mini challenge I wanted to do but missed

Monday, April 12, 2010

There was a mini challenge during the Read-A-Thon on Saturday that I wanted to to but didn't get back in time to get it done during the Read-A-Thon itself but it looked like to much fun so I wanted to do it anyway and so I am going to do it now. The idea is to post pictures of book covers that represent the following words; Disturbing, Vibrant, Beautiful, Scary and Moving.

Disturbing

Vibrant


Beautiful


Scary


Moving

Read-A-Thon Recap April 2010

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Well, I read at every possible moment. Started early in the morning on April 10th reading






Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen, which I finished though I had already started it before the Read-A-Thon began.

Then since it was just me and my 3 year old son all day long we had some errands that we simply had to run yesterday, like mail the taxes. We were going to go to the library to pick up a bunch of new children's books to read together but instead we went to a cool little place called the Children's Clothing Exchange because it was their half off day and that was too good to pass up. It was good that we did too because for $8 we brought home 20 children's books which gave us plenty to read when we got home. While we were in the car we listened to audio books too, I finished

Cultural Literacy by E. D. Hirsch Jr. and got started listening to
Touch Of Magic which will be the first book I used Overdrive from the library to download and burn to CD. So far it sounds great and will take care of one of my books for the Short Story Challenge.



I read a lot of children's books to my son throughout the day which if you can't get a babysitter or your significant other is unwilling or unable to care for the kid(s) for one full day by himself I definitely recommend getting a bunch of books from the library and reading to your kids whenever they need that extra attention during the day. We finished:

The Hole In The Ocean by Jasper Tomkins
Nate The Great: San Francisco Detective by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat
The Little Engine the Could by Watty Piper
Oh Bother! Someone's Fighting by Nikki Grimes
What Can Pinky See? by Lucy Cousins
Big Shark's Lost Tooth by Steve Metzger
You Silly Goose by Ellen Stoll Walsh
I Spy A Runaway Robot by Dan Marzollo
Curious George Goes Camping by Margaret and H. A. Rey
I'm Terrific by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
What Happened to Patrick's Dinosaurs? by Carol Carrick

I also read about 20 pages in a book that has been living in my bathroom for quite a while now, it's great to just pick up and read a few pages here and there because it is full of short stories or as the author calls them "flash fictions"
Difficult People by Jim Stallings

My biggest accomplishment for the whole Read-A-Thon was finishing

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris. I stated it during my son's nap time and finished it this morning after I woke up I had about 10 pages left when the clock hit 7:00 am which I pushed on to finish and I consider that finishing it during the Read-A-Thon.

Next time I hope that my husband will be home and so I can read and he can be in charge of the little one for the day to really see how much I could finish if really given a whole 24 hours to do nothing except read. Though if next time I can get as much accomplished as this time I will be happy. I am satisfied with the pages I got through during this Read-A-Thon.

Look for reviews of all the books I read during the Read-A-Thon coming up soon.

24 Hour Read-A-Thon Post 6

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Another mini challenge hosted over here, The idea is to pick a book that you would want to be turned into a movie then cast one roll.

Well, hands down the book I would want to be turned into a movie is The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore and weirdly enough I just need Billy Bob Thornton to be in it but I really see him as Santa so he is going to be the man dressed as Santa.
Thanks to this challenge I just found out they actually have a movie of this book in pre production right now, I can't wait!!




Sponsor me by sponsoring my friend during the Read-A-Thon and be part of my giveaway. Be a part of it all Right Here.

24 Hour Read-A-Thon Post 5 mid event challenge

We took a break to walk to French Quarter Fest which isn't very far from our house, the little one had to get out now I am going to read him as many books as he wants for bedtime then go back to finishing Club Dead.

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now? Nothing I have to take a break to give the little one a bath but soon I will be reading Club Dead again

2. How many books have you read so far? 7

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I am looking forward to reading a lot of books to my son at bedtime and finishing Club Dead

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? No, I wish I could have, maybe next time

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Yes, lots. It's just me and my 3 year old today but we got lots of new kids books and I read to him whenever he needed attention.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How fast it seems to go once you get started

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? not yet

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I really want to get a babysitter or at least have my husband home all day so I can read as much as possible without interruptions.

9. Are you getting tired yet? Nope

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? love, love, love tweetgrid which lets me keep track of all the #readathon tweets

Sponsor me by sponsoring my friend during the Read-A-Thon and be part of my giveaway. Be a part of it all Right Here.

24 Hour Read-A-Thon Post 4

In the last few hours I have been reading a lot of books to my son and also I read 137 pages in Club Dead during his nap. Now that I am back to taking care of him and sort of taking a little break from reading I am going to do a mini challenge hosted over here.

Reading is Fundamental and here's my story:

I don't remember my Mom reading to me when I was really little like 3 and under but I know she did not just because she tells me she did but because I don't remember a time where books were a foreign idea. Books and reading has always been a part of my life and I have always enjoyed the experience of reading to myself and out loud. I remember when my Mom would work long nights I would read out loud to my sister while we lay in bed, it was a special thing for me and I think for her too, I wonder if she even remembers that now? I started reading full force on my own when I was around 12 years old and from that time on I was never without a book in my hands, literally I used to carry a book and a journal everywhere with me, to school, to the grocery store, on walks, everywhere. I know in my heart this love of reading came from the moments remembered consciously and subconsciously of reading with my family when I was young and because of that I have read to my son from before he was born. When I was pregnant and then breastfeeding I would read my books out loud to him, adult books whose content he couldn't possibly understand and whose gray scale pages held no interest for him but I knew it was the act of holding the book and of reading out loud to him that was important not the content. As he grows I pick out books that are his age level to read, we read every day before naptime and just before bedtime too. He has a whole shelving unit full of books and each day he picks the books that interest him at that moment for us to read together. He loves to have us read to him and with each book I read or let him see me reading to myself I hope that I am instilling a love for books and reading that he can carry with him throughout his life and that will allow him the ability to be self-taught and the joy of a good escape.




Sponsor me by sponsoring my friend during the Read-A-Thon and be part of my giveaway. Be a part of it all Right Here.

24 Hour Read-A-Thon Post 3

Here is another mini challenge more info on the challenge is here. Here is my entry, some of these are more of what sprang into my mind first rather than which are actually my favorite. I know a few of these would change if I had more time to think about them but I don't want to take more time away from reading than I already have so here you go.



Favorite Female Character in a book: Winter from the Leven Thumps books
Favorite Male Character in a book: Ford Prefect from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy
Favorite Side Kick in a book: Mort from Mort though he's only kind of a sidekick to Death.
Favorite Couple in a Book: at the moment it's Bill and Sookie from the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris
Favorite Book Series: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy
Favorite Author: Zora Neale Hurston
Favorite Book Cover: right now Admit One by Emmett James
Favorite Book of 2009: Written in 2009 or read in 2009? I think The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley covers both



Sponsor me by sponsoring my friend during the Read-A-Thon and be part of my giveaway. Be a part of it all Right Here.

24 Hour Read-A-Thon Post 2

So we are back from our errands. While we were out I finished listening to Cultural Literacy by E.D. Hirsch Jr and started A Touch of Magic on audio. We also bought so many kids books at the clothing exchange that we didn't need to go to the library, which is kind of crazy but I'll think about that later. I'm going to grab some lunch now while I read to my little guy a few of our new books to keep him busy.
I did enter a mini challenge a minute ago you can read about the challenge here

My entry is:
Bonk the last madam if you want to write sexuality today. and here's the picture to go with it.






Sponsor me by sponsoring my friend during the Read-A-Thon and be part of my giveaway. Be a part of it all Right Here.

Read-A-Thon Post 1

So far I have read about 20 pages and finished Doctor Who and the Cybermen. That's not very much but I am also feeding myself and a 3 year old so I am not feeling bad about it. That's usually the number of pages I read in a whole day and it's only 8am. I am going to have to take a couple hour break now to run our errands then I'll be back to read some more. I do have an audio book I'll be listening to in the car though so I won't really have to stop "reading".

Here is the info for the first mini challenge of the Read-A-Thon.

Where are you reading from today? mostly my house but I will also be listening to audio books int he car while we run some errands I just can't get out of today

3 facts about me … I die my hair Red, I have published a book of poetry and I have traveled to Australia

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? 9 I think. The pile is kind of less of a physical pile and more piled in my head from books that are on my shelf.

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? The only real goal I have is to finish the books I have checked out of the library which I already finished one so now I just have to finish Club Dead. Anymore than that is just gravy.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time? Get a babysitter, enlist your husband or Mom or someone. I wish I could take this advice...if you can't get a babysitter then get a bunch of kids books and get the little one involved. Children's books count so read to them when they need lovey attention throughout the day.

Sponsor me by sponsoring my friend during the Read-A-Thon and be part of my giveaway. Be a part of it all Right Here.

24 Hour Read-A-Thon Sponsor Giveaway

Read-A-Thon Sponsor Giveaway!!!!

I have wanted to read for a cause both times I have done this but never figured out who early enough. I still didn't work it all out early but I have a friend who is walking in the 5th Annual Walk for Change to support the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center tomorrow. She needs sponsors so here is what I am going to do, link through to her sponsor page or her husband's sponsor page
or her daughter's sponsor page or just pick anyone off of this list to sponsor.
You sponsor someone for ANY $ amount then send a screenshot of your confirmation or a copy of your confirmation email or some other proof of your sponsorship to me at Deatren@gmail.com
Everyone who sponsors at any time today (during the Read-A-Thon) and sends me the proof email will be entered in a giveaway for a miscellaneous gift pack which will include but not be limited to, ARC books, DVDs and handmade items. A winner will be chosen from eligible entries using Random.org and announced on Sunday 4/11/2010.

Read-A-Thon Pile

Friday, April 9, 2010

So here is my tentative pile, I don't plan to be a stickler about it but I want to use this as a jumping off point and see where it takes me. I will also be picking up a bunch of children's books from the library tomorrow to keep my little guy happy and still technically be reading so those will be added later. I also plan to download an audio book for tomorrow, oh Hell let me just go do that now...and now I have an audio book to listen too tomorrow while we are in the car running our errands.






Selected Shorts by Various Authors will be my audio book selection












Club Dead by Charlaine Harris, the 3rd in the series I can't wait to start and finish it, hopefully during this Read-A-Thon.














Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen, I already started this one but I hope to finish it tomorrow.











The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling, I've had this one since before Christmas and haven't read it yet. I think it will be a fast read so an easy addition to my Read-A-Thon pile.












Talk to Me like I'm Someone You Love by Nancy Dreyfus, Psy. D.















Share From The Heart by Marilyn Randall. This is the only unread children's book I have in the house but we are planning to read it.













What About the Children by Dianne Nelson, this is a short read but not sure if I want to get into such a heavy subject during the Read-A-Thon so we'll see.













Diggers by Terry Pratchett, I really want to read this but it's the second in the series so I have been holding off till I find the first in the series somewhere but I might get into it a little tomorrow.












And last but not least by any means is Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore. I love Moore's books so much but I'm not sure I will make it to this one because I really want to have the time to get into the story so we will see.


I know I have way more books in my pile than I can possibly finish tomorrow but having a lot to choose from will keep the reading fresh and hopefully keep me motivated to read as much as I have the extra time to do. Tune in tomorrow for all my updates.

24 Hour Read-A-Thon Join Up Post

Hi there everybody, The Read-A-Thon is tomorrow and I am going to try to do it again. Last time I didn't get to read as much as I wanted but I still participated and that is what counts. This time I remembered it and then I totally forgot about it but I am so glad I remembered it again before it passed, even if I only remembered one day before the Read-A-Thon begins. Only remembering with one day to spare means I don't have anyone to watch my son (he's 3) and I haven't picked up any kids books from the library yet which means I will have to do a run to the library in the morning to pick up an audio book and a bunch of kids books to keep the little guy interested and still be reading for the Read-A-Thon. That worked wonderfully last time. Maybe I can' download an audio book tonight...that will save time at the library since I also have to hit up the post office tomorrow no way around it. I am hoping to read a bit in the morning then hit the post office/library and then be able to read a lot in the afternoon. I won't be able to read super late into the night because it will be just me and the little guy on Sunday too and he doesn't let me sleep in just because I want to do a Read-A-Thon but I plan to read until I am too sleepy, then just not push myself too much. One of these times I will just be able to stay up all night and read, that will be great but for this time I will just do the best I can. I also plan to do blog posts as much as possible shooting for once per hour while I am reading. So stay tuned.

Book Review - Lorax, The Sweetest Fig and Stellaluna

Saturday, November 7, 2009

here are three more books that I finished during the Read-A-Thon. To make this process go smoother and faster because I have a lot of these older children's books to catch up on I am going to post the synopsis from amazon and then some quick thoughts from me for each title.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Synopsis:

The now remorseful Once-ler--our faceless, bodiless narrator--tells the story himself. Long ago this enterprising villain chances upon a place filled with wondrous Truffula Trees, Swomee-Swans, Brown Bar-ba- loots, and Humming-Fishes. Bewitched by the beauty of the Truffula Tree tufts, he greedily chops them down to produce and mass-market Thneeds. ("It's a shirt. It's a sock. It's a glove. It's a hat.") As the trees swiftly disappear and the denizens leave for greener pastures, the fuzzy yellow Lorax (who speaks for the trees "for the trees have no tongues") repeatedly warns the Once-ler, but his words of wisdom are for naught. Finally the Lorax extricates himself from the scorched earth (by the seat of his own furry pants), leaving only a rock engraved "UNLESS." Thus, with his own colorful version of a compelling morality play, Dr. Seuss teaches readers not to fool with Mother Nature. But as you might expect from Seuss, all hope is not lost--the Once-ler has saved a single Truffula Tree seed! Our fate now rests in the hands of a caring child, who becomes our last chance for a clean, green future.

Quick Thoughts:

I love Dr. Seuss, his stories have heart with a point and they are fun to read, The Lorax is no different.

The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg

Synopsis:

Van Allsburg swings back into his most mystifying mode with this enigmatic, visually sophisticated tale of Monsieur Bibot, a "very fussy" French dentist who is given a pair of magic figs as a form of payment by an impoverished patient. The fruit, he's told, has the power to make dreams come true. The pragmatic Bibot scoffs at this, of course, but learns otherwise after eating one. Accordingly, he makes plans to use the second fig to become the richest man on earth (and to ditch Marcel, his oppressed terrier, for a string of Great Danes). The images in the book are unsettling, even ominous: Bibot lurking in a doorway with a rolled-up newspaper, ready to punish Marcel; Bibot gleefully clutching a pair of pliers as he prepares to extract an old woman's tooth; a frowning Bibot standing, fists clenched in anger, as his patient offers him the figs instead of cash. The dentist is a thoroughly unsympathetic character; readers will rejoice when the long-suffering Marcel gobbles the second magic fig and, in a poetically just ending, reverses the master-slave relationship. The sepia-toned illustrations are classic Van Allsburg, offering a visual study that is downright psychological; the artwork's spare lines and clean surfaces reflect the obsessively orderly Bibot's nature. Adults will appreciate Van Allsburg's acuity, while many children will relish the darker aspects of his story.

Quick Thoughts:

The illustrations alone are worth picking up this book, they are beautiful. My son was entranced though he did not get the twist at the end of the story. At just under 3 years old it is a little deep for him but he enjoyed listening to the story and looking at the pictures even if he didn't quite understand every part.



Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Synopsis:

Baby bat Stellaluna's life is flitting along right on schedule--until an owl attacks her mother one night, knocking the bewildered batlet out of her mother's loving grasp. The tiny bat is lucky enough to land in a nest of baby birds, but her whole world has just turned upside down. Literally. Stellaluna's adoptive bird mom accepts her into her nest, but only on the condition that Stellaluna will act like a bird, not a bat. Soon Stellaluna has learned to behave like a good bird should--she quits hanging by her feet and starts eating bugs. But when she finally has an opportunity to show her bird siblings what life as a bat is like, all of them are confounded. "How can we be so different and feel so much alike?" one asks. "And how can we feel so different and be so much alike?" asks another. "I agree," Stellaluna responds. "But we're friends. And that's a fact." Anyone who has ever been asked to be someone they're not will understand the conflicts--and possibilities--Stellaluna faces.

Quick Thoughts:

When I worked at Barnes and Noble customers would request this book time and again singing it's praises so I know there are going to be some people who can't believe this but...I didn't get it. I mean I understood the story but it didn't move me in the way it seems to have moved so many others.

Currently "Reading":
Magazine - newest issue of Budget Travel
Book - A Wife's Guide to In-laws: How to Gain Your Husband's Loyalty Without Killing His Parents by Jenna D. Barry
Audio - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Book Review - Dinosaur Time and Mr. Putter & Tabby Feed the Fish

Friday, November 6, 2009

Finally I am getting around to finishing the reviews of the books I read during the Read-A-Thon. Here are two that both myself and my son just loved, the first is Dinosaur Time by Peggy Parish and the second is Mr. Putter & Tabby Feed the Fish by Cynthia Rylant.


The fact that my son loved Dinosaur Time was not a big surprise to me, he has recently discovered the new PBS show Dinosaur Train and has been rapidly developing a love for the large lizards. This is a great introductory to Dinosaurs for any young person looking to learn about the real creatures that used to roam the Earth. Each page is dedicated to a different dinosaur with a great illustration and paragraph about the dinosaur such as it's eating habits and distinctive features as well as a pronunciation guide so you can sound like Dr. Scott the Paleontologist (From Dino Train). Dinosaur Time is a Reading Rainbow Book and gets two big thumbs up.


Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish is a fun, friendly book. It makes me want to use the word wholesome, but not in a disgusting sticky sweet kind of way but in a true life that's just a good guy kind of way. I want to reach into the book and pinch Mr. Putter's cheeks while simultaneously giving him a big hug. This tale of an older man and his pet cat, Tabby purchasing some fish then having to ultimately give them away to their neighbour because of Tabby's fish problem (bat, bat, bat) also speaks to my son who loves pointing out the fish and the kitty and was actually able to read a few of the chapter titles. Another two thumbs up, I will be picking up more Mr. Putter and Tabby adventures at the library soon.

These aren't new books, Dinosaur Time was published in 1983 and Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish in 2002 but they stand the test of time.

Currently "Reading":
Magazine - November issue of Good Housekeeping
Book - A Wife's Guide to In-laws: How to Gain Your Husband's Loyalty Without Killing His Parents by Jenna D. Barry
Audio - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith