and such. It's hard to fit them all on Twitter and really I don't see the point of posting a three sentence quote HERE because apparently short blogs are of the devil! In short: If you are looking for an awesome historical fiction book check out The Vespertine.*

*Even though I have no real idea what the book is about or what is going on. It is still WONDERFUL!

Teaser Tuesday- September 20, 2011

Today's Teaser comes from The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge. This is the first book in the Iron Codex series and one of the many books on my Y'all Fest TBR list.

"It was a fact of life, like uniform stocking itching behind the knees-unpleasant and inevitable. Fighting back just told the Marcoses of the world that their barbs hit home." ~ pg 34 of the Nookbook edition








Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To Infinity AND BEYOND!

Or ya know...to Charleston, SC for a book festival. One or the other. YOU DECIDE!!!

Actually, BFF2 and I (and maybe The Clone and Baby Neville) are indeed going to South Carolina in November for a YA book fest! I am SOOO excited!* And of course, since I am going to meet all of these AMAZING authors I have been SUPER stressed about my TBR list! I've spent the entire weekend scouring my list to cull out the books by authors who will be in SC this November and making plans to read at least one book by EACH author that will be there.** I also had to make a list for BFF2.*** Needless to say we have got a LOT of reading to do in the next two months. Not that I didn't already plan to make detailed monthly TBR lists! However, now I am just making a Y'All Fest Reading List and I'll post in on the TBR page and you guys can check it out there! They are still updating the author list, so I'll be updating the TBR list as the authors are announced. Luckily I have already read books by a few of the authors, so that lightens my load a bit. Right now it looks like I need to read about 12 books to be ready for the author meetings. NO PRESSURE!!! But, really I enjoy pressure. And I am so excited about the chance to meet some of these authors that I am about to EXPLODE!

In other news, we all know I failed BEDA. To make up for my cruddiness (and because the lack of blogging was kind of out of my control due to the dead laptop) I am going to make up the blog days I missed in September. I managed to do 17 of 31 BEDA posts, which means I missed 14 posts. So I commit to blogging 14 times in the month of September. I'm not sure what these blogs will contain (probably mass insanity) but  THERE WILL BE BLOGS! I hope that those of you who showed up during BEDA will stick around and that my lunacy hasn't scared you away!

Now, it's back to one of the two books I'm currently reading! Enjoy your Labor Day holidays (if you have one) folks!

*Because I am a nerd
**Because I am a nerd
***Because SHE is a nerd

Updating the TBR List and Packing Extravaganzas

I spent my long weekend doing a lot of random things. I hung out with BFF2,  I did some paperwork, I drove a total of eight hours to pick my uncle and cousin up after their two hour flight "home," I watched fireworks, and I did laundry. I mean a LOT of laundry. A ridiculous amount of laundry really. And since I hate laundry with a burning passion I decided that I would go ahead and pack for my upcoming vacation. In six VERY SHORT days BFF2 and I will depart for Florida. I am EXTREMELY excited about this trip. I haven't had a real vacation in several years. I went to Chicago earlier this year to visit a friend but it was just over a long weekend. THIS is going to be a seven day trip that includes a road trip, a theme park, and HARRY POTTER! And my best friend of course.

While packing the books I plan on taking with me I came to a startling realization. When I made my Summer TBR List I picked several books that are the first in a series. This is a problem. I don't actually feel like I can add MORE books to my list to accommodate the series books, but I know myself well enough to know that I won't be able to just read the first book in a series. THEREFORE I am going to have to spend some time rearranging the TBR list. I spent the day pouring over my shelves and making a list of possible alternate choices.  I realize this seems silly, but honestly having that list and knowing which books I've set a goal to read has really helped me stay on task this summer bookwise. It's been nice to just read through the list without worrying about shifting through my shelves (and piles) in order to choose a book. Soon I will update my TBR tab and you can see what I've decided to read!

And yes, I realize that I'm a nerd who just spent an entire blog entry talking about a Harry Potter themed vacation and a reading list!

Summer

Tomorrow is the first official day of summer. At least it is for me. Friday was the last day of school and I have to say I was relieved to see it come and go. It was sad to say goodbye to the students that I have grown close to in the last year. I had major concerns last year about being at the middle school, and some of those concerns were valid. Middle school kids are harder than first graders, I'm relatively small which led to confusion when substitutes and new students weren't sure I was an adult, and most of all I had a LOT of clients which led to a lot of scheduling conflicts. But overall I am really satisfied with how my year went. I feel that while I may not have been an active presence on the internet (this blog in particular) I made a positive impact on many different kids this year. I left Friday to hugs, requests for book lists and yearbook signings, and even a few tears. I can honestly say that I hope I have to opportunity to stay in my school next year and move up a grade level with the teens I worked with this year. But that is ultimately a blog entry for another day, one that is MUCH closer to the end of this wonderful summer.

I have PLANS this summer. Some are glamorous (a trip with BFF2) and some are mundane (movie nights with The Fantastic Four and cook outs with my family) but all are exciting. Since I have such exciting plans I really (REALLY) want to blog about some of the stuff I do. There are things going on this summer that I really want to document and share. There will be some video-blogging (maybe) happening and of course I will be updating Twitter like there is no tomorrow, but I also want to be able to blog through my summer as well. So that is one of my major summer goals. At least a weekly entry here for updates. I am sure there will be more than one blog some weeks, but I am really dedicated to blogging once a week.

I also have reading plans this summer. And TV-watching plans. I recently bought some paperbacks to dive into this summer as I lounge by the pool or ride the bus during summer program field trips. I realize that I already HAVE paperbacks that need to be read, but I'm not really planning on using the Nook very often this summer. I love it too much to risk water damage or breakage by one of the cousins. Therefore, physical books are the key to summer reading. I haven't set any kind of reading goal for summer, and I'm really far behind on my yearly goal as it is, but I am considering making a TBR list for my summer reading and trying to stick to that list. I know several titles that I want to read before school starts again and having a list always helps me stay on task instead of being distracted by all of the new shiny books that I am sure I will procure over the summer.

So that's the major summertime game plan. Work, road trip, lazy days by the pool, family time, books. Best.Summer.EVER!*

*I hope!

End Notes: February 2011

Another month where I didn’t actually meet my reading goal, but I did come closer and February was a shorter month, so I have hope that March may be the month I actually do it! Amazingly work is the main reason I read more in February. I had so much work and was so stressed that I made it a point carve out time to read. This worked out well, allowing me time to decompress after work before starting paperwork.

Books Read: 5

Pages:1350

Rereads: 3
Abandoned Books: 1

As you can see, there were a lot of rereads in February. This was due to reading through previously released books in a series so I could read the books I haven’t read yet. This is a strange quirk of mine. Do you all reread previously published books in a series before reading the newest release? Do you reread at all? I’m curious because BFF2 and I are big on rereading, my dad doesn’t see the point of reading a book again. I also broke the Book Buying Ban in February. Kind of. I bought a series book when it was released in paperback without finished a book first. Not too terrible considering I only bought two books in February total.* I plan to continue the Book Buying Ban for the year if I can manage, but I’m pretty sure I need to reduce the amount of space taken up by stacks of books in my floor!

*Not including ebooks, because really, it isn’t as if they take up SPACE!

End Notes: January 2011

In January I did not keep up with my reading schedule. Why do I have a reading schedule? Mainly because I have a lot of distractions (work, family, Netflix, cute British TV stars, Twitter) so I have to sometimes remind myself that I have HUNDREDS of books that need to be read. I am constantly reading, but I have a bad habit of picking up a book and reading ten pages and then setting it down. I currently have six books started that are at various stages of completion. I may finish them all next week; I may forget I was reading them and start new ones. But that is why I have the schedule. So, my goal is to read 75 books this year, and have at least 50 of those books be books I have never read before. To do that I need to read about 6 and a half books a month. Here is how I did in January:

Books Read: 4

Pages Read: 1061

Rereads: 0

Of the books I read in January, none of the books were books published in 2011 and none were books I purchased in 2011. I am reinstating the Book Buying Ban starting February 1, 2011.* In order to purchase a book I must first read a book. The book read cannot be a reread UNLESS it is a series and another book in that series has been published. I’m not sure how this will work, I pretty much caved last year when I tried this. But I need a way to reduce the number of books I buy, especially since I am having so much trouble working through my TBR list!

*I know, it is already past February 1, but I haven’t bought books since Tuesday!

Thursday Ten: Books I Want to Read In 2011

There are a LOT of books I want to read. Everything from classics I didn't appreciate the first time around to books that haven't been published yet. There are MANY more than ten books I want to read. I think I will be forced to break this list down in to several lists. THIS edition will focus on books being published in 2011

1. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
2. The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
3. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
4. Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
5. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
6. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
7. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
8. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
9. The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
10. Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Teaser Tuesday January 18, 2011

NOTE: I am setting these up in advance due to lack of internet services, so I can't guarantee that I will ACTUALLY be reading these on the day they post. However, they are either recently read or at the top of my TBR list.

Today's Teaser is from Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld. This is a reread that I need to finish now that I have Behemoth back from The Clone. It was one of my favorite books I read in 2009, and my reread has been delightful!

"The huge tentacle swept through the air, a sheet of seawater spilling like rain from its length. The Royal Navy kraken was another of Huxley's fabrications, Deryn had read, made from the life chains of the octopus and giant squid."~pg 114 of the paperback edition.




Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Thursday Ten: Best Books of 2010

I realize this post is about two weeks late, but I'm blaming no internet for that delay! These aren't necessarily books that were published in 2010, just books that I read for the first time in 2010. So, in no particular order, my top ten reads of 2010

1. Ash by Malinda Lo
2. Will Grayson/Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
3. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
4. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
5. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
6. Sea by Heidi R. Kling
7. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
8. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
9. Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson
10. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Honestly, it should have been a LOT easier for me to pick ten books since I only read thirty. However, I read quality books this year. All the books I read were very good and I would suggest you check them out if you haven't already!

Teaser Tuesday January 11, 2011

NOTE: I am setting these up in advance due to lack of internet services, so I can't guarantee that I will ACTUALLY be reading these on the day they post. However, they are either recently read or at the top of my TBR list.

Today's Teaser is from Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke.

"Ask him why  he doesn't read aloud to you," said Dustfinger. "And don't let him put you off with excuses."~pg 53 of the paperback edition.






Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

2011 Reading Goals

I've been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year, reading wise. I'm not really thrilled with my reading last year, but I did better than expected I guess, considering I have an insane job that keeps my busy and a GIGANTIC family that adds to the busyness. I do well with goals, but I usually get distracted by challenges and sign up for WAY to many of them. That being said, I'm not going to sign up for any challenges this year. If I decide to read steampunk, I'll read steampunk. Same with dystopian, fairy tale retellings, or vampire stories. I do  tend to lean toward YA authors, and I really do enjoy paranormal/fantasy/fairy/etc. So most of books will come from there. With all of these things in mind, along with the massive number of books I own and my TBR lists, I have set some personal goals.

1. Read 75 books next year, 50 of which are not rereads
2. 12 Classic novels- I have a list of these, which I will add to the sidebar. I'm not sure if I will make it through them or not, but I'd like to give them a chance.
3. Read the 2011 Youth Award winners. This includes Newbery, Printz, National Book Award, etc.
4. 2011 Debs. I would like to say that I am going to read ALL of the 2011 Debs. But that seems unrealistic. However, this year I read MANY debut novels that I absolutely loved, and I want the chance to fall in love with these new authors as well. My goal is to read at least one debut novel a month.
5. During Banned Books Week I want to read three banned/challenged books. However, during the year I'd also like to read banned books as well. In total I would like to read 15 banned/challenged books during 2011.

So there are my goals. They aren't lofty at all, but I think that they will help me focus my reading and actually get some things read.  As always, if you have suggestions feel free to leave them for me! I am always looking for ways to add to my TBR pile!

Teaser Tuesday December 7, 2010

The first Advent Teaser comes from Matchless by Gregory Maguire. It is a retelling of the fairy tale "The Little Match Girl."




"She crouched, half asleep, till a church bell rang. It was a quarter to midnight."  






Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Teaser Tuesday November 9, 2010

Remember last week, when I was bemoaning my lack of Dash and Lily's Book of Dares? Not to mention the self-imposed Book Buying Ban. Well, it turns out that I am abysmal at not buying books. I am genuinely BAD at resisting a book store. That being said...I obviously purchased Dash and Lily, and have chosen it for today's teaser! Dash and Lily's Book of Dares is the third book that was co-written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

"I have never liked Mabel. Aside from her always telling me and my brother to call her Glamma, her list of step grandmother-to-be infractions is long." pg 137 (from a Lily chapter)

"I picked up Franny and Zooey and enjoyed their company again. Then I tangoed with my bookshelf, dipping in and out again, in and out again-a Marie Howe poem, then a John Cheever story." pg 90 (from a Dash chapter)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Teaser Tuesday October 26, 2010

I haven't been doing much reading recently, but for some reason I've been blazing through the books this month. I have also stopped making myself finish books that aren't holding my interest. I've learned that this plan helps with the FINISHING of books! This week's Teaser comes from Cassandra Clare's book Clockwork Angel

"At some point she had lost Camille and become herself again. She must have been dazed indeed, she thought, not to have noticed the return of her own heartbeat." ~ page 264





Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.