Read - A - Thon Update #1

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Well, I am taking my first break from the read-a-thon this morning. I started reading right on time this morning with a few pages in The Songbird In My Heart and then had to take a moment to fix the speakers in the back of the house so I could begin listening to Pride, Prejudice and Zombies throughout the house while made breakfast for the little guy and myself as well as do a little tidying around the house because I learned we would have house guests today just last night.

Then we went on to read a few children's books, Frog and Toad Together, Jenny Giraffe and the Streetcar Party, Jenny Giraffe int he French Quarter, A Tree is Nice and Clovis Crawfish and the Petit Papillon have all been finished. Now the little guy is watching Dinosaur Train and I am doing this. I plan to warm up my cup of coffee (it is really cold here today) and continue on reading The Songbird... for as long as I can then back to kids books when I need to.

Maybe a mini challenge first?...

Getting ready for the Read-a-Thon

Friday, October 23, 2009

I am pretty excited to take part in this reading challenge. Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon is the first time I have ever done anything like this actually in person or over the Internet. I am a little disappointed that I did not find out about this challenge earlier so that I would have enough time to promote and get sponsors so donate to a charity, I love the idea of doing this for fun but it would have more purpose if I was reading for a cause. However if this read-a-thon goes well I will participate in the next one which I believe is in April and in that case I will have plenty of time to set something like that up.

While I am reading the blogs of other people who are also taking part in the read-a-thon I notice people are building strategies so I figure I should come up with one of my own. Here is my plan, it is sort of loose and go with the flow, there are a lot of variables that I can't control or don't know what is happening with them right now so my plan sort of has to be open for change. First, I will actually get up when my 2 year old son comes into get me out of bed in the morning (usually around 6am) then we will start out our reading day with a few children's books that he will most likely bring to me from his book shelf. Then after a quick breakfast I will start reading my books while he plays around with his cars which he can do for quite some time before becoming bored. There might be a little Sesame Street watching in there too so I can make the most of my reading time.
Then here come a few more variables we have been invited to a block party from noon to 2pm but I am not sure if we are going yet because that cuts into nap time (for him and of course my reading. Also my husband who has been working all week in Mobile, AL may or may not be driving home on Saturday to spend the day with us. If he does this is great because he can spend quality time with the little guy while I read, if he doesn't then I will be reading a lot more children's books than I really want to but all will be ok in the end either way. Then I get to read all through naptime and then we will see how the evening goes with me reading as much as I can without giving the little guy too much TV time. And then I plan to read after he goes to bed but not super super late because he will be up and ready to go in the morning with no regard to my having stayed up all night just to read some books and so I will need my beauty rest better known as my So Mommy Doesn't Yell At You Rest.

I am hoping to do a few of the Mini Challenges too and update my blog as often as I can to keep people posted on my progress. I am thinking of updating whenever I finish a book or I need a break from reading. Also, I won't write full on reviews tomorrow just quick thoughts, I will write reviews on all the books I finish tomorrow in the next few days so I can use as much time for reading tomorrow as possible.

NPR story: Rule Of The Undead: Zombies Invade Bookstores

Thursday, October 22, 2009

I am never in my car at the right time or day to hear all the wonderful stories they air on NPR but I love them to I often scan NPR's website for new and fun things for my listening pleasure. Today I found a story on all the new Zombie books that are creeping onto bookstore shelves this Halloween season. Read it or listen to it for yourself by hopping over to their site, just click here.

Currently "Reading":
Magazine - This month's Parents Magazine
Book - Stop, Rest, and Think by Fuad A. Kamal
Audio - any day now I am finally going to finish that Studs Terkel book I have been listening to off and on forever.

Read - a - Thon Pile

I came upon Dewey's Read-a-Thon so recently that I haven't put much thought into what I was going to read, honestly I only had 5 days to figure it out from the day I learned of the thing so this is what I have so far. I have two books that I have already started but can't think of any good reason not to finish given this wonderful opportunity those are:

* A Wife's Guide to In-Laws (and if my in-laws read this I received this book to review I did not buy it, I love you guys)
* The Songbird in My Heart
* A Year in the Merde

Then on to other books I have on my list that have not been started yet:
* Critical Mass
* Rusty
*Difficult People
* Grey Apocalypse
*Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
*Backpack

And now to a special category see I have a 2 year old son who will be with me 99% of the day on Saturday. He sleeps well at night and takes a good nap but the rest of the time he will be mine to entertain luckily he loves books so on top of the collection of books he already has we went to the library today and picked up a ton of children's books for me to read to/with him when he is in need of love and attention throughout the day. It's a win/win I get to keep reading and he gets new books to enjoy while I read them out loud to him. That list is:

* Dinosaurs Before Dark
* Tales of Oliver Pig

* Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish
* Dinosaur Time
* A Tree is Nice
* Jenny Giraffe Discovers the French Quarter
* Jenny Giraffe and Streetcar Party
* Clovis Crawfish and the Patit Papillon
* Clovis Crawfish and his friends
* The Sweetest Fig
* Where the Wild Things Are
* Stellaluna
* The Lorax

* The Gift of the Magi

I think these will keep me busy and if we run out of children's books there are shelves of them in his room we can raid, there are also plenty more adult books laying around so I am not worried about getting bored or reading everything I have in the house. This list is just a place to get started.

New Look

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

What do you think of the new look for my blog? I wanted something bolder a little more edgy but at the same time professional. Do you think I pulled it off? I think, yes!



This image is designed by Jim Unwin and titled "Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes" a T-shirt with this design on it can be purchased as part of The Select Series by going here.

Currently "Reading":
Magazine - The New National Geographic Kids
Book - The Songbird In My Heart by Mark Steven Rhoads.
Audio - just downloaded Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Seth Grahame-Smith I can't wait to start listening to it.

Kid's Pick - 5 minutes for books

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

My son will be three years old this December. I have been reading to him since before birth and he has so far picked up my love for books. He has more books than anything else in his room and recently he has been picking out longer and longer titles to read at bedtime, nap time and any other time. For the past few weeks he has been hooked on a book I bought before I was even pregnant.

Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna. I worked at Barnes and Noble before becoming a stay-at-home Mom when Madonna's books came out I was able to pick up first editions of her first two titles. I bought them knowing I would have children some day, my love of reading is something I always hoped to pass on.

Well, here I am with an almost 3 year old and finally reading this book. This is one of the first books my son says the actual title when he wants to read it, he loves the illustrations and the story provides a great introduction and eventually conversation starter for stealing and not judging other people. I am a little afraid he will want to cut a pillow in half some day but, if he learns the lessons then it will be worth it in the end.

Find out what books other kids around the blogosphere have enjoyed (and link up your own) at 5 Minutes for Books' Kids' Picks carnival the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Currently "Reading":
Magazine - none right now.
Book - The Songbird In My Heart by Mark Steven Rhoads.
Audio - getting ready to start Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Seth Grahame-Smith

Fairyland

Monday, October 19, 2009

Catherynne Valente author of many wonderful stories including Palimpsest
and The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden made an announcement today. She has sold one of her newest stories The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. Why is this such a big deal? Well, first of all she is a great author who produces story after story that will simply capture you and whisk you away to another time and place and secondly she has been making this particular story available on-line for months now. Adding new chapters wee k-by-week which you can read by going here. It is not the

traditional way of doing things for sure but with her presence on the literary scene already established, her wonderful writing skill and her fan base to support this title has been picked up by Feiwel and Friends, a Young Adult imprint of Macmillian. And for those of you who don't already know that is a huge deal. This is where books are headed, a blend of traditional publications and the world wide interwebs. It puts a smile on my face knowing that things like this really are happening. That a "traditional" publishing house can see the potential in working with the web and not against it listening to the people and giving a story a bigger chance in the world.
Not only is Feiwel and Friends picking up the current Fairyland story but they are going to take it to the next level with a sequel to the fairyland story which I can't even tell you how excited I am to experience, knowing Valente it will be a truly enjoyable continuation of her fairyland adventure.

You can keep in touch with Catherynne Valente through her website, facebook or twitter. Purchase her books on Amazon.com

Currently "Reading":
Magazine - This month's Parents Magazine
Book - Stop, Rest, and Think by Fuad A. Kamal
Audio - finally going to finish that Studs Terkel book I have been listening to off and on forever.