Sunday Salon - The Longest Week Ever

OK....well, I know I said I was coming back to blogging. I meant it too. And I still plan on being back full-time, posting at least 3 or 4 times a week. But the past week has been amazingly full, and I haven't had a free minute!!

First of all, I have to thank each and every one of you. Not only did you restore my faith in blogging, but you welcomed me back open arms. THAT is the part of blogging that I have SO missed. What I didn't miss was the stress of posting a certain amount of times a week. Worrying about "stats", and whether my blog is "good enough" for certain publishers. Feeling pressured to read a book that I really had no desire to pick up. Feeling like I had to review all of the numerous book review requests that I received. But what all of you told me, and what I finally realized is this: That stuff doesn't really matter. I started my blog oh-so-many-years-ago for me. I wanted an outlet for all my creative juices, and a place to record the books I read. I was never a 1000-hit a day blog. I don't have millions of followers, and not the one that publishers immediately think of when choosing the Best Blogs.

BUT I think I have carved myself a nice little niche, with a few followers, some really good friends and, hopefully, some great discussion about one of my favorite topics: books. And that makes me happy. The funny thing is, even when I didn't even post for over 9 months, I still received tons of review requests. In my possession I have a least a full tote (if not two) of books that I received during my "sabbatical". I'm looking forward to getting back to reading and reviewing and blogging. I can't wait to catch up on all your blogs...and maybe even join a reading challenge of two. It's time...and I'm finally ready.

Of course, I alluded to the fact that this was a busy week. That is an understatement in the biggest way. Mike started working...which is great and wonderful...and he LOVES it. BUT, he has to get up between 2 and 3 am. And it never fails that I end up getting up too. His alarm wakes me, and I usually see him off. Then I try to get at least a couple more hours of sleep. I'm an incurable insomniac, so there are days when I just can't get back to sleep. Either way, I have to be up by 6 to shower before the kids get up. Chad has to be at the high school by 7:45. Band days, Belle has to be at school by 8. And Ana needs to be there by 8:45. The hours from 6 to 9 are just crazy trying to get everyone up, dressed, fed and ready.

Classes started this week, and I can honestly say I absolutely love them!! 4 classes and 1 online class. I'm so looking forward to getting into all of them. And for all of you readers, we are starting with the Romantics in Brit Lit. Poetry, so far by William Blake and Charlotte Smith. And listen to this: a huge project for this class includes creating a blog and doing a "salon" for a British Author!! I'm pretty sure I can handle that one!! I may be posting here on this blog, and am open to any suggestions you all have. I was thinking about Oscar Wilde or Thomas Hardy.....but would love to hear what you guys suggest!!

Frankenstein is my required reading this week in Lit111: The Short Story and The Novel. In fact, I actually picked this section BECAUSE of the reading list! The texts includes a book called Fiction 50, which is a collection of short stories by authors such as Agatha Christie, Nikolai Gogol, Leo Tolstoy, Alice Walker and Joyce Carol Oates. The other required reading is Frankenstein, The Haunting of Hill House, Dracula, Jane Eyre, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Eyre Affair.

Of course, getting back into the hang of studying has been a bit difficult. The last time I was studying this many classes at a time, I wasn't married. Didn't have kids or other responsibilities. I have a feeling this is going to be tougher than I originally thought. I really hope I can do it.

To top it all off, we had kind of a rough week. Chad is on the wrestling team this year. It's his first year doing it. His HS freshman football coach is the head wrestling coach, and actually suggested Chad try out for the team. Turns out, he's good. Real good. So good, in fact, this could lead to scholarships in the future. 2 weeks ago, he hurt his shoulder. We spent all day in the ER, but it was just a sprain. It put him out for a bit, which just killed him. Yesterday was the conference meet, and he was SO excited to get back to it. Then he hurt knee. Badly. We go to the orthopedic tomorrow, but his trainer is pretty sure he blew his ACL. Which is going to mean surgery and months of PT. He's devastated, but I told him at least it his freshman year. Actually, I'm kind of devastated for him. It kills me to see him so sad. He hasn't left his room since he got home from the meet yesterday.

And if that wasn't bad enough, I had to work last night. About 7:30, I was coming out of the back room carrying a bunch of plates, when I rounded the corner of the kitchen. Someone has spilt some balsamic vinaigrette (all greasy) on the floor, and I wiped out. I fell on my left hip, and hit my elbow hard on the metal counter. I jumped up pretty quickly, and went right back to work. But in about 15 minutes, the throbbing in my elbow as too much, and the swelling was pretty bad. They shipped me off to the ER too!! Good news for me is that I didn't fracture anything. It hurts like hell, is swollen, and is starting to turn ugly colors. But it won't keep me out of work too long.

This week it seemed like it was just one thing after the other. Belle is sick. I'm pretty sure it strep throat. Ana has had basketball and we've spent many hours studying multiplication tables. Chad's had a couple of doctor's appointments with his shoulder....next week it will be his knee. My washing machine took a dump, and now I have to go up the street to the Laundromat to do my laundry. Cross your fingers that I can hold it all together!

For now, I will let you all go. Check in frequently, I have a lot of books I'd like to talk about that I've recently finished, including the YA books Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, Wither by Lauren DeStefano and Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. Also the 1st 3 books in the Walking Dead Series. I also want to talk about the 9 new books that I've received the past few weeks, and the 3 that I got for my birthday. Till then, take care and I will be back soon!! Later!

Sunday Salon - The What the Hell Happened to Me Post

Good morning!! I really just wanted to thank all of you for your kind words this past week. I don't want to get into specifics, but the past month has been challenging to me in so many ways. 3rd shift has been taking it's toll on me for the past 2 years, and I think I finally hit rock-bottom with it. Things with the Red Cross went from bad to worse....and it put me in a serious depression. I mean, I've been depressed before, but this was different. This was the kind of depression that left me feeling drained. All I wanted to do was stay in bed all day (or night) and pull the covers over my head. I didn't want to read or blog or check my email or twitter or ANYTHING. So I took a mental-health break. I apologize if I concerned you at all. I got a few emails that I know I should have answered and a few phone calls as well. But I just couldn't answer them.

But this week, I feel better. On Tuesday, I started a new job!!! One that I hope I'll be at for quite awhile. I am working for DHL Export Company. I've been looking for awhile, but after the first of the year, I kicked that into overdrive. With my background in IT and my experience in Logistics, they gave me the job right away. It's first shift, Monday thru Friday. (at the moment there is also unlimited overtime, but I don't know how long that will last). I am an Ocean Export Rep, and basically what they are training me for is to set up bookings of ocean shipments across the world for Caterpillar. I met the Regional Manager this week and told him I'm already a certified 6 Sigma green belt (if you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry. It's a business thing and stupid as hell...but looks great on a resume!). He was super-impressed with that, so keep your fingers crossed that I'm here to stay!! I'm also sticking with the restaurant, as well. Scary thing is, I'm actually good at waiting tables. And the money is really good. I'm cutting my hours pretty drastically, but will use the money for my property taxes this year....and basically just as catch-up money. It was nice this year to pay cash for our entire Christmas!! Maybe another year of waiting tables, and I'll be able to pay for a really nice vacation for 2011. God knows, this family could use one!!

I even went to the library on Friday!!! I haven't done that in months. You know it's bad for me when I don't even want to go to the library. And I started doing a bit of blog hopping yesterday. Just so you know, I plan on catching up with all of you this week!! I saw that Carl has posted for the Once Upon a Time IV Challenge. If there is anything that could get me back into the blogging/reading mode again, it's one of Carl's Challenges!!! So look for a sign-up post from me this week.

During my month's hiatus, I finished a couple of books. Hex Hall, that I reviewed yesterday. Horns by Joe Hill. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Liga. And the 3rd Sandman and Fables. I don't know if I'll get to any reviews or not, but I will try. As for now, I am reading Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah and Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland. I also have a copy of the new Holly Black book on deck, White Cat.

And for the first time in over a year, I have the entire weekend off!!! Mike and Chad are out of town. They went to a racquetball tournament in Lombard, so it's been a "Girl's Weekend". This is something that I needed in the worst way. We went to see Alice in Wonderland. We went out to dinner both Friday and Saturday. And have been watching basketball and basically just hanging out. It's been incredible.

That's it for me today. I just wanted to thank all of you again. Not only for all your concern and kind words, but for your patience with me. And the fact that you still keep coming back to see me. I need you guys in my life!! The last month has proven that to me more than ever. So, thank you!! You have my undying appreciation!!

Sunday Salon: 2010 Challenge Edition, Volume 2 and the Melancholy Post

Technically, I can still call this a "Sunday Salon" post, since I started it on Sunday!! I was actually going to write this up last night, but the time got away from me at work. Most weekends when I work at the Red Cross is super-slow. The last few nights have been extremely busy though. So...less time to read and post.

And right now, I seem to have the blues. Hence, the melancholy nature of this post. I'm not really sure why. Probably a combination of any number of things: The weather. The past week it has snowed a foot, and the temps have been in the negative numbers. When I went out to start my truck this morning, the gauge said -9! I just can't ever seem to warm up. I hate being cold. How about the fact that it is dark so much of the time?? It's already 10 days into the year, and I've only finished one book. There was no time for Bloggiesta this weekend, and I would have loved to spend some time on my blog. I had wanted to move to my own domain, but the name I wanted is already taken.

Or maybe it's because my birthday is this week. Another year older. For the most part that never bothers me. But I have to say this year is a bit different. Not much has changed, and I think that's the problem. Another year....and not much to show for it. Sounds kind of silly when I put it into words. But I worked SO hard this year, and yet, everything is the same as last year. Still struggling. I do have an interview this week, so maybe things will start to look up. Regardless, I need to get myself out of the blahs.

And what better to curb the blahs than join more challenges!! If there is one thing that I like more than challenges, it's making lists!! And I've had fun this week finding more challenges for 2010!



A Tournament of Reading is a Medieval Literature Challenge hosted by Meghan @ The Medieval Bookworm. Now, actual Medieval Lit would probably be a bit more than I could chew off at this point in my life. Would love to read a little Chaucer, but not sure if I'm up to that challenge right now. BUT I do love Historical Fiction. It's been awhile since I've stuck my toes in that particular pond, and I really miss it.

Here are the rules:
This challenge is designed to get us all reading a little more medieval literature in 2010. The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st, 2010, and will be hosted right here at Medieval Bookworm. Challenge genres include history, medieval literature, and historical fiction. Medieval, for simplicity of definition, will be from 500-1500, and literature from all over the world is welcome, not just western Europe.

There are 3 levels:
Peasant – Read 3 medieval books of any kind.
Lord – Read 6 medieval books, at least one of each kind.
King – Read 9 medieval books, at least two of each kind.

You’re not required to make a list or stick to one, but it would be fun if you did! A recommendations post will also be up today, to help you make choices.

For me, I'm sticking with the Western Europe lit because I'd never be able to whittle down my choices. I'm also going for a Lord/Lady designation, but who knows what will happen once I get started! Here is my pool of books that I would love to draw from:

• Here Be Dragons by Sharon Penman (this is a re-read for me, but since I haven't read the rest of the series, I thought I would revisit this wonderful book!)
• Falls the Shadow by Sharon Penman
• The Reckoning by Sharon Penman
• The Queen's Man by Sharon Penman
• Katherine by Anya Seton
• The Arthurian Series by Bernard Cornwell
• The Once and Future King by T. H. White
• The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
• The Plantagenet Prelude by Jean Plaidy

The Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge, hosted by Lisa @ Lit and Life is a chance to read some of the books on Rory's Reading list. I'm a newbie to The Gilmore Girls, never having watched it while it was actually on in prime time. But that doesn't change my love for the series now. And since I got the entire Series on DVD for Christmas (thanks to my awesome in laws!), my Gilmore Girl's obsession is back!! Hence this challenge and the perpetual Rory Gilmore Books Project, which I'm also partaking in!

The challenge runs all of 2010, and there are 3 levels of Participation:

Emily: Read 5 books from at least two different categories.
Lorelai: Read 10 books from at least three different categories.
Rory: Read 20 books from at least four different categories.

I consider myself a total Rory! I would love to get at least 20 under my belt, but we will see. I will pick the books as the year rolls on!

Mind Voyages Science Fiction Reading Challenge is hosted by Robin of My Two Blessings. "Science fiction and fantasy books have always been my one true love ever since I read my first sci fi book back in the 70's. Whether it was Edgar Rice Burroughs, Arthur Clark, Ray Bradbury, Larry Niven, Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffrey or Robert Silverberg who captured me first, I don't remember. When I recently came across the Hugo Award Web site, the list of winners made my mouth water and tickled my imagination. All the books on the list looked so good that I decided to read through the list, starting with the oldest. But all those who were nominated looked too good to pass up, so decide okay, will take some side trips and read some of the nominees. Other ideas started popping up in my brain. That's what the sci-fi and fantasy genre does to you - expands your mind and gives you ideas."

There are several levels of participation for the challenge:

Moon Voyage : Read at least 6 winners on the Hugo Winners List
Sling shot back to Earth: Read at least 3 winners on the Nebula Winner's List
Venus Voyage: Philip K. Dick Quest - Read at least 2 of his books
Mercury Voyage: Robert Heinlein Quest - Read at least 2 of his books
Mars Voyage: Read at least 6 winners on the Hugo List and take a side trip through the 21st century and read at least 4 nominees.

Go into Warp Drive and visit the other planets:
Jupiter Voyage: Go side tripping 90's Style
Saturn: Go Side Tripping 80's Style
Uranus: Go Side Tripping 70's Style
Neptune Voyage: Go Side Tripping through the 50's and 60's
The I'm going to Pluto because Pluto is still a planet as far as I'm concerned Voyage: Mix it up, choose the number of books you want to read from each voyage, include some new books you pick up along the way and enjoy the ride.

I have no idea what level of participation I will go for, but I have a huge list of books to choose from, including:

• Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
• The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
• Hyperion by Dan Simmons
• Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
• Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
• Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

And that's just to name a few!

Finally, the Cybils Award Challenge and the 2010 YA Challenge kind of go hand in hand. If you read my blog enough, you know that besides fantasy, my favorite genre is YA.

The Cybils Award Challenge is hosted by Michelle @ Galleysmith. It's a chance to read books from the Cybil Award Nominees. There are lots of levels of participation, but I think I will be going for the Shorties Rule – choose to read books in a specific short list (finalists will be publicized Jan 1, 2010. And the books I want to read are from a couple of categories:

Fiction: Fantasy & Science Fiction (MG)

• 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
• Dreamdark Series by Laini Taylor
• The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel
• Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
• The Prince of Fenway Park by Julianna Baggott
• Serial Garden: The Complete Armitage Family Stories by Joan Aiken
• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Fiction: Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)

• Candor by Pam Bachorz
• The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
• The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King
• Fire by Kristin Cashore (but I must read Graceling First!)
• Lips Touch by Laini Taylor
• Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey
• Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis

Fiction: Middle Grade

• Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford
• Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
• Heart of a Shepard by Roseanne Parry
• All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg
• Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes
• The Small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O'Connor

Fiction: Young Adult

• Blue Plate Special by Michelle Kwasney
• Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
• Cracked up to Be by Courtney Summers
• How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
• In the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
• North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Hedley (already read this one!)
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I have participated in the YA Challenge for the last few years. It's one of the few that I always complete!! Hosted by J. Kaye @ J. Kaye's Book Blog. It runs through the entire year of 2010, and has various levels of participation:

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.

--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.

--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.

--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.

I'm probably good for the Just My Size Challenge

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That's it till next Sunday!! I'll probably finish up my final round of challenges!! Happy Reading!

Sunday Salon...a Whining Post AND Short Story Sunday

Commence Whining: I haven't done a Sunday Salon post in MONTHS. Lately, I haven't really felt that I have anything of any value to say. I mean, I love blogging. But recently, I've just felt so bogged down with life that the little time I have to blog, I can't think of anything to say. Does that every happen to you? I mean, I actually have a ton of posts I could write: A RIP Wrap-up, a couple of book reviews, a Library Loot post, more challenge post. Or even something family related. And yet when I sit down at the computer, the blahs hit. Nothing I type is interesting. Nothing really excites me. And all I can think is this: "Who wants to Read this Crap anyway?" Am I actually doing something worthwhile here?? I hope so. I'd hate to think that I'm just wasting my time. With so little time, sometimes I feel like I'm on the fringe of blogging. Not really here enough to make the little connections that are necessary to keep going. Not being able to participate in all the fun, like the Read-a-Thon. Not keeping track of the friends I have made well enough.


I don't know. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just feeling the pressure of the season, and the stress of Mike not working. Or the stress of all the hours I've been putting in. Or the pressure of spending quality time with the kids when all I really want to do is crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head and sleep well into next week. Or maybe it's the fact that my shoulder isn't healing all that well and I'm constantly in either A). Pain or B). a Pain-Killer Induced Haze. At one point a few years back I was actually taking some anti-depressants. Maybe I should find me some "happy" pills again.

I'm not writing this for any type of sympathy. I think I just need to let it all out. Truth of the matter is, I am sitting here, seriously lonely right now. I'm working the weekend at the Red Cross. Saturday night/Sunday mornings are the worst here. Next to one security guard, I'm literally the only person in the building. I'm here mainly for emergency purposes. I like alone time. But tonight, I'm just craving an actual person to talk to. Unfortunately, even Twitter is rather deserted tonight. I guess every once in a great while I need to step back, take a breath, and re-evaluate things. Tonight seems to be one of those times.

End Whining.

In all actuality, it was a good week. The kids parent/teacher conferences were this week. Bella is getting all B's, except Reading, where she is excelling. (go figure!) She lacks a little self-confidence, but she got the lead of Mrs. Santa Claus in the Christmas play, so she's actually doing better. Ana is reading at a 5th grade level (in 2nd grade). The teacher is moving her to an Advanced Readers Group with 3 other kids because she's afraid her 2nd grade work is going to bore her. Straight A's. And Chad....all A's, except for a B in Art. He's taking High School level Algebra and is in all Accelerated classes. His teachers are already recommending AP classes for him in high school. So yeah...I'm pretty proud of the Kiddies. We even went to see a movie tonight: Cirque du Freak: Vampire's Assistant. Is it just me, or is John C. Reilly like the coolest nerd ever??

I have 2 book reviews to do. I've actually been reading. Right now, I'm reading a fantastic collection of essays. I don't really like essays, but this one is well-worth reading. I can't wait to review it!!

So....on to a few Short Stories for this Sunday: Again, from John Connolly's Nocturnes.

The Inkpot Monkey - Mr. Edgerton was suffering from writer's block. Mr. Edgerton was a modestly successful author. But lately he has been unable to write a word. Always looking for inspiration, he wanders into an old antiques store and sees a little inkpot, with what looks like a tiny stuffed monkey. According to ancient Chinese mythology, the monkey will provide artistic inspiration in return for the residues of ink left at the bottom of the inkpot. Mr. Edgerton is willing to try anything to escape the writer's block, so he buys the little inkpot monkey. But is he really ready to give all the monkey wants in return for the inspiration??

The Shifting of the Sands - The decision to reopen the rectory at Black Sands was not made lightly. The people at Black Sands were not a religious people. In fact, they went out of their way NOT to be. But they were a prosperous group, and lucky too. In fact, for a sea-faring community, they were incredibly lucky. Not even once has a Black Sands native been lost to the sea. However, once every twenty years an outsider drowned in the area. 20 years ago, it was the rector at the church. But now that a new rector is in town, will he survive or will he have the same fate befallen upon him?

Some Children Wander by Mistake - The circus seldom came to towns in the North. For William, the thought of the circus was incredibly exciting. He was pretty much a loner at school. He has dealt with his share of bullies, too. But he loved the idea of the circus. Because he LOVED Clowns. And the circus brought with it the promise of clowns. But while William does get to see the clowns, it's not at all the way he pictured it. Because he finds out a little truth in life: Clowns are not made, they are born.

Deep Dark Green - We never should have gone near Baal's Pond. There was a mystery surrounding the dark waters of Baal's pond. At one time, there was a house on that very spot. But something sinister lived in there. Something that took the village's children. So the villagers took it upon themselves to destroy everything. And with some stolen kegs of gunpowder, the river was re-directed over the spot on which the house sat. Now, that is where the deep, dark waters of Baal's pond sits. The kids say you should never swim there. For if you do, you might not ever come back.....

I am once again amazed at how wonderful and creepy Connolly's short stories are!! As a self-confessed Coulrophobic, I have a deep-seated and extremely unnatural fear of clowns. They freak me out. Always have. *shudder* So let's just say that Some Children Wander by Mistake completely played to all my fears!! I KNEW there was a reason I hated them!! But really, each story was good. Like I said in previous posts, if you liked fun, creepy, eerie short stories, go get this book!! (Will post the last of them next Sunday!)

Till then, Happy Reading!!

The Sunday Salon - July in Review

Can you believe July is over already?? This summer is slipping by so fast, I can hardly believe it. This month we survived basketball camp, the end of softball season, a softball tournament, and Bella's birthday. Now, it's time to get ready for school. Am I the only weird one that loves shopping for school supplies?? I can't help myself....I just love to. On top of that, Chad has his last JFL season starting. This year, he will be a Senior (in JFL terms anyway.) My little wide receiver/line backer packed on over 20 lbs and 5 inches since last year! Practice starts tomorrow.

Now...my reading July in review. I pale in comparison to most of you, I realize that. But for me, I've had a decent month reading. I read 7 books, 2 of which were graphic novels. 2144 pages in all. Not too bad.

• The Sandman, Vol.2: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman
• Fables, Vol.2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham
• Two Years, No Rain by Shawn Klomparens
• The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine by April Lurie
• City in the Lake by Rachel Neumeier
• Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Although I loved a couple of the books I read, I'd have to say Catching Fire was my favorite read this month. It's hard to beat that one!!

I bought 8 books, and checked out more than I can count from the library. I think my total check-outs is still somewhere in the 30's!! Every time I take back a bunch, I always end up with more in my hands. Again, I just can't help myself. I also joined 3 challenges: The Canadian Book Challenge 3, The Harry Potter Reading Challenge, and the GLBT Reading Challenge (or The Challenge That Dare Not Speak it's Name!)

For August, I have 1 scheduled Book Tour: Everything Sucks: Losing My Mind and Finding Myself in a High School Quest for Cool by Hannah Friedman. It's a YA Memoir and looks fantastic. I'm also starting the Discworld Series with the Tiffany Aching trilogy. There are also a couple other challenges I'm sure I'll be joining....especially the Japanese Reading Challenge. I'm also challenging myself to post more often this month. I've been rather lax, sometimes taking long breaks. But starting this month, I'm vowing to do better!

I think that's it for July. Time to put it in the books. Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!!!

The Sunday Salon: A Little Bit of Randomness and a Couple of Challenges

I know. I know. I haven't posted a Sunday Salon in awhile. Not sure why. Probably because I really didn't have all that much to say! It's been one of those weeks. Back to work after nearly a week off. Spending some quality time with Bella as she "recovers" from her nasty little fall. Library days for the kids. (They finished their reading for the summer reading program and each earned a pass to the pool party sponsored by the library). Mike's been gone since Friday morning....left for a Racquetball tournament in Chicago. Amazing how quiet life is when he is gone!!

I am making a baby quilt for one of my friends. She isn't due till January, which is a good thing. It may take me even longer than that to finish it. It's really cute. Cross-stitch pattern with Noah's Arc. But SO much work. To top it all off, the girls have been hounding me to teach them. And I started to, but it is just too difficult for them. But I felt really bad, and they were so discouraged. So, off to Hobby Lobby we went, and I got each of them a Latch Hook project. Man. I haven't seen those for YEARS. But they are easy to learn and it's a nice beginning for my little crafters. We are going to make pillows out of the finished product.

Quite a few books entered my house this week, but I think I will save that for a different post. But I do want to send out a HUGE thanks to Chris for passing on a copy of Catching Fire to me!! If you were awake Thursday morning, you probably heard my squeal of delight when I went to the mailbox and found it!! I'm sure it was loud enough to hear around the world!

As far as challenges go, there are a couple I've been meaning to join for ages now. I just haven't gotten around to posting them. So here in my all-inclusive Challenge post:

The GLBT Challenge post went up a few months ago over at The Zen Leaf, although the challenge didn't actually start until the 1st of July. I've been meaning to sign up for months, but I never did. Well...better late than never is my old fall-back...so here is my "official" post. You know me. I'm all about diversity in life and besides. Oscar Wilde is on the button!! Here are the rules:

• Read 6 books in 6 months in any genre. Books must deal with GLBT themes OR be written by GLBT authors. No X-rated stuff, nothing that purposely attacks the GLBT community.


• The challenge runs from July 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. You may join at any time.


• Sign up using Mr. Linky below (please link directly to your post). If you don't have a blog, you can still participate. Just enter your name and leave the URL blank.


• Each time you read a book, please link to your reviews on this blog. I will put up a post for you to do that on July 1st.


• You don't need to choose your books right away, and they can change at any time. Overlaps with other challenges are fine.


• Audiobooks are also fine.

I will be reading books from the following list:

• Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
• The House you Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson
• Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
• Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford
• Sex Talks to Girls: A Memoir by Maureen Seaton
• We Disappear by Scott Heim
• Weetzie Bat, Baby Be-Bop or Missing Juan Angel by Francesca Lia Block.

(of course, I reserve the right to change the books on this list if I find something that sounds better!)

For the 3rd year in a row, the fantastic John Mutford from The Book Mine Set is hosting the Canadian Book Challenge. Year 1, I completed just 1 book. Year 2, I made it through 3. For Year 3, I'm going for at least half of the 13 books!!

The rules are the same as before, and the goal is to read 13 books in 12 months from Canadian authors or about Canada/Canadians. Here is my list (a lot of carry over from this past year:)

• The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
• Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland
• Angel of Darkness by Charles de Lint
• Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King
• Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
• Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
• Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
• The Time in Between by David Bergen
• Runaway by Alice Munroe
• The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston
• Fall on Your Knees by Anne-Marie MacDonald
• Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright
  

Finally, Michelle from Galleysmith is hosting the Harry Potter Reading Challenge. Can't pass this one up. Isn't it time for a reread?

What: Read or listen to all seven books in the Harry Potter series:

• Sorcerer’s Stone
• Chamber of Secrets
• Prisoner of Azkaban
• Goblet of Fire
• Order of the Pheonix
• Half-Blood Prince
• Deathly Hallows
  

When: The challenge will run from August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010. I know we’re all busy with life and work and other such fun things so join up whenever you want, there are no deadlines to the challenge besides the end date above.

Where: E-to the Everywhere! Post reviews on your blog, chat about it on messageboards, post vlogs or podcasts, comment on and converse about it in the monthly post I create here on Galleysmith. It’s entirely up to you, as long as there is some evidence of your having completed each book along the way you are good to go.

How: Get thee to Mr. Linky below. Sign up to join in and play, cause you know….Harry would want you to and all! Go Here to sign up!

(AND she has cool prizes!!)

Well....that's it for me. Happy Reading and Happy Sunday!!

The Sunday Salon.....April in Review

What a month! Ok, it was a truly sucky reading month. I admit it. And I was WAY lax in my posting. So, dear readers, I do apologize for the very infrequent posts that I made. But so many things were going on, there just wasn't time. I know. Same excuse as always. I just can't help it if it happens to be TRUE!!

So....what went on in the month of April in our household?

• There was work (but isn't there always??) Lots and lots of hours of work!!
• My youngest daughter....my BABY....turned 7. And she got her very first bike. At least, her very first NEW bike.
• Soccer started for Ana. And softball practice started for both Bella and Ana.
• Easter.
• My grandmother's illness and passing.
• Aaron's movie started filming in town....and finished in the same month. Although we weren't as heavily involved as some, we spent quite a few hours on set. And at the killer wrap-party!! And made a whole bunch of new friends in the bargain.
• Twitter. I can't begin to tell you how many hours have been sucked into the black hole of Twitter!

OK....there was more going on than that....but that gives you an idea. I was unable to participate in the read-a-thon. I had to work that weekend. I would love to in October, but I'm not holding my breath. Chad plays JFL football, and almost every game is on Saturday. If it's a travel game, I could be on the road for 3 - 4 hours (some games are really far away!)

WAY more books came into my house this month than left. If I keep up this pace, the foundation may start to crack! Pathetic reading month for me. Only 4 books and 2 Graphic Novels. Of course, those were my very first graphic novels! It didn't take long for me to be hooked either. Say, 1/2 a page?? The only problem I see is that the graphic novel is rather expensive. And my library has a VERY poor selection. In fact, the two that I read were borrowed through inter-library loan. I don't know how many of either series is actually in the system, but I can tell you there is no way I'm stopping now!! Hopefully, if the libraries don't have them, I can get them to pick up at least a couple. After that, I may be busting open the piggy bank. Or at least breaking out the birthday money that I've stashed away for a rainy day.

I also joined 3 reading challenges this month: The Non-Fiction Five Challenge, The Classics Reading Challenge, and the Printz Project. Whew....at least I read more books than the number of challenges I joined. That could have been bad!

Books this month:

• Cry of Justice by Jason Pratt
• Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Fablehaven Book 2: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull (review to follow)
• The Sandman Vol 1: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman (review to follow)
• Fables Vol 1 by Bill Willingham (review to follow)

I'm shooting for a much better month in May. More books, more reviews, more posts. Only time will tell!!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!!

To Twitter or Not to Twitter......

That is certainly the question!! I have intentionally stayed away from Twitter because frankly, I don't need another drain on my time! Due to some weird circumstances, I actually logged over 77 hours of work last week. I'm sleep deprived, seriously behind in housework, behind in book reviews, behind in my reading, and behind in catching up with some of my favorite TV shows. Behind in time with the kids and behind on my new workout schedule. I'm spending WAY too much time on Facebook. And yet....I'm thinking about Twitter. Why??? Because it seems like everyone else has a Twitter account, and I think I'm afraid I'm missing something!!

In this age of connectivity, is it possible to be TOO connected?? With cell phones, pda's, blogs, email, Facebook, MySpace, and now Twitter, there are so many ways to check in with people, do I really need ONE more?? Sometimes I think it would be easier if I wasn't connected at all. There are days when I don't want anyone to be able to "find" me!!

The kids are growing up in this completely connected world. Chad has a cell phone (he's 12) and is constantly getting text messages from his friends. He has email, and an IM account. The girls have a Club Penguin account and now a Pixie Hollow account. They like to make new "friends", just like us grownups. Pretty soon, we are going to have to get another computer just to keep up with them!!

So, I ask you.....what's the appeal of Twitter?? Why should I or should I not Twitter??? I'd like to hear from the masses!
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In reading news, I signed up for 2 more challenges this week. Carl's Once Upon a Time III Challenge and Becky's End of the World Challenge. Both are awesome, fun challenges...and in genres that I love: fantasy and dystopian/apocalyptic fiction. I'm encouraging one and all to join in the fun!!

I have a couple of reviews to post this week : Jason Pratt's Cry of Justice, a High Fantasy battle/epic and Lisa Jackson/Nancy Bush's thriller, Wicked Game. Hopefully, I'll have a couple more too....I'm 1/2 through Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely and I'm hoping to get through Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games as well. In fact, with a few days of much needed PTO time this week, I'd even like to slip in a vampire novel or two. Did anyone read any good books this week?? Something that will just have to go on my TBR mountain??

I think that's all for now....I'm off for a nap before I have to go in to work!! Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Salon - Of Reading Slumps and Super Heroes

Well, I think this is the first Sunday Salon I've done in awhile. All goes back to that whole slump thing. Which, by the way, I think I'm well on the way to kicking. My trip to the library was a thing of beauty...and the first book that I started, Looking for Alaska by John Green, is amazing! In fact, I will probably finish it this morning. YA books have always been right near the top of my list when I talk about favorite genres. I love a good "coming-of-age" type story. And this one totally fits the bill.


But besides all the books that I picked up from the library, I'll definitely be waiting for Barnes & Noble to open on Tuesday. Book 5 in the House of Night series by PC Cast and Kristin Cast is being released. Besides....I'm in the mood to buy a few books since I haven't splurged on anything since....well, the last House of Night book! I also need to pick up a copy of Colleen Gleason's last book in the Gardella Vampire Series. And maybe round out the Morganville Vampire Series by Rachel Caine. Nothing like a good round of vampire novels to break out of a horrible reading slump!!

Yesterday, we went to see The Watchmen. Since I'm utterly horrible at doing movie reviews, I'll save you the disappointment. I do, however, have a few things I'd like to say about it. First and foremost, I do think I should mention that I have NOT read the graphic novel. So I didn't have any expectations going into the theater. I'll be really curious to read a review written by a fan of the book. I'm sure our perspectives will be different.

I LOVED this movie! Seriously. I've also been a bit of a geek anyway. And super heroes are cool to me. (I do realize that I really should be addicted to graphic novels because of this. And let me tell you, I'm awaiting a couple from the library that might just throw me into fangirl status. I know I DEFINITELY need to read this one). This movie is dark, violent and extremely complex. I took Chad to see it, and I can tell a lot of the little nuances went right over his head. He was rather lost by the end. I wouldn't really recommend it for young kids anyway. Too dark, sexual and bloody. But for you big kids, it's a smart movie. It's not what I would consider a fun action/adventure. It is way too deep for that title. I was captivated from the opening scene.

And the music.....what a weird mish-mash of music that totally worked!! From My Chemical Romance to Bob Dylan; from Nena to Simon and Garfunkel - some really awesome tunes! Music is one of those things that can make or break a movie for me, and it really worked in The Watchmen.

Finally, I just have a little bit to say about Jackie Earle Haley who plays Rorschach. I remember seeing him in the Bad News Bears (the original) oh, so many years ago. I never thought that skinny kid would ever amount to much as an actor. But I've seen the error of that thinking. He was phenomenal in the movie Little Children, where he played the role of a pedophile. Even without reading the book, you know within 10 minutes of the movie how pivotal a role Rorschach is. And Haley was Freakin' Fantastic!! He doesn't seem to be an imposing type guy. But man...he is. It looks like he bulked up a lot to play this role....and he was great!!

I'd love to hear your thoughts....if you've seen the movie, or if you are just a fan of the book! That's all for now....Happy Reading and Happy Sunday!!

The Sunday Salon - Life's Playlist

First of all, let me begin by saying this post is not going to be book-related. Sorry. I was going to do a January wrap-up post, but frankly it was a lousy reading month for me, in terms of quantity that is....and I figured it was going to be a pretty boring post! So feel free to skip right over this post, if you like.

My Ipod has a huge range of music. I don't like to be boxed in, and it includes songs from The Phantom of the Opera, Madonna, Prince, Ministry, and My Chemical Romance, just to name a few. I was thinking about music this weekend. I don't know about the rest of you, but music defines me. A song is one of the few things that can instantly bring up a memory so vivid for me, it's rather startling. I was working Friday night, and I had the radio on. There is a station that has the "Ultimate 80's Flashback" on every weekend, and I was listening to it. The song Broken Wings by Mr. Mister came on and immediately tears came to my eyes. Not because of the song, but it brought back a rush of memories for me about a friend that passed away a few years ago. It also put me in the mood to reminisce. Hence, this post.

So, here in a nutshell, is Stephanie's Playlist. A few songs that brings back a few memories. I have always listened to music. Starting with piano lessens at 6, I think music has always been a big part of my life. My parents listened to Country and Western....and I hated it. So, I became a big "Rocker Chick" in high school. Big hair....and music. That's what high school was for me!! But it seems the songs that I most remember from high school are the ballads and the anthems. I remember going with my friends to see The Breakfast Club. It spoke to me. Always has...and still does. I sometimes forget that the song we all know....Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds is it's own entity. It will forever be linked in my mind to the movie!




My Senior Prom theme was from Bon Jovi. Never Say Goodbye. Always the rebel, in days when prom dresses were white and pink and pastels....I wore black! It was a kick-ass dress too!!



They say you never forget your first love. I know that's true. Billy was my first love. We spent the summer after my high school graduation together, listening to the soundtrack to Stand by Me....dancing, laughing, and loving. But when that wonderful summer was over, so were we. Later the next year, when my brother was killed, Billy came back into my life to help me get through it. He was my rock in a time when I needed one. He knew me inside and out....and swore no one would ever know me better than he did. I sometimes think this is true. And I will forever be in debt to him for being there when I needed him....and probably always still just a little bit in love with him! Whenever I hear this song, a rush of those memories just flood back to me.




College was such a great time. A time for discovery and finding out who I was. I joined a sorority. Scary, isn't it?? Not really my thing, but I found a great group of friends. Still the rebel, I turned into a major "Goth Chick". With a little help from my friend Tommy, I discovered music like The Ramones, Skinny Puppy, Lords of the New Church......and the Sisters of Mercy!! Here is Lucretia, My Reflection:



My senior year, I started hanging out at a club called Night Faces. It was a dark, dance club.....and Pietor, the owner became a great friend (who gave me job when I needed one!) Pietor was from Sweden, and came to Peoria by way of Saudi Arabia where he worked in the oil fields. He was a great guy, and I loved him like a big brother. This is one of the songs we used to dance to all night long.....Pat and Mick's Use it up!




When I met Mike, music was one of the ties that bound us together. We had such common interests....like my very favorite band ever!! So What is the song that we have danced to our entire life together. It has meaning.....again the rebel in me:
So what, its your problem to learn to live with
Destroy us, or make us saints
We don't care, its not our fault that we were born too late
A screaming headache on the brow of the state
Killing time is appropriate
To make a mess and fuck all the rest,
we say, we say So what? so what?



Finally, now I'm a family person. I have kids, a house....and a dog. I want the world to be a better place for us all. This is the song that I put my kids to sleep with when they were little. A song that will always hold a place in my heart. John Lennon was a great man. If only he was still with us today, the world would be a little calmer.





Sorry for that trip down memory lane. I hope I didn't bore you today!!



Enjoy the Superbowl....go Cards!! More book stuff tomorrow!! Happy Sunday!

The Sunday Salon - Life for the Challenged.....

Since this is a Sunday Salon post, I'm going to fore go what I was actually going to post about today....life's challenges....and just stick with reading challenges. It's less depressing, you know?? I mean....when did life get so hard?? I can remember being little and wanting to be grown up so badly. I couldn't wait to be an adult. Now....all I can think about is why?? Life was so much easier when all I had to worry about was homework, friends, and boys. I know it was dramatic at the time, but it pales in comparison to jobs, kids, mortgages and layoffs!!


Enough with the depressing stuff. Let's talk about books!! I have a couple more challenges that I am going to sign up for.



I didn't join this challenge last year, but I just couldn't help myself this year. Some things are just too good to pass up. The 2009 Orbis Terrarum Challenge hosted by Bethany at B & b Libris is set to start on March 1. It runs until the end of the year (10 months), and this year has it's own blog. Besides the main challenge, there are going to be a few mini-challenges and even a bookswap of favorite reads!! The rules are:

1. Each reader chooses 10 books (for the ten months).
2. Each book must be from a different country (country of author)
3. You don't have to have a list.

Basically, 10 books from 10 different authors from 10 different countries.

I have a tentative list (but I always reserve the right to change my mind!)

• Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria)
• A Dry White Season by Andre Brink (South Africa)
• War Trash by Ha Jin (China)
• Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami OR Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (Japan)
• The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar (India)
• The Secret River by Kate Grenville (Australia)
• The Bone People by Keri Hulme (New Zealand)
• The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara (Argentina)
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan)
• Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (Norway)
• Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko (Russia)
• Snow by Orhan Pamuk (Turkey)

Some challenges are just too easy. I read a lot of Young Adult Fiction. And there are a lot of books I'd like to read this year. So, I joined the 2009 YA challenge last month. I just never created a list. Hosted by J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog , this challenge runs from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of 2009. Basically, it's a book a month. 12 books will complete the challenge.

My (tentative) List:

• Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
• Hunted: A House of Night Novel (Book 5) by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
• Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
• The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L. J. Smith
• Midnight Alley: Morganville Vampires (Book 3) by Rachel Caine
• A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• Paper Towns by John Green
• The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
• Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Finally, I love lists. I love to read lists. I love to make lists. (I don't always FINISH my lists, but so be it!) For that reason, I'm joining the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels perpetual Challenge. Every time I see the Modern Library "Lists", I always say, "I have to read all those books someday". So I thought I'd join in the challenge. It's perpetual. No time limit. The Challenge is hosted by Sharon from Ex Libris.

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In reading news, I am just finishing up Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. Not sure I liked it as well as some other reviews I've read....but I'm not done yet!! I also just started an ARC of Lisa Jackson's newest book, Wicked Game. Who knows where I will go after that!

Happy Sunday (a little late) and Happy Reading!!

The Sunday Salon - It's the Holiday Season!

It's been a couple of weeks since I participated in The Sunday Salon, so I thought I would post today. I can't believe it's Thanksgiving already. Where has this year gone??? Time is certainly marching on, isn't it? Since I'm working this holiday, we are not able to go home to visit my family. And my in-laws are spending Thanksgiving with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. To say that Mike and his brother don't get along is an understatement. I know it's hard on his parents, but for us it's much easier if we don't spend the holidays with them. It just makes things flow a little smoother. So it looks like I'm cooking for us this year! Normally, I don't mind. I like to cook. With me working so many hours, it would almost be easier just to order a pizza!! But I promised the girlies we would do this thing right, so it's turkey and all the trimmings for us. And they are pretty excited about it. I guess we'll give it a go.


I'm hoping to take them to see Twilight on Tuesday. I've been looking forward to it ever since I read the book. I hope it lives up to the expectations.

Another event I'm looking forward to this year is the Book Bloggers Christmas Swap. I participated last year and had a great time!! Hosted by Nymeth and Dewey, this is a chance to play "Secret Santa" with a fellow book blogger. I mean, really. How much fun is it to get presents? Last year, the wonderful Carl was my Secret Santa. He got me a wonderful book, some chocolate, but most importantly, had some trees planted in my name!! It was a very cool present, and it meant alot. By the way, it's Carl's birthday, so hop on over to his blog to wish him a great one! This year's Swap looks likes it's shaping up to be just as fun!!

Also for the holidays and the blogging community is the Blog Advent Tour. Hosted by Marg and Kailana. This is a chance to get a peek into the holidays of other bloggers. Each day, a blogger or two will post about something that is meaningful to them about the holidays. It's a great chance to find other blogs that are of interest to you....as well as getting a leg up on that ol' Christmas Spirit!! There is still time left to join in the fun!!

On the reading front, I've been pretty lax. I just haven't had the time...and I'm kind of in a slump right now. I just finished up the second book in Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer series, Claimed by Shadow. And I'm still plodding my way slowly but surely through The Lost Diary of Don Juan (this one isn't really my thing. Interesting, but just not grabbing me). I need to find a book that really sucks me in. Any suggestions??

Anyway...that's it for me. Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!!

The Sunday Salon - RIP III Wrap-Up

Now that it's all over, I'm sad. I love Halloween. And we had a beautiful one!! We had a spell of cold last week where it was in the 30's. But Halloween night it was in the upper 60's. The girlie's had a ball....and hauled home enough candy to last until the next millennium!!

But what is really sad to me is the end of the RIP III Reading Challenge. I love reading about things that go bump in the night. The eerie, the spooky, the gloomy and the Gothic....those are the types of books that have been my favorites since Jr. high. This year alone I have read lots of paranormal. Way more than I usually do. The only downside is that most of the paranormal books I have read are parts of a series, and now I have committed myself to actually finishing the series!!

For the challenge, I read 9 Books, thus completing my choice of Peril the First (and then some!)

• Vampyres of Hollywood by Adrienne Barbeau and Micheal Scott
• The Bleeding Dusk: Book 3 of the Gardella Vampire Series by Colleen Gleason
• Untamed: A House of Night Novel by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
• When Twilight Burns: Book 4 of the Gardella Vampire Series by Colleen Gleason
• Glass Houses: The Morganville Vampire Series by Rachel Caine
• Dead Girls' Dance: The Morganville Vampire Series by Rachel Caine
• Touch the Dark by Karen Chance
• Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
• And finally, The Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall (with a review pending).

I honestly loved each of the books I read. All were really good. Chalk up another fantastic Challenge for Carl!! Many Thanks to you for hosting my favorite challenge again this year!! I'm already compiling a list for RIP IV!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!!

The Sunday Salon - What a Week, Again!

First off, I want to apologize for being gone so much this month. With the new part-time job, my time has been severly limited. They have scheduled me uber-hours, which is great money-wise, but time-wise it kind of stinks. Oh well....I plan on keeping up the hours at least until after Christmas. My last car payment is in November (Yeah!) and hopefully, we'll be back in the black soon. After that, all the extra money is just cake. And we really need that right now.

This week controversy brewed in my husband's fantasy football league. Lord, who knew a bunch of grown men could act like such babies! My husband was in first place in both points and win/loss too. Having a great season....and a little squabble started between the commissioner and another team. Commish decides to take his ball and go home....otherwise, disbanded a league that has been around for over 8 years. And this isn't just a little money either. Last year 1st place garnered almost $2000. Mike got $1500 for second. And I'm not really sure what 3rd took. So he is more than a little ticked off. I swear, I'm ready to shoot them all!!

Not much on the reading front. I still have a couple of reviews to post, and I'm almost done with Touch the Dark by Karen Chance. I have sunk into this rut of paranormal, but I haven't found a bad book yet, so I guess I will keep reading!!

Basically, I just wanted to say "Hi! I'm still alive." And know that I will posting much more frequently. I miss it when I don't!!

Happy Reading and Happy Sunday!!

The Sunday Salon - Stress is the Name of the Game

Yikes. It's been a WEEK since I posted last! Damn. I hate that. But it's been a crazy, stressful week. I'm still working at the Red Cross, and as much as I love my job, the pay is rather poor. So....to keep the bills paid, I took a second job awhile back. This week, I switched Job #2. I started at a new place, and spent the entire week in training!! So....I had a week of Full-Time hours in both places. Man, I can't believe I'm still awake and alive today. But the benefit of the second job is that it will (hopefully) keep us in the black. And I can put away a stash of money before Christmas. I couldn't care less about me, but the kiddies definitely deserve a nice Christmas. With the amount of time both Mike and I have been spending at work, they are feeling a wee bit neglected. I try my best to make sure I spend as much time as possible with them, but it's tough. Yesterday, Chad had a JFL game, Bella had a Cheerleading workshop, and Ana had a soccer game. On top of that I took them to a big community Halloween party. As much fun as it was, I am definitely lacking in the sleep area.

I'm tired of the stress though. This economy is just killing us right now. I never thought we would be in this place. A place where I have to work 60 hours a week just to pay my bills. When Mike lost his job last year, things went South....fast. A person takes a lot for granted, that's for sure. And the automotive industry has been hit harder than most by the failing economy. So that wonderful $30/hour job he had went bye-bye.....and his new job pays about 1/3 of what he made at Mitsubishi. We've cut massive corners, but it just isn't enough. Gas prices, electric prices, grocery prices....everything is so high right now. There are days when I just want to cry. For now though, we are dealing with things. And if waiting tables is what I have to do to keep us with food on the table and a roof over our heads, I'll do it. Truthfully, I LIKE working in a restaurant. The people are friendly, the micro-brewery that I'm working at is high-end, and the money can be fantastic. Of course, talk to me in a few weeks and we'll see where my head is then!!

On the reading front, I'm 2 reviews behind: Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine (Book two of the Morganville Vampires) and Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. Both are forthcoming. I need a new book to start too. I'm thinking I might just plunge into The Duma Key by Stephen King. And maybe grab an ARC or two as well. Any reading suggestions from the masses??

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!!

The Sunday Salon - Banned Book Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read

Oh, yes. It's that time again. September 27 - October 4th is Banned Book Week here in the US. It is time to celebrate the Freedom To Read!! In case you haven't read this blog before, I'm a big believer in Freedoms. Censorship, in any form, just makes me see red. And book banning is by far the one that hits home with me. No one has the right to dictate to me what I can or can not read. Period. End of story. And anyone that feels that certain "objectionable" material should be removed from a library because their children could pick it up, needs to spend a little more time with said children helping THEM make better choices. Not trying to push their agendas on ME. I think every person has the right to choose. If you object to the content of a book, simply don't read it. It's really that simple.

For the past 28 years, we have been celebrating the Freedom To Read Week. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden "surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, libraries, and bookstores". More than 1000 books have been challenged since then.

According to BannedBooksWeek.org, in 2007, more than 400 hundred books were challenged. In 2007, the top 10 challenged books were:

1) “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2) The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence

3) “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language

4) “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman Reasons: Religious Viewpoint

5) “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain Reasons: Racism

6) “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language,

7) "TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

8) "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou Reasons: Sexually Explicit

9) “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit

10) "The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Banned Books Week is sponsored in by the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, National Association of College Stores, and is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

What can you do? Exercise Your First Amendment Rights - Read a Banned Book!

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In reading news, I finished 3 books this past week. Check out my reviews for The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti, Untamed: A House of Night Novel (Book 4) by PC Cast and Kristin Cast, and When Twilight Burns: Gardella Vampire Chronicles Book 4 by Colleen Gleason. I enjoyed all of them. Right now, I am reading Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, and I'm in the hunt for a new book. Any suggestions?? Maybe something on the list of banned books!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!!