tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-204025922010-01-06T15:18:25.627-05:00A Mostly Bookish Blog By JLS Halljlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.comBlogger549125Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with Pageflakestag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-61948403197756891102010-01-05T06:50:00.003-05:002010-01-05T13:58:44.291-05:002010-01-05T13:58:44.291-05:00So here we are, already five days into the new decade. Can you believe it? I can't. Of course, I'm still sort of stuck in 2009 – finishing up reviews, wrapping up challenges, wondering where the time went. But this week, I'm looking forward, too – starting my reading for the new year. And...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/_4g--26-MXo" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-60211346017467829292010-01-02T09:48:00.007-05:002010-01-02T10:27:40.353-05:002010-01-02T10:27:40.353-05:00I've put this off for a couple of weeks now, thinking I'd get more reviews written (silly me). But I guess it's really time to wrap-up the 2009 Fall Into Reading Challenge. I read a dozen books during the course of the challenge, and enjoyed almost all of them – Bram Stoker's Lair of the White...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/NEZQEdP6NkY" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-51096506797495963052010-01-01T21:37:00.007-05:002010-01-02T10:28:58.288-05:002010-01-02T10:28:58.288-05:00OK, I admit it – I'm seriously addicted to reading challenges. And I am trying to keep it under control, but this is one I really need. One of my goals for 2010 is to buy fewer books. Which means I'll be reading more of the books I already own, and borrowing more books from the public library. ...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/HBTPUdCy210" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-52655501824144743382010-01-01T21:17:00.003-05:002010-01-02T01:29:22.623-05:002010-01-02T01:29:22.623-05:00I'm signing up for the RYOB Challenge again in 2010. It's one of MizB's Reading Challenges, and you can read all about it and join up by visiting the challenge announcement page. I'm planning to read at least 20 books from my own collection in 2010, and I'll be updating my progress on my...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/Wkr7SJtxpw8" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-6825353882159620312010-01-01T17:23:00.007-05:002010-01-01T17:40:12.427-05:002010-01-01T17:40:12.427-05:00I almost joined the 2009 edition of the Decades Challenge, but talked myself out of it at the last minute. So this year, I'm giving in and joining up. The challenge runs throughout 2010 and is being hosted by Michelle from 1MoreChapter. You can read all about it and sign up by visiting the...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/GchPIKzW1N4" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-84749035621464516142009-12-31T22:00:00.005-05:002010-01-02T10:30:18.908-05:002010-01-02T10:30:18.908-05:00This week's BTT topic is a good one, and just what you'd expect: "What were your favorite books of the year? (Books that were new to you in 2009, if not necessarily published this year.)" I guess it's natural to want to look back at your year's reading and do some summing up. I've already done a...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/e0-92niojRA" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-17557077045643919592009-12-31T10:41:00.016-05:002009-12-31T21:05:48.332-05:002009-12-31T21:05:48.332-05:00I'm going to try to keep this as short and simple as possible. My only real reading goal for 2009 was to read more books than the 42 I read in 2008, so I set 50 books as a target to aim for. And I very nearly made it. I've read 49 books at this point. And if I could realistically hope to finish the...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/b5b6G03PzA0" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-37533819830858276952009-12-29T11:57:00.012-05:002009-12-29T12:20:04.938-05:002009-12-29T12:20:04.938-05:00Well, I'm sorry to have to report that I'm still reading the same book I was reading the last time I posted a Teaser Tuesday entry - and that was a couple of weeks ago. December has been a slow month for me, where reading is concerned. All that holiday-ing is fun but time-consuming. So, here's...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/bDsVEQScbtk" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-31805133937583429962009-12-29T10:59:00.011-05:002009-12-29T13:51:21.257-05:002009-12-29T13:51:21.257-05:00OK, here's another one. Tarissa over at In the Bookcase is hosting the Winter Words Reading Challenge which runs throughout the season, from December 21 to March 19. The workings are a bit complicated, so you should head on over to the challenge announcement page and read up on it, but it sounds...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/dosTnmTwY-w" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-21557794867575329022009-12-28T09:30:00.002-05:002009-12-28T09:47:20.610-05:002009-12-28T09:47:20.610-05:00Just catching up on my journal reading. On expensive reading matter, from the New York Times Book Review, 12/27/2009, p. 18: "Big Spenders: Every month, the used-book Web site AbeBooks.com releases a list of its most expensive sales. The list is often dominated by specialty items and antique...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/Tr8QxyoJs-Q" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-90818687792103829082009-12-27T16:56:00.012-05:002009-12-27T21:04:51.841-05:002009-12-27T21:04:51.841-05:00I had pretty much decided to give today's TSS a miss. I'm still in holiday mode, and not getting a lot of reading done. And my Salon posts don't usually get picked up by Yahoo Pipes anyway, so in my case it's mostly a labor of love. But this is the last Salon of the year, and (depending on how...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/xCo8iwcQ5wY" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-68349013310179108752009-12-27T10:34:00.006-05:002009-12-27T16:53:53.187-05:002009-12-27T16:53:53.187-05:00Well now, how could I possibly pass up a challenge with a name like that? Even though I thought I was all done with challenge sign-ups for next year, this is one I've just got to add to the list. The Typically British Reading Challenge is another great challenge being hosted by Book Chick City,...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/BpZyPgXIXKI" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-44472515821444328862009-12-24T10:56:00.002-05:002009-12-24T11:00:33.440-05:002009-12-24T11:00:33.440-05:00<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/4UfTIEnW7Ug" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-30138861753510711082009-12-17T15:47:00.008-05:002009-12-17T16:32:06.862-05:002009-12-17T16:32:06.862-05:00In answer to this week's BTT questions (What do you think of speed reading, and do you do it?): I'll say not much, and yes and no. I do know how to speed-read. Back in the 1970s when speed-reading was a hot topic, I read one of those early how-to books. Not, I believe, Evelyn Wood; but something...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/6piWqHC8Gfg" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-71026787664464340712009-12-17T09:05:00.012-05:002009-12-20T01:35:45.872-05:002009-12-20T01:35:45.872-05:00And another one! I had promised myself I'd cut back on reading challenges in 2010, but so many creative bloggers keep coming up with challenges I just can't refuse! So here's yet another challenge I'll be signing up for. The 2010 Bibliophilic Books Challenge runs throughout the coming year, and...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/rQZo65skMIM" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-84997225467139173112009-12-15T06:30:00.007-05:002009-12-15T07:51:20.294-05:002009-12-15T07:51:20.294-05:00This week my teaser comes from a book I haven't actually started reading yet. But it's next up, and I'm hoping to get to it later this week. The book is Crewel Yule, one of the needlecraft mysteries by Monica Ferris (read the first chapter). I love this series, which centers around Betsy...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/RZH5MG4baW4" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-14895356491050962642009-12-14T17:31:00.006-05:002009-12-14T21:40:52.363-05:002009-12-14T21:40:52.363-05:00Found another one. I know, I know - I should really stop looking! But for a while there, several centuries ago, I was headed for grad school in art history (alas, never to be). So this is a subject that's dear to my heart. The 2010 edition of the Art History Reading Challenge is being hosted by...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/FVSLGBxNLZ8" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-82503111174015332802009-12-12T09:35:00.007-05:002009-12-12T09:56:18.116-05:002009-12-12T09:56:18.116-05:00Here's another challenge I'm joining for next year. The 2010 Chunkster Challenge runs from February 1, 2010 to January 31, 2011 and this time it's being hosted by Wendy of Caribousmom (and A Novel Challenge). Most of the rules and reading levels are the same as last year, but you can read all...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/pvBOCNoiJlY" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-69847316411052102252009-12-11T09:34:00.008-05:002009-12-11T10:20:00.306-05:002009-12-11T10:20:00.306-05:00Marie over at The Boston Bibliophile is testing a new Friday meme this week. It's called Unfinished Friday, and asks us to share a few words about books we've started but left unfinished. As she says: "I know most of us endeavor to finish everything we read, but we don't have to, and sometimes...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/Ekz71jh3KJE" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-89105118834393375652009-12-10T08:55:00.022-05:002009-12-10T14:08:07.734-05:002009-12-10T14:08:07.734-05:00I love this week's question! BTT asks: "What items have you ever used as a bookmark? What is the most unusual item you've ever used or seen used?" I love it because I love bookmarks. I've collected or, more precisely, accumulated them since I was a child. Most of mine aren't terribly old or rare...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/hklAvrI2Jds" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-60563919175065391772009-12-08T06:48:00.017-05:002009-12-08T08:27:43.039-05:002009-12-08T08:27:43.039-05:00I'm mortified to admit that I'm still reading the same book I was reading last week, Rita Mae Brown's Santa Clawed. The book is not a long one and even a slow reader such as myself should be able to finish it off in less than a week, but real life keeps getting in the way, I'm afraid. The book is...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/zJ8s0TcTs70" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-48289692982966914132009-12-07T13:34:00.023-05:002009-12-07T19:20:31.044-05:002009-12-07T19:20:31.044-05:00Don't know if it's the Thanksgiving-Christmas busy-ness, or this cold I've had for the last week, or just general winter hibernation mode setting in, but for some reason I haven't felt very much like blogging lately. I've been intending to post wrap-ups for a few challenges that end soon, or in...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/L8fdRd3Ec4Q" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-78215172157180888042009-12-03T07:43:00.013-05:002009-12-03T09:45:13.209-05:002009-12-03T09:45:13.209-05:00This week, BTT is asking why participants participate: "What's your favorite part of Booking Through Thursday? Why do you participate (or not)?" You know, that's a question I've been asking myself lately. Why do I keep coming back here every week when I could be spending that time reading? Or...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/0gSPVapWucQ" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-48439916609341849902009-12-01T07:31:00.016-05:002009-12-01T10:11:16.589-05:002009-12-01T10:11:16.589-05:00Today my teasers come from Santa Clawed, one of the Mrs. Murphy mysteries by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. In this snippet, "Fair" is Fair (short for Pharamond) Haristeen, husband of Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, the series' main character (main human character, that is); and he's chatting...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/vLR3i1ZiYx0" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20402592.post-2731741506231272212009-12-01T07:00:00.002-05:002009-12-01T07:23:02.632-05:002009-12-01T07:23:02.632-05:00In 2010, MizB is once again going to be hosting her popular TBR (Lite) Challenge, and once again I'll be signing up. I managed to read quite a few books from my TBR list in 2009, so the challenge was definitely good for me. Oddly enough, though, only one of the books I read was actually from my...<br/> <br/> [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Jlshall/~4/q-NxHdw4rUs" height="1" width="1"/>jlshallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03268434704970729620noreply@blogger.com2