Girlxoxo

Half Marathon Training {Pardon the Interruption}

2012-02-23T05:29:36Z

Just ugghhh! I got sick with a cold from hell that lasted almost 3 weeks - couldn't read much, run or do much. Then I felt better, but just couldn't bring myself to workout - so almost 4 (5?) weeks later, I'm finally getting my lazy butt back into it.

Missed Weeks Recap
Week 4 (Jan 16 - 22) - 13 miles (8+5)
Week 5 (Jan 23 - 29) - 5 miles
Week 6 (Jan 30 - Feb 5) - 0
Week 7 (Feb 6 - 12) - 0
Week 8 (Feb 13 - 19) - 9.3 miles (6.2 + 3.1)

Those stats are not what I want to see or admit to. There are 3 weeks until the 10 mile race that I wanted to participate in, and although I can drop down to the 5 mile option, I think I still have time to be properly trained for 10, plus still be able to run a half marathon in 6 weeks. To do that I need to have a long run of 9 miles this week. Not sure if I can do it, but I'm damn sure going to try.

Goals for This Week
- Run outside 2x
- Hill workouts 2x
- A long run of 9 miles

1st race of 2012 - 10 miles - Mar. 11
1st half marathon of 2012 - Apr. 01

Workout Music
Since I make workout music playlists for IntheGym.net - I thought I would share recent ones here as well. The last 2 are Kick Starter and Safe House - both running playlists.

How are your workouts progressing?

- (Motivated by Bookworm with a View's weekly CHECKpoint).

{Bloggers Recommend} Books That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud

2012-02-22T05:04:24Z

1 Question - 5 Answers - from 5 Bloggers.

Melanie @ The Reclusive Bibliophile

The Deathday Letter by Shaun David Hutchinson. If you enjoy teen boy humor, this book will keep you ROFLYAO for sure. The premise may seem grim - a boy finds out he is going to die in 24 hours - but the execution (pun intended) is anything but. Ollie's last day is all about making the most of life before it's gone, and he takes the reader along for a great ride {review}.

Natalie @ Coffee and a Book Chick

Martin Misunderstood by Karin Slaughter. At only two and a half hours, this audiobook is simultaneously hilarious and also terribly gloomy. I can't imagine anyone listening to this in an afternoon and not enjoying it. Bonus: the narrator of the audiobook is Wayne Knight. You may know him from a little show called ... Seinfeld. He was Newman, Jerry's nemesis {review}.

Britney @ I Eat Words

The Duff by Kody Keplinger. I read this book in less than 24 hours. It was so fast-paced and interesting that it reminded me of a movie or TV show. I forgot all responsibilities and just kept reading. Plus, I love the banter between the main character and the sexy, smart-ass love interest {review}.

Shannon @ Reading Has Purpose

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow. This book is not comedic but the main character has a friend that I think was introduced into this book for comic relief. Most of the reading I do is pretty heavy so even though this wasn't a gut buster, it was a nice departure from what I'm used to {review}.

From Nicole @ Linus's Blanket

Humor is such a personal thing, and I don't often find books labeled as humor particularly funny - but I think we can all agree that Seth Grahame-Green was NOT going the serious route when he wrote Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Though this one did make me laugh quite a bit, there was also a lot of serious information about Lincoln's life and history that I had not known. This turned out to be a pleasant surprise and both a fun and informative read {review}.

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any recommendations that you would add to this list?

10 Chunky Books That Are Calling My Name {on My 2012 Reading List}

2012-02-21T05:02:27Z

If I had to move to a bomb shelter and could only come up to the surface for short periods of time, then the books I would scavenge for would be big 450+ pagers, that would keep me entertained for a while. Hopefully, this scenario won't ever happen BUT I plan on reading a few chunky books in 2012 anyway, and thought the bomb shelter scenario was a better introduction than saying, "here are 10 big books I want to read this year."

Divergent, Veronica Roth. 487 pages
Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place her in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

77 Shadow Street, Dean Koontz. 451 pages
The Pendleton stands on the summit of Shadow Hill at the highest point of an old heartland city, a Gilded Age palace built in the late 1800s as a tycoon's dream home. Almost from the beginning, its grandeur has been scarred by episodes of madness, suicide, mass murder, and whispers of things far worse. But since its rechristening in the 1970s as a luxury apartment building, the Pendleton has been at peace. But now inexplicable shadows caper across walls, security cameras relay impossible images, phantom voices mutter in strange tongues, not-quite-human figures lurk in the basement, elevators plunge into unknown depths.

11/22/63, Stephen King. 849 pages
November 22nd, 1963 was a rapid-fire sequence of indelible moments: Shots ring out; a president slumped over; a race to the Dallas hospital; an announcement, blood still fresh on the First Lady's dress. But what if President John F. Kennedy didn't have to die; if somehow his assassin could have been thwarted? For Maine schoolteacher Jake Epping, those hypothetical what if's become real possibilities when he walks through a portal to the past.

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3). 1128 pages
Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King's Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world.

Blackout, Connie Willis. 512 pages
Oxford in 2060 is a chaotic place. Scores of time-traveling historians are being sent into the past, to destinations including the American Civil War and the attack on the World Trade Center. But now the time-travel lab is suddenly canceling assignments for no apparent reason and switching around everyone's schedules, and suddenly the once-reliable mechanisms of time travel are showing significant glitches, and our heroes are beginning to question their most firmly held belief: that no historian can possibly change the past.

Fire, Kristin Cashore. 461 pages
It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she has the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.

Mistress of Rome, Kate Quinn. 470 pages
Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

Seed to Harvest. 767 pages
Now collected for the first time in one volume, these four novels take readers on a wondrous odyssey from a mythic, primordial past to a fantastic far future. In ancient Africa, a female demigod of nurture and fertility mates with a powerful, destructive male entity. Together they birth a race of madmen, visionaries, and psychics who cling to civilization's margins and back alleys for millennia, coming together in a telepathic Pattern just as Earth is consumed by a cosmic invasion. Now these new beings-no longer merely human-will battle to rule the transfigured world.

Down These Strange Streets (Sookie Stackhouse), George R.R. Martin. 479 pages
All new strange cases of death and magic in the city by some of the biggest names in urban fantasy.

The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness. 479 pages
Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee - whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not - stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden - a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives. But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

Have you read any of these yet - I really hope I've chosen wisely!

Weekly Reading with Will Grayson, Will Grayson and The Beauty Who Tamed the Beast

2012-02-20T05:04:30Z

Tanya Patrice

Recently Finished Reading

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithon, narrated by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens - both named Will Grayson - are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most fabulous high school musical.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were FANTASTIC. They made the book about love - boy-boy love, boy-girl love & love for friends - come to life. I KNOW that if I had been reading a hard copy instead, I wouldn't have finished. It's not that this is a bad book, just one that I should have paid more attention to the summary so I would have realized that this isn't really my type of book. I'm just not into reading about teenage boy angst, or the day to day lives of teenagers (that aren't vampires, werewolves or otherwise out to save humanity from destruction :-)

I enjoyed the complexities of the characters - they were all really well developed - and I especially enjoyed the over-the-top, incredibly gay, Tiny. But I also thought the book was entirely too long. I was a bit over it shortly after the 2 Will Grayson's met. I could have done without any more mention of Moira, I could have done without so much ado leading up to Tiny's play and I could also have done without the drama after Will Grayson number 1 told Jane that he liked her - they should have just started dating then. I did like the ending with Tiny's suitably over-the-top play, but I didn't like the extra dose of cheesiness at the end.

When Beauty Tamed the Beast, Eloisa James. Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a beauty betrothed to a beast. Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman. But Linnet is not just any woman.

Don't be turned off by the cover - I know I initially was - but this book turned out to be such an endearing romance that only took a little over a day to read. There was real depth to the characters, with a strong, willfull, but also surprisingly innocent "beauty", and a suitably gruff, brash, flawed but kind (in his own way) "beast". The story was wonderfully written and I was enthralled with the book from beginning to end. This is the 2nd in a series, but each book is a stand-alone novel, so I didn't feel like I was missing anything. It's also the first novel I've read by James and I'm looking forward to reading more from her.

Currently Reading and Listening To

Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman. Really enjoying this one so far - and incredibly annoyed that Richard is so daft!
When Richard Mayhew stops one day to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London pavement, his life is forever altered, for he finds himself propelled into an alternative reality that exists in a subterranean labyrinth of sewer canals and abandoned subway stations. He has fallen through the cracks of reality and has landed somewhere different, somewhere that is Neverwhere.

We Others: New and Selected Stories, Steven Millhauser. I've been reading this for the past 2 months!
The stories gathered here unfurl in settings as disparate as nineteenth-century Vienna, a contemporary Connecticut town, the corridors of a monstrous museum, and Thomas Edison's laboratory, and they are inhabited by a wide-ranging cast of characters, including a knife thrower and teenage boys, ghosts and a cartoon cat and mouse.

What are you looking forward to reading this week? For February, I'm reading books with a romantic/ love element, as well as some books by or about African Americans.

- Inspired by Book Journey - It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Weekly Book Chat {Pride, Angst and Love}

2012-02-17T06:06:07Z

Tanya Patrice

From TGIF Reads
Q. Book Blogger Pride: What do you take pride in when it comes to blogging?

Such a hard thing to answer - and in short, I take pride in making this website a space that I LOVE. That means spending TIME on my posts and making them uniquely mine even when I'm participating in a meme with hundreds of other blog participants. My favorite things about this website - everything! The Book Lists, the Bloggers Recommend series, and the weekly Book Discussions and Book Chat.

Other Bookish Stuff Seen Recently

The OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Writers has announced their longlist. There are 4 non-fiction novels, 2 of which are short-stories that are going on my reading list stat! There is also a non-fiction and a poetry category. Winners will be announced on March 16, 2012.

The 2011 Cybils Award Winners were announced on Feb 14, 2012. Of the books that won, I'll be reading Blood Red Road, Moira Young - which won in the Young Adult Science Fiction & Fantasy category.

All I Need to Know I Learned from YA Books: relationship advice from your favorite books ... funny!

Books = Love (via Constance Reader). This is where I found out about the Read.gov contest inviting readers in grades 4 through 12 to submit a letter to their favorite author, telling them how their books have changed their lives, sponsored by the Book in the Library of Congress. Some of these letters tugged at my heart strings hard - this one on strength, and this one about what a young girl experienced when she started wearing her hajib - both brought tears to my eyes.

(Photo Credit: uggboy)

3 Excellent Illustrated Books On the American Civil Rights Struggle {Book Briefs}

2012-02-16T05:04:28Z

Book Briefs - a short list of books.

These are 3 books I read recently on various aspect of the civil rights struggle in America. These were all illustrated or photo books, and maybe that's why they were so vivid and really brought home to me what was happening during that period of time. Here are people who found the courage to stand up to an unjust system - with the law on it's side - I can't even imagine the strength it took!

MLK: A Celebration in Word and Image. A striking collection of twenty-nine black-and-white images combined with powerful quotations by Dr. Martin Luthur King Jr.
The crisp black and white photo on the left page, and quote on the right, did more than what any books 4x this size would have done, and that's get a more intimate feel for MLK - the man, the husband and the leaser.

Remember: The Journey to School Integration, Toni Morrison.
Toni Morrison collected a treasure chest of archival photographs that depict the historical events surrounding school desegregation.
These unforgettable photographs show both the good & UGLY side of people that came out when segregation in schools was no longer legal, and black kids started going to the whites-only schools. Heart-wrenching!

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney (Illustrator). Four college kids went into a Woolworth's and sat at the - white's only - lunch counter. They weren't served. This was Feb 1, 1960. The next day, more students showed up and the next, and so on ... inspiring another way to peacefully protest segregation.
The book is perfect for adults like myself, who don't read much non-fiction - not too simplistic, and there is a wealth of information on the timeline of the civil rights movement as well as the efforts of these 4 men (all college students at North Carolina A&T) and many others, to end segregation in America. And to do it by practicing non-violent opposition during violent times - talk about STRENGTH of conviction!

Anyone else find it hard to read books on tough, emotional subjects? They make me want to cry, but I also don't want to be left in the dark on what's happened or is happening in the world.

{Bloggers Recommend} Books That Touched Our Hearts and Made Us Cry

2012-02-15T05:11:40Z

1 Question - 5 Answers - from 5 Bloggers (& sometimes more).

From Nicole @ Linus's Blanket

You know going in that a fictional account of the tragedy of the Donner Party is not going to be a happy read. Gabrielle Burton's account of the doomed wagon train crossing in her novel Impatient With Desire is both poignant and respectful. I held it together for most of the book, but there were a couple of places that really got the tears flowing {review}.

Melanie @ The Reclusive Bibliophile

Stick by Andrew Smith. This book is about a kid who can't catch a break. Stick lives in an abusive home and gets bullied at school. His story made me tear up more than a few times {review}.

Britney @ I Eat Words

Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I ended the book simultaneously crying and wanting to throw it across the room. That may have been because I had read it believing it was a stand-alone novel (don't ask me why but I did). Imagine my relief when I found out there would be a sequel! Great book {review}.

Jamie @ The Broke and The Bookish

If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Just be prepared to bawl in front of strangers as this emotionally gripping book that will genuinely move you. I think that it's realistic nature of the tragedy that gets to you because we've all either experienced something similar or have seen it on the news {review}.

LaToya @ La Toya Literally

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. Geez, I'm getting sad thinking about it right now and I read this book almost a year ago. I can't say a book has ever made me cry before so, congrats Nicholas Sparks {review}.

Natalie @ Coffee and a Book Chick

Skipping a Beat, by Sarah Pekkanen. Sarah Pekkanen has created a new lifelong fan in me. I found myself clutching the book, hunkering down in my couch, turning the pages. My husband asked me if I was going to bed, and I could only weakly wave my hand to him over the back of the couch, as I prayed that he wouldn't walk around to see why I wasn't talking. Yep. I was a (crying) blubbering mess {review}. And since I've read quite a few books that made me cry - here are a few more recommendations: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See; and A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway.

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any recommendations that you would add to this list?

10 Books on Love, Marriage and Romance {on My 2012 Reading List}

2012-02-14T05:07:29Z

I love a good love story - they make me smile without even realizing it - and I really don't read enough of these types of books. So here's a list of books published in 2011 (with 1 or 2 cheats), that have some lovin' going on - and that I hope to get through before the next Valentine's day comes around. There are some books on here that show the dark side of "love" too.

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan. The nameless narrator of this book has constructed the story of his relationship as dictionary-like entries.

The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides. Madeleine is a self-described "incurable romantic" who is slightly embarrassed at being so normal. So it's odd that Madeleine finds herself in a highly charged erotic and intellectual relationship with Leonard Bankhead, a charismatic loner, college Darwinist, and lost Portland. At the same time, her old "friend" Mitchell Grammaticus resurfaces, obsessed with the idea that Madeleine is destined to be his mate.

Everneath, Brodi Ashton. Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned, but she only has 6 months before the Everneath comes to claim her again ... for good.

The Wedding Wallah, Farahad Zama. Can true love triumph in the face of fierce family opposition? Mr Ali's marriage bureau is flourishing but trouble isn't far away once son Rehman begins secretly to woo TV journalist Usha in the small cafes and on the beautiful beaches of South Indian Vizag in an ill-advised romance.

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart, Sarah MacLean. Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening--risking everything he holds dear--he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety. She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

Scandalicious, Allison Hobbs. Solay is the proud owner of Scandalicious, a trendy cupcake boutique that's raking in the dough. Practically married to her business, she doesn't have time for romance or its complications. What she needs is a friend with benefits ... Lincoln has been a faithful husband for 7 years. His world collapses when he discovers that his trophy wife has been cheating. Though she pleads for forgiveness, he simply can't. Will his desire for vengeance overpower his ability to forgive? ... Melanee is a quiet assistant baker by day and part of a secret sex society at night ... What happens when you combine sweet treats, explosive sex, and dirty little secrets is absolutely Scandalicious!

The Angel Makers, Jessica Gregson. When the men of a remote Hungarian village go off to war in 1916, the women left behind realize their lives are much better without them. Suddenly, they are not being beaten; they have time for friendships; they even find romance with the injured Italian soldiers staying just outside of town. But then the men return at war's end and the freedom the women have enjoyed is suddenly snatched from them.

Widow: Stories, Michelle Latiolais. This collection of short stories describes events surrounding a narrator who has lost her husband suddenly to suicide.

Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love, George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois (Editors). In this star-studded cross-genre anthology, seventeen of the greatest modern authors of fantasy, science fiction, and romance explore the borderlands of their genres with brand-new tales of ill-fated love.

What's the last book you read with an unforgettable love story?

Weekly Reading with MLK and The Lover's Dictionary

2012-02-13T05:07:12Z

Over the weekend, I deleted ALL the books on my "to be read" list (on Goodreads.com). I must have been crazy (for books) because I had 150 on there, and since I'm a bit of a minimalist and hate clutter, that huge list was stressing me out a little. So delete, delete, delete. Now, I only have the handful of library books that I have checked out or requested - 4 total. And I'll keep the list that short and simple.

Recently Finished Reading

MLK: A Celebration in Word and Image. A striking collection of twenty-nine black-and-white images combined with powerful quotations by Dr. Martin Luthur King Jr.

This is a simple, yet powerful and effective book on Martin Luther King Jr. - simple because it's just 64 pages with a photo on the right page, and a quote on the left, with a short explanation of when, where & why; yet powerful because just those few pages captured the real essence of the man and gave me a feel for what was going on at the time, what he was trying to accomplish - and how hard it was.

Perhaps the photo that had me aching the most, was that of him trying to remove a charred (previously burning) cross from his front lawn, with his son looking on. The quote opposite that picture reads, "We cannot solve this problem through retaliatory volence. We must meet violence with non-violence ... we must meet hate with love."

This book I bought - not something I do often.

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan. How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of this book has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary.

I thought this book was okay - but totally forgettable. Some of the anecdotes were cute & funny - many were not. I did like the "dictionary style" - with a word, and then a story from their relationship matching the definition. But I would have also liked if the book had followed the timeline of the relationship instead of jumping around. Half-way through I was over it; I kept reading, not out out of interest, but just so I could finish - I just didn't care about the "dumpee" nor the "dumper" or the stories of their lives.

Currently Reading and Next

Heart and Soul, The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson.
The story of America and African Americans is a story of hope and inspiration and unwavering courage. But it is also the story of injustice; of a country divided by law, education, and wealth; of a people whose struggles and achievements helped define their country. This is the story of the men, women, and children who toiled in the hot sun picking cotton for their masters; it's about the America ripped in two by Jim Crow laws; it's about the brothers and sisters of all colors who rallied against those who would dare bar a child from an education. It's a story of discrimination and broken promises, determination and triumphs.

Divergent, Veronica Roth. Finally - I've heard so many good things about this one, and I'm happy to report - so far, so good.
Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place her in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

What are you looking forward to reading this week? For February, I'm reading books with a romantic/ love element, as well as some books by or about African Americans.

- Inspired by Book Journey - It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Weekly Book Chat {Love Love Love}

2012-02-10T12:01:06Z

Tanya Patrice

From TGIF Reads
Q. Love Stories: What are some of your favorite fictional love stories?

Honestly, I don't really have a favorite romance book, but I have a favorite type - and that's the "cheesy" - man meets woman, man doesn't want to love and is enraged by that damn headstrong yet tantalizing woman; but man can't help himself and he and said woman fall in love. Yes - those stories get me EVERY single time. I have no clue why - I'm not even a romantic which explains why I don't read these types of books very often - but when I'm in the mood for a light book that will make me smile, that's what I'll reach for.

Other Bookish Stuff Seen Recently

What's So Amazing About Those Audiobooks, Anyway?. I've tried reading audiobooks before - starting with the classics - and quickly became disillusioned. But recently, I started again, this time with books that move at a much faster pace and I'm totally HOOKED! It's made doing the laundry, folding clothes and all other household chores more tolerable.

Judgy McJudgerson. I have experienced a raised eyebrow or 2 based on the book I'm currently reading, but I LOVE being able to discuss books with my step-son because I've read a few of the books that he likes - that's a feeling I wouldn't trade for anything.

- Photo Credit: epSos.de

The 10 Oldest Books From My Lists That Need to Be Read {as of February 2012}

2012-02-09T05:03:09Z

The last update on my book lists was in November 2011, and 3 months later, I've read 7 books from that list. Here's the latest on the books that need to be read - and soon!

From the November list of The 10 Oldest Books From My Lists That Need to Be Read

Teeth: Vampire Tales, Ellen Datlow.
There is a mixture of many different vampire stories in one book. Most of the stories are based off of legends from many cultures, while others are just the author's view of what a vampire is like in his/her mind.

Down These Strange Streets, George R.R. Martin.
All new strange cases of death and magic in the city by some of the biggest names in urban fantasy.

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions, Melissa Marr.
A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire. These paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying.

From 10 Book of Short Stories From 2011 That I Want to Read

A Study in Sherlock, Laurie R. King.
Fascinating, thrilling, and utterly original perspectives on Sherlock Holmes by different writers. These modern masters place the sleuth in suspenseful new situations and create characters who solve Holmesian mysteries.

From 8 Major Book Award Winners for Fiction (2011)

The Lock Artist, Steve Hamilton.
Marked by tragedy, traumatized at the age of eight, Michael, now eighteen, is no ordinary young man. Besides not uttering a single word in ten years, he discovers the one thing he can somehow do better than anyone else. Whether it's a locked door without a key, a padlock with no combination, or even an eight-hundred pound safe ... he can open them all.

Blackout, Connie Willis.
Oxford in 2060 is a chaotic place. Scores of time-traveling historians are being sent into the past, to destinations including the American Civil War and the attack on the World Trade Center. But now the time-travel lab is suddenly canceling assignments for no apparent reason and switching around everyone's schedules, and suddenly the once-reliable mechanisms of time travel are showing significant glitches, and our heroes are beginning to question their most firmly held belief: that no historian can possibly change the past.

From 10 Authors I Read in 2011 That I Want to Read More From in 2012

The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness.
Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden - a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives. But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver.
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last. Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death - and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Which do you think I should read first - I'm eyeing The Lock Artist, since I need to read 2 mysteries in March for the Cupcakes War challenge!

{Blogger Recommends} Book Series With a Kick-Ass Heroine

2012-02-08T05:08:27Z

1 Question - 5 Answers - from 5 Bloggers.

From Alyce @ At Home With Books

Divergent by Veronica Roth {review}. The drama in this story appeals to me on so many levels. It's got action, suspense, betrayal, romance and that special kind of storyline that I can't resist - one where the heroine digs deep and finds out that she has more courage than she could have ever imagined.

Britney @ I Eat Words

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout {review}. I absolutely love Alex, the main character. She's snarky, independent, and literally kicks ass. I can't wait to read the sequel, Pure.

Penelope @ The Reading Fever

The Vampire Academy series {review}. With her bad rep (and the body count to back it up), high self-esteem, instinctual fighting skills, deep sense of loyalty, and sarcastic, ask-questions-later attitude, Rose is at the top of my list for kick ass heroines. This girl has it all.

Latoya @ Latoya Literally

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins {review}. Of course I'm listing Katniss Everdeen as a kick ass heroine. She's fierce and fabulous without even trying and this is why I love her and the series.

Melanie @ The Reclusive Bibliophile

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Katniss kicks some serious ass. True, she has some friends on her side, but her own resourcefulness kept her alive in plenty of dire situations.

Jamie @ The Broke and The Bookish

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I've recommended this to both teens and adults and everyone agrees that it's addicting. Katniss is just an unbelievable heroine and trumps any other female heroine in my mind.

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any recommendations that you would add to this list?

I'm A Reluctant Reader of Certain Types of Books {A Cheating Challenge to Myself}

2012-02-07T16:36:10Z

There are certain types of books I don't like to read, so I made a list of 10 books in 5 categories ... but to be honest, I cheated on the books I included. They loosely fit the category so please HELP - give me your suggestions, so I'll stop my cheating ways :-)

1. I do NOT like to read books (or watch) movies about WARS - so I challenge myself to read ...
Cheat: these books aren't about a "real" war

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From The Living Dead, Max Brooks. The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks. The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time.

2. I do NOT like to watch musicals or read books where MUSIC plays a prominent role - so I challenge myself to read ...
Cheat: these are short illustrated books (and about violinists so my step-son - who plays the violin - can read them as well).

Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseh Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George, Lesa Cline-Ransome, James E. Ransome (Illustrator). This inspiring story tells how Joseph, the only child of a black slave and her white master, becomes "the most accomplished man in Europe." After traveling from his native West Indies to study music in Paris, young Joseph is taunted about his skin color. Despite his classmates' cruel words, he continues to devote himself to his violin, eventually becoming conductor of a whole orchestra. Joseph begins composing his own operas, which everyone acknowledges to be magnifique.

Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Sa, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist, Gina Capaldi, Gina Capaldi. This is a picture book biography of Zitkala-a, born Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, a Native American woman at the turn of the 19th century. Zitkala-a was a writer, editor, musician, teacher, and political activist in a time when even basic education was uncommon among Native Americans

3. I do NOT like NON-FICTION - so I challenge myself to read ...
Cheat: Photo and Illustrated books

MLK: A Celebration in Word and Image. A striking collection of twenty-nine black-and-white images combined with powerful quotations by Dr. Martin Luthur King Jr.

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney (Illustrator). A picture book celebration of the 50th anniversary of the momentous Woolworth's lunch counter sit-in, when four college kids staged a peaceful protest that became a defining moment in the struggle for racial equality and the growing civil rights movement.

4. I do NOT read enough books set in other COUNTRIES - so I challenge myself to read ...
Cheat: I could have picked other less well-known countries - but I do in fact to plan to do so.

Graffiti Moon, Cath Crowley. It's the end of Year 12. Lucy's looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about. His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere. Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow's thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls. But the one thing Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

Mistress of Rome, Kate Quinn. Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

Do you read books that are outside your comfort zone or do you stick to what you know you like? Any recommendations for me in the above categories?
- Inspired by Top 10 Tuesday @ The Broke and The Bookish

Weekly Reading in My World of Color with The Marriage Plot

2012-02-06T05:06:27Z

To be honest, I had a good start to the week, and a rotten ending. I'm in a bit of a funk - which is actually pretty good for reading, as I turn to books for comfort.

Recently Finished Reading

What Color Is My World?: The Lost History Of African American Inventors by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld, A.G. Ford (Illustrator), Ben Boos (Illustrator). Did you know that James West invented the microphone in your cell phone? That Fred Jones invented the refrigerated truck that makes supermarkets possible? Or that Dr. Percy Julian synthesized cortisone from soy, easing untold people's pain? These are just some of the black inventors and innovators scoring big points in this dynamic look at several unsung heroes who shared a desire to improve people's lives.

Excellent, excellent, excellent book! I get 99% of my books from the library, but this I went out and bought after reading it. It is an illustrated book and will appeal to both kids and adults. In particular, I love how the story is told - about a family moving into an old house, and the handyman pointing out to the kids regular items, and then telling them the inventors that helped make that item possible - like a cellphone, the light bulb, and even potato chips. Because of this style, the information is not presented in a dry, acerbic way. Instead, it's an organic conversation between him and the kids while they are doing various chores - informative, yet not too long or boring.

Also - the book is gorgeous! The sides of the pages have colorful fold-out flaps with facts on various African American inventors - nicely illustrated an in bold colors. And yes - it is co-authored by THE Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of basketball fame.

The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides. Madeleine is a self-described "incurable romantic" who is slightly embarrassed at being so normal. Leonard Bankhead - charismatic loner, college Darwinist, and lost Portland boy - suddenly turns up in a semiotics seminar, and soon Madeleine finds herself in a highly charged erotic and intellectual relationship with him. At the same time, her old "friend" Mitchell Grammaticus - who's been reading Christian mysticism and generally acting strange - resurfaces, obsessed with the idea that Madeleine is destined to be his mate.

This book might very well represent the wet dreams of literary majors, come to life. There are a GAZILLION references to literary classics ... 99.9% of which were unnecessary for me, a non-English major, to get the point that the main character Madelaine LOVES books ... perhaps is actually IN LOVE with them. I slogged through the first 65 pages with it's slow, tortuous pace and too many references to books I hadn't read, didn't care to read and had never heard of - but after that, the frequency of the references decreased (although there was still a LOT), the pace picked up and I started to enjoy the drama. The characters were flawed, relatable (to a point) and deftly developed and the plot was interesting - severe depression, and how it affects loved ones. Who can't relate to loving someone you KNOW is all wrong for you?!

So while I do think this novel tried too hard to be clever, I liked it as a "literary novel" and can see why this book won some many literary accolades ... because the people giving those accolades were probably Englist Lit majors. But this book pretty much cemented in my head that I much prefer genre (specualtive?) fiction.

Currently Reading and Next

What are you looking forward to reading this week? For February, I'm reading books with a romantic/ love element, as well as some books by or about African Americans.

- Inspired by Book Journey - It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

2012 Amazon Best Books of 2011 Reading Challenge {Plan}

2012-02-04T05:03:48Z

The goal of the 2012 Amazon Best Books of 2011 Reading Challenge (hosted by Wickedly Delicious Tales), is to read books from the Best Books of 2011 list chosen by the editors of Amazon.com.

I'm aiming for the Novice level of 5 books - but I'm choosing from the 10 books listed below.

1. Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Laini Taylor
2. Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides
3. The Lover's Dictionary, David Levithan
4. The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt
5. Ready Player One, Ernest Cline
6. The Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes
7. Mr. Fox, Helen Oyeyemi
8. Go the F**k to Sleep, Adam Mansbach
9. The Night Strangers, Chris Bohjalian
10. Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor

Books read prior to the start of this challenge.
1. Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson - loved it.
2. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht - thought it was just okay.
3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - loved it.
4. The Magician King by Lev Grossman - thought it was just okay.
5. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - liked it.
6. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - loved it.
7. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown - really liked it.
8. Embassytown by China Mieville - didn't care for it.
9. Delirium by Lauren Oliver - loved it.

This challenge runs from January 1 - December 31, 2012. I'm doing 10 year long reading challenges, 1 mini-challenge (3 months), and 1 multi-year challenge that finishes in 2014. I'm clearly a reading challenge addict! Are you participating in any reading challenges this year? If so, how many?