Just finished The Pioneer Woman’s Black Heels to Tractor Wheels and it was definitely a fun choice for the readathon, I’m glad I waited til now to read it. Not that I didn’t already know much of the early story – or how it all turns out in the end, heh. It’s also kind of fun to hear Ree’s voice, literally, as you read.
But now I want cinnamon rolls.
*341 pages*
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels #Readathon Read More »
1. What are you reading right now? —- I’ve got about 50 pages before I finish Ree’s book, Black Heels & Tractor Wheels.
2. How many books have you read so far? — I’ve finished three.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? — This is a tough question since I haven’t decided what I’m reading next!
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? — Not special as in finding a baby sitter or taking a day off of work but just making the commitment to stay home and do nothing but read is pretty special around here.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? — Nope, Michelle-belle called once, but it was during a break anyway so it was great timing.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? — I’m always surprised by how hard it is. Even though I read a lot, something about knowing you’re going to do nothing but read all day makes it harder. More daunting. Still fun, though.
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? — hmmm I like it the way it is, actually.
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? — Next year I’m going to plan my books better. I pre-planned last year and didn’t do it this year. I’ll go back to planning for sure.
9. Are you getting tired yet? — I’ve been tired off and on. Right now… I’m good but I’ll probably be yawning again in an hour.
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? — Mixing up the types of books helps me. If I toss a graphic novel or childrens/YA book in between novels, or switch to non-fiction for awhile and then go back to novels, it really helps.
#Readathon Mini Challenge Survey Read More »
First, Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000 – loved it. Loved it a lot more than the last Frankie Pickle I read. I especially loved Frankie’s thoughts on the hobby shop. Great fun for people who love hobby shops and anyone who has ever experienced a “Pinewood Derby”.
Next, Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs. It was cute, in places, but a little slow. I’d have probably liked it more if it was pure graphic novel. One problem – now I’m trying to decide whether it would be better to be a Ninja Queen or a Veterinarian.
*292 more pages down!
Two Cybils for #Readathon Read More »
Well that took a long time, didn’t it? Heh. The Raven’s Bride, 356 pages, and pretty interesting to read about Virginia Poe when we tend to hear so little. I cannot imagine what it was like to live with Edgar Allan Poe – or maybe I can now that I’ve read The Raven’s Bride.
Also interesting, the controversy surrounding this book – as pointed out by someone on BlogHer.com.
One book down #Readathon Read More »
I slept late so I’m starting a little later than some of the other readers, but that’s ok – I’ll finish strong! And, I’m playing catch up by jumping in and answering the questions in the first hour that I missed because I was sleeping. Heh.
1)Where are you reading from today?
– I’m reading from my bedroom. In Glenview, Il.
2)Three random facts about me…
– a) I don’t believe in random facts. Nothing is random. b) There are three prairie dogs sitting next to me, actually they are glaring at me because I am not releasing them from their cage or petting them or paying any attention to them. c) I just spilled coffee all over my desk. Gah.
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
– I don’t know, I didn’t count them. I just photographed them! Here’s that photo.
4)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)?
-I thought about making goals and decided I have enough of them in other areas of my life. So no. No goals.
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
-Last year was my first official year and I learned that it’s harder than I thought it would be. I read a lot, just in general, and didn’t expect to find it difficult. But it was. I found myself getting distracted. Getting up and surfing some readathon blogs helped. Yummy food also helps. I just had this breakfast of readathon champs: Two Bite Cinnamon Rolls, Cantaloupe, Coffee! Now I’m ready to read.
The Readathon Begins: My Books and Breakfast Read More »
Until TW started reading The Lost Hero and trying to ruin it for me by telling me about it as she read, I did not know that this series was going to include Percy and friends. For some reason I thought it was going to take place years into the future or something like that. I thought Percy might make an appearance as an older and wiser demi-god or as someone who worked at camp… but I didn’t realize it was simply a continuation of the original story with Percy playing a big (though somewhat invisible role). Huh.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this, after TW clued me into this fact, but I settled into it pretty quickly and found myself enjoying it much the way I enjoyed the very first Percy Jackson book.
It’s hard to tell you what I liked most about this one, without spoiling it for you… because what I liked most is the biggest spoiler of the book. So I’ll just say… pretty smooth move, Riordan. Smart way to develop a new series using the foundation of the original series. Very smooth.
Oh, one more thing – I like this one better than the first book in the Kane series.
I think I reserved My Father’s Daughter because I saw someone talking about in the Adoption Books Challenge. It sounded interesting and I didn’t have any other adoption themed books on my list – so I grabbed it.
It was… interesting.
Told from the perspective of the adopted child as adult – most of the adoption books I read are about young children or about the birth parent or the adoptive parent, so this was something slightly different.
When I read books about children from war-torn or third world countries being adopted by Americans or Euorpeans, there’s almost always a tone of… privilege. By adopting this poor child, we’re giving her a better life. Which is true… except when it isn’t.
Hannah Pool is a good example of this. White American mother and English father adopt African orphan. Mother dies, father does a nice job (once he gets his bearings), Hannah grows up in England – gets a good University education. Has traveled all over the world. And yet… what child, no matter what the situation, wants to be adopted. What child, no matter the situation, wouldn’t wish for her birth family – the experience of growing up with that culture and heritage? When she learns she wasn’t an orphan, her birth father was not dead, and that she has siblings and finally visits… she sees their poverty, hears about a sister lost in the war, understands that if she had not been taken to that orphanage, she’d have grown up there – been like her sister(s) – and part of her, a big part of her, wishes that had happened.
I get it.
No matter how wonderful an adopted child’s life and family are, there’s always something that makes them different from others. I understand.
I don’t even know if having a completely open adoption can completely resolve these kinds of feelings and issues for adopted children. But I also know that adoption can be a good thing and the alternatives – children growing up in homes where adults can’t properly care for them or in orphanages or multiple foster homes, those are situations where it’s obvious adoption is a good alternative. But still.
Lesson learned: Adoption isn’t the ultimate solution. It brings problems all its own.
My Father’s Daughter Read More »
I’m a Sarah Addison Allen fan so you won’t be surprised when I say that I loved The Peach Keeper!
I was prepared for the “magic”, or I thought I was… I’d been reading awhile without any obvious magic happening and just as I was starting to wonder if maybe this one wouldn’t have the same touch of magic – bam! There it was. And it was pretty terrific.
The magical elements were slightly different in this book, than in previous books – and that’s all I’m going to say about that, you’ll just have to read it to see what I mean.
Also, it was really nice to see Claire Waverly make a brief appearance. Like seeing an old friend. I’m surprised by how big of a feel good moment that was for me. Nice touch – and her appearance added just the right thing to the story at that moment.
Great book – give me another one!
I’ve already read some really great books and I know I’m going to read more but these three from the Cybils shortlist are going to hold their own in my favorites for the year list – I think they are probably going to hold their own for a lot longer than that. These three books were that good. You should read them, even if you don’t normally read kids lit.
First, The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere, we listened to this one on audio and I, for one, was sorry to see it end. Thankfully, book two will be released in a few months.
Olive is a little girl who doesn’t really fit in – she’s never fit in with the other kids at any of the schools she’s lived in. She doesn’t really fit in with her parents, who are math teachers. Olive can’t count to 100 – she gets lost somewhere in the 80s. Or 70s. Or somewhere.
She and her parents move into a very old house, with all of its belongings – after the previous owner died without any heirs. The house is interesting but something about it makes Olive feel uneasy. One of the things that makes her uneasy is the paintings that are hanging throughout the house. The first night, she tells her mom about this and her mom says they’ll just take the painting down that is outside of Olive’s bedroom – but it won’t come off the wall.
Olive plays with some of the things in a dresser in one of the bedrooms – scarves and gloves and such… and then she finds some glasses, on a chain. She puts them off and is playing when she notices movement inside of a painting – she presses her nose to the painting and… she’s inside of it.
Crazy things happen. Scary, creepy, crazy things and Olive has to piece together clues and figure out what in the heck is going on… with the help of some of the people inside of the paintings and the three cats who are guarding the house.
OK that’s enough – go read it for yourself.
Next, the best zombie book I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot)… Rot & Ruin. I did not expect this book to be this good. I did not expect to find myself tearing up in places throughout the story – but I did. The zombies don’t talk, they aren’t “good”, they are just zombies. It’s what the humans do that’s what gets to you. The really horrible things humans can do to each other, and to those who are weaker or somehow less than.
Benny goes from hating his older half-brother, who is a Zombie bounty hunter but not the kind who wanders around bragging about his kills and showing off his fighting skills, to respecting his brother for the job he does. Benny learns that those big, tough bounty hunters might not be what he thought they were either.
Great post-apocolyptic fiction – zombies or no zombies. Kids are going to love this book.
Last, but definitely not least, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Hahaha. This book should be made into a movie. I’m not sure I want a sequel but if one arrives, I’ll definitely read it.
Is the origami Yoda on Dwight’s finger real? I mean he’s definitely real in the way that you can see him and stuff – but is he really giving advice to the kids in school or is the extra weird Dwight being even weirder than normal? And if it is Dwight – how is that even possible? The kid is so clueless and not so smart, except in math, how could he come up with this stuff? That’s the question…
I’m leaning toward Yoda is totally real – the force was using Dwight and the Origami Yoda to help the kids sort out their issues.
Totally real. Also.
Purple.
Three of the Best Books I’ll Read This Year Read More »
TW’s mom was really sick last weekend so Elly hasn’t seen her very much. Today, Elly came in – found her grandmother in her normal seat in front of the TV, and yelled with real happiness, “Momal! You’re feeling better!” and the two of them have been happily chatting away ever since.
Of course their happy chatting is odd – one asks a question about something the other knows nothing about, the other asks a question about something the other knows nothing about, one starts talking about something the other doesn’t care too hoots about, the other starts talking about something the other doesn’t care anything about.
But, they both happily talk about whatever it is the other wants to talk about.
It’s cute.
They Missed Each Other Read More »