Weekly Geeks - Quote of the Day

I haven't been posting a whole lot lately. With that, I haven't participated in Weekly Geeks the last few weeks. This week, the theme is "Quote of the Day".

Quoth Dewey:

You may want to come up with a theme, such as favorite passages from books, author quotes, political quotes, quotes about books or reading, humorous quotes, whatever. Or you may not want a theme at all; maybe you just want to gather up seven assorted quotes that appeal to you. You may want to start each of your posts of the week with a quote, or you may want to give quotes posts of their own in addition to your regular posts. It’s all up to you!Signing Mr Linky this week means you’re committing to posting a quote each day for a full week, starting on the day you sign up. You can postdate your quote posts so they appear automatically if you can’t get to your blog each day.

These will probably just be quotes from my favorite books and/or authors!!

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!" -- Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Ernest

Weekly Geeks....The Classics Edition

Somehow, I missed Weekly Geeks last week. Dang. Oh, well. I'm here this week, and I'm a big fan of the Classics.

In the third Weekly Geeks of 2009, let's have fun with the classics. For our purposes, I'm defining a classic as anything written over 100 years ago and still in print.
How do you feel about classic literature? Are you intimidated by it? Love it? Not sure because you never actually tried it? Don't get why anyone reads anything else? Which classics, if any, have you truly loved? Which would you recommend for someone who has very little experience reading older books?

I used to be intimidated by The Classics. I don't know why either. I guess maybe it was all so unfamiliar. The language, the customs, the times. Just not anything I thought I could get used to....but I was wrong.

One day (before I joined a "Classics" Book Club), I decided I was reading too much garbage. So I went on a Classics Kick. The first book I picked up was the Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. What a fantastic book!! Witty and fun...full of adventure. Everything a book should be.

My favorite classics are all tales of adventure: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo to name just two. Both are huge tomes, but such wonderful stories!!

I've never been a big Romance reader, but I did love Jane Erye by Charlotte Bronte and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. And I thought Persuasion by Jane Austin was fantastic as well.

One final Classic.....another one that I consider a favorite....The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Timeless tale, full of wit and adventure. Creepy to boot. Can't go wrong!

A few I've hated.....anything by Henry James and Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence....YUK! But those are all personal opinions. To each his own, right?

Happy Weekly Geeking!!

It's Back!!! Weekly Geeks - Feel the Love

Yeah!! Weekly Geeks is back, and with a dedicated blog! I think this is a wonderful way to honor Dewey....continuing on with something she started.

In the spirit of the amazing community building that Dewey was so good at, tell us about your favorite blogs, the ones you have bookmarked or subscribe to in your Google Reader, that you visit on a regular basis. Tell us what it is about these blogs that you love, that inspire or educate you or make you laugh. Be sure to link to them so we can find them too.

Sounds easy, doesn't it?? Of course, there are over 90 blogs in my sidebar that I read on a regular basis. And I know there are more that I need to add. It makes it excruciatingly difficult to actually pick a few blogs to single out. But I'll try:

Kailana from The Written World - I've probably said this before, but Kailana is the reason I started my blog! Out of all the book bloggers out there, she is one of the few that I have known the longest. Her blog is beautiful and is chocked full of great book reviews.

Marg from Reading Adventures - Another blogger that I knew before I started my blog. Marg has a wonderful site full of awesome book reviews. Lots of great Historical Fiction and Romance. A must read blog!

Debi from Nothing of Importance - I think Debi and I were separated at birth, we are that much alike. Debi is a mom to three beautiful kids, and is a complete Challenge Addict!! She has lots of wonderful posts about family, books and reading. Another Must Read Blog!

Tammy from Tammy's Book Nook - Tammy and I met when we were members of The Classics Club. She is smart as a whip, funny as hell...and even though she's a Florida fan, I still love her!! Check out her wonderful book reviews!

Chris from Stuff as Dreams are Made On - Chris is one of the first book bloggers that I "met" when I started this blog. He's like a little brother to me. We share of love of all things fantasy. His blog is full of great book reviews. And to top it all off, he's a really great guy!

Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings - Any book blogger who's been around awhile will know Carl. He is by far the best challenge host I've seen. From the RIP challenge to the Once Upon a Time Challenge, Carl knows how to do things up right. Not only does he post about books....but also art and music. Carl's a one-of-a-kind guy, and if you don't know.....take the time to meet him!!

Nymeth from Things Mean Alot - Nymeth has probably single-handedly increased my TBR pile tenfold. She has a knack for picking out books I've never heard of, and making them sound irresistible!! A prolific reader, Nymeth has one of the best review sites out there!! A Must Read for anyone!

Andi from Tripping Toward Lucidity - Andi is just downright cool. She's a soon-to-be librarian, a writer, a teacher. She interested in a greener planet, politics, books and education. To top it all off, she's smart as hell. One of my favorite bloggers!!

OK....one more. How about Suey at It's All About Books - Suey has a great blog with lots of super book reviews. And always the American Idol updates!! A Must Read Blog!!

Glad to have Weekly Geeks back!! Later!

Weekly Geeks #19 - Top Books Published in 2008

Man. I feel like I have been gone for weeks!! OK....so it's only been like 4 days since I've posted, but still. It has the feel of a lot longer. Between soccer games and practice, football games and practice, the kid's homework, and both my jobs.....life has certainly gotten in the way of my blogging! I've also been watching a lot of political news and debates. The election is just around the corner, and it's interesting to me. One of these days, I'll be posting some of my thoughts and opinions (basically the "Why I hate Sarah Palin" post), but I didn't want to start all that controversy today! I have a couple of book reviews to write, but frankly, I just didn't feel like it today. So I thought I would participate in the Weekly Geeks. It's been a few weeks since I have, but I figured this one was easy. Wouldn't take too much work or brain power!!

1. Compile your list of favorites. Please be sure that books you choose actually were published in 2008, or at the very earliest in the winter holiday season of 2007. Sometimes books that come out then are left out.

2. Come back and sign Mr Linky with the url to your top books of 2008 post.

3. If you happen to see any non-WG bloggers making similar lists, please grab the url and come put it in Mr Linky for them. Let them know you’re doing that, please, in case they have some sort of objection; if they do, they can ask me to remove their link. I’ve already seen a couple favorites of 2008 posts, which is another reason I wanted to get started early.

4. Feel free to make changes to your list if you read something new in the next few weeks. After about October 25, I can’t guarantee your changes will be reflected in the master list. We’ll probably start compiling lists around then.

5. Please consider whether you’d like to help me compile lists.

So far this year, out of the 40 or so books that I have read, 14 were published in 2008. That's actually a lot for me. I don't tend to read books right away, but with the ARC's coming in, this number was a bit higher than usual. So I guess I'll give you the top 7 books of 2008. (Why 7?? Seems like a lucky number!):

• The Host by Stephenie Meyer - Ok...this book will probably be my favorite book of the year! For some reason, it really affected me, and I just loved it!!
• Vampyres of Hollywood by Adrienne Barbeau and Michael Scott - LOVED this book! Fun and campy.
• Untamed: A House of Night Novel by PC Cast and Kristin Cast - Book 4 in the House of Night series was a real winner. If you like this series, this is one of the best!
• The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason - Book 3 in the Gardella Vampire Series. So far, this has been my favorite book from the series. In which Victoria kicks some major Vampire Ass!
• When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason - Book 4 in the Gardella Vampire Series. Although I didn't like it as much as Book 3, it still ranks right up there as a favorite of the year. Besides, some of the romance-y stuff is getting resolved.
• This Charming Man by Marian Keyes - Surprisingly good book that is marketed as "Chick Lit", but oh so much more. A great read!!
• The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti - Again, another surprisingly good read!! A lot of fun and adventure with a young, one-handed hero!!

(I have the reviews linked in my sidebar if you'd like to read them!)

Who knows, by the end of 2008, this list may change!! I guess I will just have to keep reading to find out!!

Weekly Geeks #12 and Amazon Vine

Sheesh. It's been like a week since I posted. Man. Gotta get on the stick, as my kiddies would say. Weekly Geek #12 is this:

1. In your blog, list any books you’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet. If
you’re all caught up on reviews, maybe you could try this with whatever book(s)
you finish this week.
2. Ask your readers to ask you questions about any of
the books they want. In your comments, not in their blogs. Most likely, people
who will ask you questions will be people who have read one of the books or know
something about it because they want to read it.
3. Later, take whichever
questions you like from your comments and use them in a post about each book.
I’ll probably turn mine into a sort of interview-review. Link to each blogger
next to that blogger’s question(s).
4. Visit other Weekly Geeks and ask them
some questions!

At the moment, I'm only one review behind. But I'm reading 3 books, so I'm going to open those up for any questions as well.

• Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (just finished. Will review in the next few days)
• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
• The Safety of Secrets by Delaune Michel
• Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

That is my list. If any of you faithful readers have questions you would like me to answer as part of my review.....Go for it!!

==============================================

Now....do any of you post reviews on Amazon?? I am involved with a Yahoo group that promotes Reader Reviews. It was actually this group that got me interested in starting this blog in the first place. And after reading the first few reviews that I posted, I can see how much better I've gotten!!

Anyhoo, have you heard of the Amazon Vine program? Since I do post reviews on Amazon, I got an invitation to join the Amazon Vine program. What is this you ask?? Oh, just another way for me to get free books!! Of course, it's also more obligation to review, but regardless of that, I'm pretty excited about it!

When I clicked on the invitation, here is what it said:

As one of our most valued customer reviewers, we would like to offer you a special invitation to join an exciting new Amazon program called Amazon Vine. As a member of this exclusive community, you will have access to pre-release and new products across all Amazon categories, and the opportunity to be among the very first to review them. There is no cost to you to participate or to receive Vine products. We are simply asking for your time in writing reviews for the products you select from the program.

Here's how it works -- Each month we will email you a newsletter of new products covering a wide range of product categories, including items that have been targeted specifically to you based on your past purchase and review history on Amazon.com. The number and types of
products featured in your monthly newsletter will vary, but you can be assured that we will send you products that we think you will be most interested in. Browse the selection and request items that appeal to you. We will ship those items directly to your doorstep - free of charge - and they are yours to keep. Once you write your review, we'll
post it on the product detail page on Amazon.com with a special badge and header so that it stands out (you'll turn your friends green with envy). As always, Amazon will not edit or modify your opinions, nor share your personal contact information with vendors.

Just way too cool, no?? Every month there is a newsletter and you get to choose things : books, cd's movies, grocery items, electronics, etc. First come, first serve kind of deal because there is a limited number per item. And you can get up to 4 items at a time. You have to review 3 out of every 4 items or you can't get any more. Still sounds fun!

My picks for this month:

Is anyone else involved in this program? I am hoping for a lot with this, and I was just wondering if it all pays off!

Later!! Tomorrow, Blog Awards and maybe a review!

Weekly Geeks # 9 - Challenges

So...I've been putting off this post for the whole week. Basically, because I was scared to see IN WRITING how many challenges I'm involved in. And how many I'm failing miserably! But who cares, right? I enjoy signing up for the challenges, I enjoy making lists for the challenges....and I enjoy the camaraderie of reading along with others. So, as long as you keep putting them out there, I will be joining the challenges!!

Here is the Weekly Geek post for Week # 9:

And this week’s theme is Challenges.

1. If you participate in any challenges, get organized! Update your lists, post about any you haven’t mentioned, add links of reviews to your lists if you do that, go to the challenge blog if there is one and post there, etc.

2. If you don’t participate in any challenges, then join one! There’s a good selection of possibilities over on my right hand sidebar (scroll down) where I list those I participate in. There’s also A Novel Challenge, a blog that keeps track of all sorts of reading challenges.

3. Towards the end of the week, write a wrap-up post about getting your challenges organized OR if you’re joining your first challenge, post about that any time during the week. Once you have your post up, come back and sign Mr Linky with the link to the specific post, not just to your blog.

I think I have posted every time I've joined a challenge. So, really all this is going to be is kind of a summary/wrap-up/point check.

Once Upon a Time Challenge - I recently completed this challenge!! Yeah!! I read 7 books plus Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. My wrap-up post can be found here.

The Pub '08 Challenge - Read 8 books that were/will be published in '08. So far, I have read 3 of the 8. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, Change of Heart by Jodi Picout, and The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I also just started This Charming Man by Marian Keyes. 5 books by the end of '08. I think I can handle this one!

The End of the World as We Know it Challenge - Read 3 books from May to September 15th that deal with the end of the world or are dystopian in nature. So far, I've only read one: The Host by Stephenie Meyer (FANTASTIC - READ THIS BOOK!). And I already have another one started. I would like to read more than 3 books for this challenge. But I will definitely be able to complete this one!

What's in a Name Challenge - Read 6 books by the end of the year. Each book has to come from 6 categories. Sadly, I haven't even read one book for this challenge. But I will.

2008 TBR Challenge - Read 12 books from your TBR list. I've read 3 books for this challenge: Fool Moon by Jim Butcher, Moon Called by Patricia Briggs, and High Five by Janet Evanovich. Hmmmm....9 more books by the end of the year. Don't know whether I will make this, but I can try.

Non-Fiction Five Challenge - Read 5 non-fiction books between May and September. Nope. Haven't started this one either. But I have a couple here just waiting to be cracked open.

1% Well-Read Challenge - Read 10 books from the "1001 Books to Read Before you Die" list. 10 books in 10 months. This challenge will end in February 2009. Haven't read one yet!

Southern Reading Challenge - Read 3 books by August by Southern Authors. I have one book here to start.

Chick Lit Reading Challenge - Read 3 Chick Lit books. This will be easy to do, especially when I need something light to read.

Graphic Novels Challenge - Read 6 Graphic Novels by the end of the year. For some reason, I'm having a hard time starting this one. I've never been a big reader of Graphic Novels. MUST get started on this one.

Mythopoeic Challenge - Read 7 books from the list of Mythopoeic Award winner. Runs through 2008. So far, I've only read one: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. 6 more may be pushing it for the rest of this year. But we will see.

Young Adult Challenge 2008 - Read 12 YA books. Runs all of 2008. I've read 5 of the 12 so far: Chosen by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Tithe by Holly Black, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and Freaks by Annette Curtis Klause. 7 more books is totally doable!

Decades Challenge 2008. Pick a time span and read a book from each decade. I may have over-extended myself on this one. I choose 15 books, and I haven't read one yet!! This may be one I just have to forget about finishing!!

Cardithon 2008 - Read books by Orson Scott Card, or books he has recommended. So far, I've only read one: Enchantment. We will see how many more I finish by the end of the year.

I failed miserably at last year's Canadian Reading Challenge. I only finished one book (and will have one more done by the end of the week.) Hopefully I will do better the next time.

I have a few other small or mini-challenges that I would like to finish. And a couple of other lists I have made just to keep me reading. And there are a couple of more challenges I'm chomping at the bit to join. I'm actually reading a lot more now that I was at the beginning of the year. So hopefully, I will be able to accomplish a few Completions!! Only time will tell!

Weekly Geeks # 8 - Scavenger Hunt

Well....it's been a couple of weeks since I Geeked it up! Sorry, folks, but my life has been a bit, shall we say, challenging the last few weeks. And I have to say, this was fun....but way exhausting!! I wish I could have added my own links, cause I would have tons!!



1. (THE PRIZE. Did you find it?) Subscription to Bookmarks Magazine from Dewey

2. youtube - Just Add Books Post: Weekly Geeks #5

3. war - Out of the Blue Post: Book Review, The Book Thief

4. Sunday Salon - Katrina Reads - Post: The Sunday Salon: Another Poor Reading Week

5. Buy a Friend a Book - Bell Literary Reflections - Post: Buy a Friend a Book Week

6. BTT (or Booking Through Thursday) - Bride of the Book God - Post: Booking Through Thursday: Clubbing

7. omnibus - Mysteries in Paradise - Post: Sunday Salon #10

8. Speculative fiction - Chris - Stuff as Dreams are Made On Post: Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic

9. Short stories - Caribousmom - Post: Look What I Won

10. Ani Difranco (or just Ani) - Care's Online Book Club - Post: Music!! Help?

11. Printz - Tiny Little Reading Room - Post: Review: Looking for Alaska

12. Man Booker Prize (or just Booker) - The Biblio Brat - Post: Review: The Gathering by Anne Enright

13. Newbery - Chain-Reading - Post: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

14. Mother Talk

15. interview - The Armenian Odar Reader - Post - Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi

16. history - Smallworld Reads - Post: Book Review: The Senator's Wife

17. glbt (or any other arrangement of those letters, or with a q in there)

18. fantasy - An Adventure in Reading - Post: Book: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

19. film - Mog's Book Blog and.....Post: Sunday Scribblings

20. giraffe - It's All About the Books - Post: "New" Books. Just what I need!

21. biography -Confuzzled Books Post: A Sister's Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter

22. Geraldine Brooks - Age 30 - A Year of Books - Post: Year of Wonders (May 08)

23. graphic novels The Hidden Side of the Leaf - Post: We are on Our Own

24. classics - Journey to the end of the TBR Pile - Post: My Reading Tastes

25. faerie - Rhinoa's Ramblings - Post: The Wood Wife by Terri Windling

26. Amelie - Naked without Books - Post: Off to a Flying Start

27. doo doo doo

28. 24 Hour Read-a-thon - Nothing of Importance - Post: The Read-a-Thon Meme

29. etsy - Book-A-Rama - Post: More Treasury Fun: Fahrenheit 451

30. poetry - Blue Archipeligo - Post: Sunday Salon: Poetry or novels?

31. Bookmooch - Adventures in Reading - Post: Bookmooch

32. del.icio.us

33. R.E.M. - Joystory - Post: Everybody Hurts

34. Bookworms Carnival - Book Nut - Post: I'm a Bit Behind the Times

35. library - Saving My Sanity - Post: People are Reading Less?

36. Lost (must refer to the TV series) - The 3 R's: Reading, 'Riting, and Randomness - Post: Ten on Tuesday: New Travel Plans plus Random nosiness

37. Six Feet Under - Literary Escapism Post: True Blood News

38. ReadingAnimals (I’m featuring her because I feel bad that I can’t figure out how to comment at her blog.) We'll just give this one to: Reading Animals

39. hedgehog - In Spring it is the Dawn - Post: Friday Fill-In #14

40. pregnant - A High and Hidden Place - Post: 9 Months Old

41. nosebleed (or nose bleed) -

42. 42 (No, that’s not a mistake; number 42 is to find the digit 42.) - Becky's Book Reviews - Post: Becky Unveils Secret Project

43. herding cats - Writing Choas that is Me - Post: Award + Reader Challenge

44. Django Reinhardt

45. A.S. Byatt - Tripping Toward Lucidity - Post: What do I Know?


46. Homer - A Girl Walks Into a Bookstore.....Post: The Strand 80

(The next three are suggestions from my son.)

47. ROFL

48. cheezburger (must be spelled with Z!)

49. d20

Weekly Geeks # 4 - Tibetan Freedom

This week’s theme: Choose a political or social issue that matters to you. Find several books addressing that issue; they don’t have to books you’ve read, just books you might like to read. Using images (of the book covers or whatever you feel illustrates your topic) present these books in your blog.

Oh Lordy. Someone's giving me a soapbox! Where do I begin? There are so many issues that I'm extremely passionate about....global warming, saving the planet, LGBT Rights, Humanitarian rights, war.....so how do I proceed from here?? I've seen a lot of great posts this week. So instead of trying to build on what someone else has already said, I thought I would through out a new topic: The Freedom of Tibet.

As with a lot of things in my life, I came to understand a little about Tibet from music. Back in 1999, we attended the Tibetan Freedom Concert, not for the politics, but the music. Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, The Cult and Eddie Vedder were on stage, just to name a few. But the passion these artists showed for this cause got me thinking....

Tibet was an ancient country the size of Western Europe when it was invaded by the People's Liberation Army. A place with a unique culture, history and identity, Tibet has been changed dramatically by the Chinese invasion. This has not only changed many lives and cost its people the freedom to practice their culture, religion and language as they wish, but has also seen a calculated process put into place by which Tibetan culture is gradually and finally eradicated. I, for one, am appalled by the Chinese, and still can't believe the International Olympic Committee chose Beijing as the next site for the games.

According to FreeTibet.org, here are 10 facts about Tibet:

1. The invasion of Tibet began in 1949. Chinese occupation has resulted in the death of over one million Tibetans, the destruction of over 6,000 monasteries, nunneries and temples, and the imprisonment and torture of thousands of Tibetans.

2. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's political and spiritual leader, fled Tibet in 1959 to Dharamsala, India, followed by over 100,000 Tibetans and established the Tibetan Government-in Exile. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for a steadfast dedication to non-violence.

3. Tibet, before occupation, was a nation with an established sovereign government, currency, postal system, language, legal system, and culture. Prior to 1950, the Tibetan government also signed treaties with foreign nations. The Chinese government claims that Tibet has always been part of China, yet its invasion of Tibet resembles imperialist aggression that China accuses other powers of exhibiting.

4. The "Tibetan Autonomous Region" (TAR) is not Tibet, nor is it autonomous. The Chinese government has divided historical Tibet into one region and several prefectures and counties, with the TAR encompassing only the central area and some eastern regions of Tibet.


5. The basic freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly are strictly limited, and arbitrary arrests continue. There are currently hundreds of political prisoners in Tibet, enduring a commonplace punishment of torture.

6. The Chinese government increasingly encourages Han Chinese to migrate to Tibet, offering them higher wages and other inducements. This policy is threatening the survival of Tibetan people. Tibetans are becoming a minority in the TAR. Yearly, thousands of Tibetans still flee from Tibet, making the treacherous journey over the Himalayas into a world of exile.

7. Historical Tibet was a vast country, with an area roughly equal to Western Europe. Tibet is the source of five of Asia's largest rivers, which provide water for two billion people. Tibet's fragile environment is endangered by Chinese strip-mining, nuclear waste dumping, and extensive deforestation.

8. The Chinese government claims to have “developed” Tibet, with “developments” mainly benefiting the new majority Chinese, not Tibetans. China, neglecting education and healthcare, has spent millions of dollars building infrastructure; many roads, buildings, and power plants directly support heavy militarization, allowing China to maintain Tibet as a police state.

9. The Chinese government aggressively seeks foreign investment for its “Go West” campaign, with use of these international funds to develop Tibet as a resource extraction colony and consolidate regional control. Foreign investments in Chinese companies legitimise China's colonisation and exploitative projects that harm Tibet.


10. The United Nations and international community have done very little to address the core issue of China’s illegal occupation of Tibet. China represents an enormous market and cheap labour force, and its associated businesses have such a strong lobby that officials are reluctant to take substantive measures. Since western countries adopted policies of so-called “constructive engagement” with China in the 1990s, the human rights situation in Tibet has only deteriorated.


Here are some great books to read on the subject as well. Heinrich Harrar wrote the book Seven Years in Tibet about his life before the occupation. He escaped a British Prisoner of War camp in 1945, and made his way to Tibet. He fell in love with the country, but left after the Chinese invasion. He returned in 1982, and the book Return to Tibet is his experience in the country AFTER the invasion. It truly is a heartbreaking book, although Harrar has a lot of hope for a truly peaceful country of people.


Tears of Blood: A Cry for Tibet by Mary Craig is another fantastic book that is powerful and heartbreaking. It tells the story of the persecution of the Tibetan people and the colonization of their country. She did tons of research and also has many interviews with refugees of Tibet that are now living in India. If you want a look at the atrocities that the Chinese have plagued upon this country, read this book.

The final book is a wonderful book. And it just proves that even one person can help change the world. It's called A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World: A True Life Adventure Story by Isabel Losada. Although Losada isn't exactly the most well-versed author on this subject, her heart is definitely in the right place. Here are her adventures, as one woman tackles trying to make a difference in the quest to free Tibet.

As I said before, I'm very politically active. Although we feel the need to stick our noses in wars all the time, America has steered clear of trying to help the occupied people of Tibet. And it's a travesty. I think you will all feel the same if you read up on the subject just a little.

Thanks Dewey for such a relevant Weekly Geeks!!

Weekly Geeks #3

This week’s theme comes from Samantha, who suggested that one week we all write about our fond memories of childhood books.

You could approach this several ways. I’ll probably list my favorite childhood books with maybe a paragraph about each book: why I loved it, how old I was when I read it, where I got the book, etc. You could also just pick one childhood favorite and review it as you would any other book. Or, if you’re fast, you could make up a meme other weekly geeks might like to use. It’ll be interesting to see how everyone personalizes this theme. Don’t forget to come back and leave a link to the post in your comment once you’ve written your post. No wrap-up post this week; just the one childhood books post.





Ah.....reading memories from Childhood. What a fun topic!! The really funny thing is, I don't have a lot of memories of reading "kids" books. What I mean by that is picture books. This isn't because I didn't love books at an early age because I did. But I was a sick little girl. I spent more time out of Kindergarten than in it. And when I was in the hospital, I had a tutor. So when the other kids were working their way through the Mat and Pat books one at a time, I had already been through the entire series. So, in essence, I skipped reading a lot of picture books. That's not to say I still don't have a couple of favorites. I always loved Dr. Suess. I mean, really who doesn't? Horton was always fun, but my personal favorite was Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Yeah, I know. I was weird right off the bat!! I can remember actually checking this out of the grade school library MANY times! My grandma also had a couple of really awesome Richard Scary books. They were really large hardbacks, and they were filled with fun!

But by 2nd grade I had graduated to reading books that were much harder. That's when I found the "girl sleuth" novels. Nancy Drew, The Bobbsie Twins, and my personal favorite: Trixie Belden. I SO wanted to be a part of the Bob-whites!! One of the gang. Be friends with Trixie and Honey and Jim and Mart. I loved these books. I read everything our little library had. And my grandma used to take me shopping on Saturday mornings. We'd go to the Little Professor Bookstore on the square in Taylorville. I swear, that woman really knew how to feed my book habit!! Then she introduced me to Agatha Christie. I was really young, and they took me forever to read. But by the end of 4th grade, I had read most of her works.

Jr. High brought on all the cheesy teen Romance books. The Sweet Dreams and Wildfire series were awesome! So wholesome, now that I think about it. Times were different in the 80's, that's for sure. But read one, and you've read them all. Boredom set in. And the discovery of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and John Saul. Not really what you would call "childhood" books. So I guess I'm at the end of this post!!

Weekly Geeks, Challenge Number 2

For some reason, this week I seem to be woefully behind. Of course, that really is a state of being for me!! So, here, FINALLY is my Weekly Geek post!!

Dewey's post:

The theme for Week 2 is something I borrowed (yes, she said it was ok!) from Darla at Books and Other Thoughts. She says in her sidebar that if she reviews a book that you’ve reviewed, you can email her and she’ll link to it in her review. I love this idea for three reasons.

1. As a blog reader, I like that I can have my review linked in someone else’s blog.

2. As a blog reader, I like that if I’m interested in a book Darla writes about, there will be other reviews linked at the bottom of the page, so I can get other viewpoints. You can see how this works

here.

3. As a blog writer, when I review a book, I often remember that I read someone else’s review at some point, but whose? And when? With Darla’s method, people tell her about their reviews, and she can see what they had to say about a book that is still fresh in her mind.
So here’s your challenge! If you’re willing, adopt Darla’s policy in your own blog. I realize this is a big commitment, so think it over first, but I think it can be really community-building.

Dewey is right. It is a big commitment. And I have to say, I actually wavered a bit on it this week. But after thinking about it....I think it's a great idea!! Truthfully, I haven't read nearly as much this year as I would have liked. But I've enjoyed everything I've read so far, so it's all good! On my left sidebar is this list of books I've read in 2008. I'll be watching the comments carefully on this post....and any future reviews. Leave a comment here, or feel free to email me at stoland at ameritech dot net. I'll be happy to link your review in my posts....both going forward and the ones I've already completed. You can also go here to check out my list for 2007 as well if you are truly ambitious!!

I haven't had a lot of time to check out everyone else's posts....but I will be doing that slowly! Savouring my time reading everyone's blogs!!

So....this policy has officially been adopted by me!!

Weekly Geeks and a Few Random Things

OK Chris, you were wrong. You weren't the last person to blog about this....I am!! Dewey, from The Hidden Side of the Leaf, has come up with a blogging Challenge called The Weekly Geeks. It's such a fun idea. She always has the best ones. The Weekly Geeks will have a weekly theme, and as a member, you have to blog about it.

This week's theme is Discover New Blog Week. Sounds easy enough. Check through the list of participants and visit blogs that are new to you. Then I noticed there are over 100 participants. Not quite as easy as I had originally thought....but it is a whole lot of fun!! I spent hours yesterday going through new and relatively new-to-me blogs and I found some great ones. Here are just a few:

Book Addiction is a brand new-to-me blog. Heather is a fairly new blogger, but she's dug in pretty well. Lots of great book reviews and lots of challenges. Sounds like a blog to add to my blogroll!

The Inside Cover is such a great blog! You can certainly tell Rebecca is a writer by trade, because she has a wonderful way with words. Stylish and sharp, her blog is chocked full of reviews, book news and book related topics. She is also starting on online book club that looks like a lot of fun!

Passion for the Page is written by Kristi in Florida. The first thing you notice when you log in to her blog is the BEAUTIFUL header. I think she likes Roses!! Once you get past that, there are some super book reviews. I also think she is a kindred spirit, since it looks like she has joined as many reading challenges as I have!!

Tiny Little Reading Room is written by the Tiny Little Librarian. Since I love libraries, she's all right in my book! Another kindred Spirit, she is in lots of reading challenges, used VAMPIRES as her theme for the Themed reading challenge, and has a Pooh quiz on her blog. I think we might be related!!

Bookworms and Tea Lovers is a very pretty site! Samantha lives in the Netherlands and loves books!! She's in various reading challenges and has lots of wonderful book reviews. This is another blog that's going right to my blogroll!

Reader Rabbit is a blog written by two sisters who love to read. The first thing I noticed was the fantasy books they were reading. Be Still My Heart!! With lots of challenges and great reviews, I'll definitely be visiting again!

Those are just a few of the great blogs I have found as a part of the Weekly Geeks. This is definitely going to be a fun ride!!

In other news, I went to the doctor yesterday. And as I feared, it's definitely a rotator cuff injury, although we aren't sure how bad it is yet. It's either just a strain, a small tear, or it could be something a little worse. Most likely, I'll be able to fix it with steroid injections (OUCH). Worst case scenario, I'll have to have surgery. They got me right in for an MRI. I definitely don't recommend one if you are squeamish about small, tight places. It took all I had not to totally freak out! I go back next Monday for the results. Let's hope for the best, shall we??

Finally, Andi from Tripping Toward Lucidity sent me an email yesterday. I won her copy of The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. I'm really excited about this. Global Warming is another one of those Hot-Button issues with me. I'm all about saving the Planet!! So THANKS Andi!! I can not wait to read this one....and then I can pass it along to someone else. Every little bit counts, you know!!

Till Later!!