Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year!


Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs
!

~ William Arthur Ward

Wishing everyone a peaceful, happy, and healthy New Year!

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Books I Have Read In 2009

I gave into my OCD tendencies and kept track of the books I read this year. I enjoyed participating in some book challenges and plan to do more this year! Also because I listen to audio books, I thought it would be interesting to see how mnay I ended up listening to! Without further ado, here's what I read this year:

Children's Classics Book Club
The World of Pooh by A.A. Milne
Peter Rabbit and Eleven Favorite Tales by Beatrix Potter
Sounder by William H. Armstrong
*Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Classics Book Club
Around The World In Eighty Days by Jules Verne
* Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
* The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

Take A Chance Challenge
Above the Thunder by Renee Manfredi
Love Is Eternal by Irving Stone
Weaver's Daughter by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley
White Ghost Girls
Love Story by Erich Segal
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Banned Books Week
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
* The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Shelf Discovery Challenge
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Harriet the Spy

Audio Books (indicated with *)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society by Annie Barrows
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
The Letters by Luanne Rice
Made in the U.S.A by Billie Letts
The Divide by Nicholas Evans
Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
The Beach House by Jane Green
The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn
Bridge to Teribithia by Katherine Paterson
The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
The Alchemist's Daughter
True Colors by Kristin Hannah
South of Broad by Pat Conroy
The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners by Luanne Rice
Ford County by John Grisham
Changes in Altitude by Anita Shreve
Shaghai Girls by Lisa See
The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Miscellaneous
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Multiple Blessings by Jon and Kate Gosselin
Last Kiss by Luanne Rice
Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser
The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell
The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock
Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney
Testimony by Anita Shreve
The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
The Cricket in Times Square
Lucky by Alice Sebold
Always Looking Up: The adventures of An Incurable Optimisit by Michael J. Fox
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audry Niffenegger
Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted by Elizabeth Berg
Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Take Another Chance Challenge


Find Your Next Book Here is once again sponsoring a reading challenge! Taking Another Chance Challnege is all about challenging yourself in your reading. The Challenge runs from 1/1/10 through 12/31/10. You can choose to participate in 3, 6, or all 12 of the challenges. I am choosing to particpate in 6 of the challenges. click here to read all the details (including the other six challenges!)

The 6 Challenges

Challenge 1: Read Your Doppelganger (worth 1 entry)

Find an author who has either the same initials, the same first name, the same last name, or the exact same name as you. Read a book by this author and write a post about it. (If you try to keep your identity anonymous on your blog, you don't have to reveal what part of the author's name is the same as your name.)

My choice: Right From Wrong by Cindy Bonner


Challenge 3: 100 Best Book (worth 1 entry)

Choose one of the lists below. Choose a book to read from the list that you haven't read before. Read the book and write about it.

* Radcliffe's Rival 100 Best Novels List
* Top 100 Sci-Fi Books
* 100 Best Romance Novels of the 20th Century
* 100 Best Mystery Novels
* 100 Best Non-Fiction Books (pick from either Board List or Reader List)
* 2009 Best Books for Young Adults

My choice: From the Radcliffe's Rival 100 Best Novels List, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Challenge 4: Prize Winner Book (worth 1 entry)
Pick one of the major literary awards from the list below.

* Booker Prize
* Caldecott Medal
* National Book Award
* National Book Critics Circle Award
* Newbery Medal
* Nobel Prize for Literature
* PEN/Faulkner Award
* Pulitzer Prize
* Commonwealth Writers' Prize
* EMMA Awards

My Choice: A Pulitzer Pirze winner, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Challenge 5: Title Word Count (worth 1 entry)
Go to Random.org and, using the True Random Number Generator, enter the numbers 1 for the min. and 5 for the max. and then hit generate. Find a book to read that has that number of words in the title. Read the book and write about it.

I got the number one! I'm still looking for a book!

Challenge 9: Same Word, Different Book (worth 2 entries)
Find two books that have the same word in the title. Read both books and write about them. (Worth 2 entries because you have to read two books).

Haven't decided on these books yet.

Challenge 11: All in the Family (worth 2 entries)
The writing gene often runs in the family. For this challenge, you need to find two authors from the same family (either by blood or by marriage) and read a book by each of the authors and then write about both books. Because of the research involved and having to read two books, this challenge is worth two entries.

I've decided on the Bronte sisters but haven't picked out the books yet.

My Daybook



For today, Wednesday, December 30, 2009 (I know...really late this week but I didn't want to skip it)

On My Mind...as stressed out as it got, it's hard to believe Christmas is actually over! (Tucker even said..."all that preparation and it was over so fast!)...also wondering how the year went by so fast!!!

Outside my Window...it is dark of course...the Christmas lights are still on (they go off at 9:30!)...it's cold but warmer than yesterday... we're supposedly getting snow over the weekend but I've heard everything from it's going to be only rain to it's going to snow from tomorrow night through Sun so I guess we'll have to see!

What We're Reading...I finished Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy and started Standing Tall by C. Vivian Stringer (the coach of the Rutgers Women's basketball team; it was passed to me by my mom). With Tucker we continue to read snow and winter-themed books.

What We're Listening to
...finally got to the library and am now listening to Queen of the Underworld by Gail Godwin. With Tucker, I listened to Winter of the Ice Wizard, a Magic Treehouse book. His favorites this week were: Are You Grumpy, Santa?, The Terrible Storm, and The Biggest Snowball Ever.

What We're Watching...all our reality shows are over...we'll keep watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and of course our usual, Dirty Jobs, Myth Busters, and iCarly.

I am hoping...everyone has a happy, healthy New Year!

Quotable Quote...Year's End is neither an end nor a beginning but a going-on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us ~ Hal Borland

In the Kitchen...we finished up the leftovers from Christmas...Spaghetti last night and leftovers tonight...appetizers and pizza tomorrow night...not sure beyond that.

Around the House...Tucker's new presents are scattered around down here...the tree's still up but will probably come down this weekend...the usual laundry issues.

Coming Up this week...Tucker's going to my mom's tomorrow (my day care's closed)...Michael and I are home on Friday...Tucker and Michael are going to work on the Pinewood Derby car (it's next weekend, Eileen!)...Soccer games Sat and Sun if we don''t get snowed in...Tucker's friend Freddie may stay over Sat night (depending on the snow)...bridal shower on Sun for my friend Mary (if it doesn't get postponed again due to snow; it was originally supposed to be the Sun we got two feet of snow!)

A Picture Thought...we usually get together with Michael's sister Susan and her family the weekend after Christmas at my mother-in-law's house. This is the annual cousin picture

Back row L-R Cassandra (20), Bobby (17), Shannon (16)
Front row L-R Brooke (14), Tucker (7), Taylor (8)

The Year in Review (according to JibJab!)

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Saturday, December 26, 2009

Audio Book Reading Challenge


Royal Reviews is hosting Audio Book Reading Challenge. Since I listen to audio books on my commute to work every day, this one seems easy! I'm definitely going for the Obsessed level!

Challenge Guidelines:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-Bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.

2. There are four levels:

-- Curious – Listen to 3 Audio Books.

-- Fascinated – Listen to 6 Audio Books.

-- Addicted – Listen to 12 Audio Books.

-- Obsessed – Listen to 20 Audio Books.

3. Audio books only.

4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December 31, 2010. Only books started on January 1st count towards this challenge.

American Civil War Reading Challenge


Marny is hosting The American Civil War Reading Challenge. Here are the guidelines:

1. Read books about the Civil War, either fiction or non-fiction

2. There are four levels of participation
- Private: Read three books
- Sergeant: Read six books
- Lieutenant: Read nine books
- General: Read twelve books

3. Read the books between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010

4. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed

5. Ebooks and audiobooks are okay, too

6. You don't have to have a reading list ready to participate in the challenge but please let me know which level you're doing

7. Sign up here

There will be a prize at the end of the challenge. If you complete the challenge and write a wrap-up post (or wrap-up comment), you're eligible.

I've decided to particpate at the Sergeant level and will be reading the follwing books:

1. The Disagreement by Nick Taylor
2. The Slaves' War: The Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves by Andrew Ward
3. Clara Barton: Spirit of the American Red Cross by Patricia Lakin
4. Key Battles of the Civil War by Diane Smolinski
5. Passing Strange by Martha Sandweiss
6. Fort Pillow by Harry Turtledove