New Year, New Resolution

Last year, Goodreads asked me how many books I believed I could read in a year and challenged me to complete the task.  I failed.  Miserably.  I challenged myself to read 25 books over 52 weeks.  I figured that was 2 weeks per book.  It was more than enough time.  Wrong! One book in particlar took me 2 months to read.  Another, just 2 days.

So this year I have decided to still give myself another reading challenge, but to tweak its design just a little bit.  This year I have picked one particular author, and I plan to read an entire series penned by said author.

And the lucky author is.......... Patricia Cornwell.  

My intention is to  read the entire Kay Scarpetta series before the end of the year.  That is 22 books in total.  A little less than my previous 25, but I am hoping that a good murder mystery will keep me reading into the wee hours of the night.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year! Wish me luck!

Television and Movies Verses the Printed Word

Like many other people, I look forward with great anticipation to someone turning one of my beloved books into a movie or a television show.  And like many of these same people, I walk away from the screen with a great amount of disappointment.  I should know by now that the movie is never the same as the book, BUT the television show is a completely different story.  Shows like Game of Thrones and Outlander have again made me a believer.

Game of Thrones is for lack of a better term, freaking amazing! As both a reader and a viewer, you sit on the edge of you seat eagerly anticipating what is going to happen next to your favorite character.  And guess what ladies and gentlemen, the books and the show are almost exactly the same! If you can't wait to find out what happens in the next season, George R.R. Martin is there for you with a 1000 page book in hand.  (I have hurt my shoulder carrying around books this large before, so I also recommend the Games of Thrones series on audiobook.  It is great to listen to on your daily commute.  Hello, Audible!)

The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is also a compilation of some very large books.  However, it is an amazing combination of fantasy and romance.  The new television series on Starz is a great reason to order an extra channel.  And Scotland is it's on beautiful character.  If you watch for nothing else, watch for the scenery.  But trust me, you will want to watch and watch and watch.

In both series you want to root for the characters.  You want Jamie and Claire to find their happily ever after in the gorgeous Scotland countryside.  You want to give Jon Snow a hug; because well, because he is Jon Snow and he has had it rough.

I don't want you to think that television always has it right though.  I mean, look at True Blood.  Each season just moves further and further away from the original stories.  Each is a gripping fantasy on it's own, but I wish that they had stayed closer to the books; I loved the books for a reason.  I loved the mystery, the love triangles, the fantasy of it all.  You can't read 10 books about vampires, fairies and other mythological creatures and not want some fantasy in your life.

If you want to check out these books or series on your own, follow the links I have below.  You will not be disappointed.

For more information on the Outlander series visit:

www.dianagabaldon.com

www.starz.com/originals/outlander

For more information of the series A Song of Fire and Ice visit:

www.georgerrmartin.com

www.hbo.com/gameofthrones

And for more information on the Sookie Stackhouse/ True Blood series visit:

www.charlaineharris.com

www.hbo.com/true-blood

FABULOUS Thrift Store Finds

Today Beau and I had to get out of the house, and we could think of nothing else to do besides shop.  And so shop we did!  The first place we hit was the local Goodwill, and it was there that we hit the jackpot!  While looking for more books in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, we discovered most of the Lemony Snicket series.  Now, I have never read this series. All I really remember about it is the Jim Carrey movie, but I could not be more excited.   I was able to purchase 10 of the 13 books in the series for $9!  I couldn't believe my good luck.  Now all I have to do is find time to read them.

Here is a list of all 13 titles in case you have any desire to read them for yourself.

1. The Bad Beginning
2. The Reptile Room
3. The Wide Window
4. The Miserable Mill 
5. The Austere Academy
6. The Ersatz Elevator
7. The Vile Village
8. The Hostile Hospital
9. The Carnivorous Carnival
10. The Slippery Slope
11. The Grim Grotto
12. The Penultimate Peril
13. The End

I am going to start reading the books tonight after Masterchef.  Yes, I do have to get my reality TV fix in before I can do anything else tonight.

All I can really say now is, "Bring it on, Snicket! Let me see what events you have in store for me!"  (And yes, I did rush home after our shopping trip and ordered the last three books on Amazon.)      

I am a slacker.

Yesterday I realized that I have not posted in over a year.  A year!!!  So, even though I am pretty sure I have said this before, I promise to be a better blogger and post more.  I have recently started using Audible.  Have you heard of Audible?  If not, it's amazing,  and you should check it out.  Here is how it works.  For a monthly fee you download an audio book onto you phone, computer, I Pad, etc.  It is that simple.  I have been able to get a lot more "reading" done.  And by reading, I mean listening.  My I Pad is now officially attached to my hip.  I listen while cooking, cleaning and driving.  It has been a real life saver.

So far I only download one book a month.  (Unless there is a sale.  I make no promises when there is a sale.)  And the last book I downloaded was A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

Synopsis: Diana Bishop is a Yale educated historian who is completing research at Oxford for her latest book.  One day while conducting her research she discovers a manuscript that will change her life. Diana, along with the 1500 year old vampire named Matthew Clairmont, embark on a journey of discovery that she could have never imagined.      

As the first book in the All Souls trilogy, I expected this book to contain a lot of background information.  But I found myself at times wondering why was this relevant to the topic?  How does this tie in to the overall mystery that Diana and Matthew are trying to solve?  A mystery, which I loved and could not wait to be solved.  Now, don't get me wrong, the plot did grow and flourish at the end of the novel.  It set up for a second book, which I will be reading here in the next few weeks.  The first two-thirds of the novel developed very slowly, however.  Leaving me to take longer to complete this novel then it normally would have done.

I don't want you to think that this novel isn't one that should be read.  It is.  I mean, all three books are on the national bestseller list for a reason.  Just don't expect a lot of action in this first novel.  It builds for the second two novels.  It develops a love story.  I'm not sure how I feel about the love story either, but I will let you make your own conclusions on that one.          

And if you have any inclination, please do try Audible.  The narration of this novel is amazing.  It is a work of art in and of itself.  And I am willing to bet that you can even find narrations from some of your favorite actors.

A Curious Choice for an Idle

 

"This is George.  George was a good little monkey and always very curious."

Today Beau decided to take a nice LOOOONG nap, so I was finally able to get some reading done!  I read 100 pages!  Now I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but when I haven't been able to get through more than 10 pages in one sitting for the last seven months, it is pretty much a miracle.   

When he was awake I decided to look through his books.  Yes, he has an entire bookshelf in his room, and it is FULL!  I do realize that he is 7 months old, but the love of reading starts young!  The problem is that he only likes 1 series of books.  Curious George.  

Now, I don't know if this is because his dad is tall and skinny like the man in the yellow hat.  Or if I should be scared about the fact that he will soon be mobile.  I mean, if George is his idle, I have a lot of messes, small disasters and mini adventures in my future.  This could be bad.  Very, very bad.  

I am leaning towards the man in the yellow hat theory, because I know that although George always causes a problem, he always helps fix it!  He accepts responsibility.  He is helpful, and polite.  George has a love of learning.  That is why he is so curious, right?  He just wants to know about all these different things he has never seen before.  This is exactly how I want Beau to be!  Turns out George is a great idle!  I just never thought of him that way before today.

So bring on those messes and the mini adventures. I'm ready.  I just really don't want to wear the big yellow hat.

George has had a lot of adventures over the years.  There is one of everyone.  Here are just a few of George's exploits.  

                                          Curious George Gets a Medal                                         

Curious George Takes a Job

Curious George Goes to School

Curious George Makes Pancakes

Curious George Feeds the Animals

Curious George Goes to a Costume Party

Curious George Takes a Train

Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory

Curious George and the Firefighters

Curious George and the puppies

Curious George  Visits a Toy Store

Curious George and the Dump Truck

Curious George and the Birthday Surprise

Curious George Goes Camping

Curious George Visits the Library 

Curious George in the Big City

      

I need to go the bookstore

While my little man was napping I decided to look around on Pinterest.  I know.  I should have been reading, but oh well, that ship has sailed.  BUT I found another great reading list!  This time for my little man!  I was so excited!  

Growing up, I loved sitting in my room and reading.  I had this grate on the floor that the hot air would come out of in the winter.  I would wedge myself in that corner, feet on the grate, and wait for that wonderful, warm air to turn on and make my little reading nook all toasty.  

I read everything in that corner.  I was introduced to both Narnia and Hogwarts.  I fought crimes with Alex Cross, Lindsay Boxer and Kay Scarpetta.  There were so many stories devoured in that corner, that I can't even remember half of the books I read.  (So now I have a list on my computer.  It is just easier to keep track that way.) And ever since I found out I was pregnant, I was hoped that my son would have the same love of reading that I have always had.  That is why I am hoping that this amazing list will help little Beau grow in his love of reading.  

This list is courtesy of chasingsupermom.com.  Let me know what you think about it.  Are there any books that you loved as a child that are missing?

1. Matilda by Roald Dahl

2. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

3. Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary

4. Holes by Louis Sachar

5. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

6. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

7. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

8. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

9. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards

10. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

11. The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

12. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

13. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

14. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

15. 5 Children and It by E. Nesbit

16. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien

17. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

18. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson

19. The Borrowers by Mary Norton

20. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Patterson

21. Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown

22. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

23. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

24. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

25. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

26. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

27. Stuart Little by E.B. White

28. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater

29. The Wish Giver by Bill Brittain

30. Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary

31. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

32. The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth

33. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

34. Freckle Juice by Judy Blume

35. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

36. Ramona and her Mother by Beverly Cleary

37. George’s Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl

38. Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

39. Frindle by Andrew Clements

40. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

41. Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen

42. Mandy by Julie Edwards

43. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

44. All-of-aKind Family by Sydney Taylor

45. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

46. Nurse Matilda by Christianna Brand

47. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

48. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

49. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol

50. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

51. The Field Guide: Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

52. The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

53. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Crowell

54. The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo

55. Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

56. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

57. Loser by Jerry Spinelli

58. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

59. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

60. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

61. The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

62. The BFG by Roald Dahl

63. Stuart’s Cape by Sara Pennypacker

64. The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

65. The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

66. The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling

67. Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

68. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

69. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

70. Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary

71. The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit

72. The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

73. The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis

74. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

75. Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry

76.  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming

77. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

78. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner

79. Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

80. The Great Brain by John Dennis Fitzgerald

81. Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

82. The Time Warp Trio: Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Sciezska

83. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

84. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

85. Belle Prater’s Boy by Ruth White

86. Sounder by William H. Armstrong

87. The Littles by John Peterson

88. Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers

89. The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick

90. A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin

91. No Flying in the House by Betty Brock

92. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

93. Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies

94. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

95. The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

96. Henry Reed Inc. by Keith Robertson

97. Tornado by Betsy Byars

98. Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith

99. The Moffats by Eleanor Estes

100. My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett    


I have highlighted the books on the list that I remember reading.  Turns out I did not read that many children's books as a child.  Murder mysteries were just a lot more interesting I guess.   

My little spit fire and my never ending "To Read" list

I have not posted in almost 6 months.  I have not been able to read more than half of a novel.  I AM HAVING WITHDRAWALS!  Now, my inability to read has not been for a lack of trying.  I blame this guy.

But he is so cute, you say.  And so sweet.  Yes, he is.  But he is also the world's smallest, most powerful ball of energy!  He does not like to sit still and be read too.  He does not like to play by himself for more than 2 minutes.  He likes to have a running conversation all day every day.  And it is for that reason that I have only managed to read half of A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin in the last 6 months.  He is currently learning to play a bit more by himself, so hopefully soon. I will be able to get back to some of my hobbies.  I will try and keep you updated on a more regular basis.

Sadly, I have a giant list of books sitting on my night table waiting for my attention.  This list includes:

1. Clockwork Princess
2. A Storm of Swords 
3. A Feast of Crows
4. Dead Ever After: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel
5. Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood Novel)
6. Lover At Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood Novel)
7. City of Fallen Angels
8. City of Lost Souls

See?  I told you it was a large list.  Before my son was born this would have been my summer reading list.  Now my goal is to get it done by the end of the year.  Fingers crossed, right?