1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Challenge Check in #1

 

So we are a quarter through 2012, so I thought I would check in with all of the amazing participants! How are you doing with it? Are you 1/4 of the way done with your goal?

I…am not doing well. I have read one book and that is it. I need to work on it!

If you are not sure what you want to read next, make sure you check out the review post. There are some great reviews on there and I am really excited to read some of these books!

Share with us how you are doing and I hope you are all having fun!

Challenge Wrap Up: What’s in a Name 4

 

I finished a challenge for the year! Here are the books that I went with. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to doing it next year!

1. A book with a number in the title: Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty
2. A book with jewelry of a gem in the title: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
3. A book with a size in the title: Little Green Men by Christopher Buckley
4. A book with travel or movement: Across the Universe by Beth Revis
5. A book with evil: Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
6.  A book with a life stage:  Boys and Girls Together by William Goldman

 

Get Rid of Books Summer Challenge!

I am late to the news, but the WSJ article about YA is disgusting. Find out more about this by heading to twitter and going to #YAsaves. Also, check out this blog post by Nicole from Word For Teens – I could not say it better so I won’t bother .

 

So instead, this Sunday I will post about a new “challenge” I am doing.

I have too many books. Three shelves, with two of the double stacked, plus three stacks of arcs. At least two shelves are books that I will read once and then give away. I just need to read them! Lucky for me, there is now a challenge to help me!

It is hosted by Pop Culture Junkie

This is how it will work:

Starting today June 4th until September 4th do whatever you need to to get rid of some books, I don’t care where they go, donate them, sell them, pass them on, have a contest. Whatever you feel comfortable with (please don’t tell me if they go in the garbage though I might cry!) and keep track of the number of books that are no longer in your possession.

At the end of the challenge and give final tally, we will do this on the honor system. And whoever has gotten rid of the most books over the summer will win a book (Under $20 and something I can easily purchase in the US, and US only for shipping), yes totally against our point I know, but that’s how I roll!

So here is how I will do it. I will stop using my library other than the book i am currently reading and the three I have on hold.

I <3 my library, but it keeps me from reading what I have. So from now until the end of this challenge I will read my own books…and then give them away. Arcs will all be giveaways on here (unless they have been promised to others). Others will be a mix of giveaways, selling on Amazon, and donating to schools or other places.

My goal is to get rid of 35 books!

Random Acts of Kindness Challenge

This is the BEST challenge I have ever seen. The goal is to do random acts of kindness everyday between Dec 12-24..the twelve days of Christmas. But I don’t think it should be just for Christmas…let it last the 8 days of Hannakuh if that is what you celebrate…then add a few more.Here is the video about the challenge.

There are prizes available, but I don’t think I will post about what I do to try to win something…I just don’t want it to come off as bragging because that seems to take away the idea of doing something nice just to do something nice.

I know it says random, but I have a few plans.

1. Take a bunch of my change to a bell ringer.

2. Go buy a couple children’s books and send them to a children’s hospital

3. Look into volunteering at a soup kitchen in the area

4. Call a friend that I know is having problems and offer to do something to help…even if it is just listening.

This may be my favorite challenge. I challenge everyone else to participate also. If everyone was going around doing nice things for strangers or friends, this world would be a much better place!

General Musings and a challenge

I am on my break at work, and I realize that I have not posted a blog in a long time (basically since this temp job started). The worst part is that I have not been reading at all. Since my last post, I have read 3 books, two YAs and on by Douglas Coupland. I was spoiled by that time off…I could read as much as I wanted.I can’t wait to get a real job in publishing for many many reasons…but one of them is having a commute on a bus! Now I drive, but once I am on a bus that is an extra two hours a day to read!

Now I am working on What Maisie Saw by Henry James. I know that this book will take me a while no mater what because James is not an easy author to read, I am only 30 pages into it, but I am really liking it! I look forward to reviewing it!

My husband saw that I was reading that book and said, “Why would anyone willingly read a Henry James book?” It turns out he read two Henry James books in high school and hated them. So far, I don’t understand why not.

What makes us just hate certain writing styles? I will never read another Toni Morrison book. I read The Bluest Eye and Beloved and I struggled through them both. Part of my dislike is for her – she is from a town right next to the one I grew up in and made a lot of money writing about it and does not give back (and the kids there need help and inspiration). Most of it was for the writing and the stories. I know so many people who love her books and I just don’t see it at all!

Do you have any authors that you will never read again? Any idea why?

In other news, I am starting my first challenge to myself. If you noticed, I have pages where I list the books reviewed by title and author. I am challenging myself to have a book in every letter in both pages!

PS- I will be posting about my first contest soon…so be on the lookout!