Music Monday -- 101 Faves Fun Edition

As part of my ongoing Day Zero Project, I've made a list of my favorite 101 songs of all time.  To help cut down on the possibilities, I took songs only from my iTunes account.  Each edition will include ~5 songs with a theme.  Enjoy! This week is all about the fun songs.  Enjoy these wacky yet irresistible songs.

Barenaked Ladies "Alcohol" -- Amazing love song to alcohol (or is it?).  We played this one almost every day going to school my junior and senior year of high school.

Five Iron Frenzy "Oh Canada" -- Another high school car favorite.  My friend Beth always loved this one. Plus the live version is so much better!

Kind of crappy live video version

Cake "Short Skirt Long Jacket"-- This is my jam!  It's even my ringtone on J's phone.  Plus every episode of Chuck, I would start singing the song even though it's instrumental.  It's just awesome!

Cowboy Mouth "Love of My Life" -- Another great sing along (or is it scream along?)

Sunday Sunset #2

Listening To: Not much music being listening to this week.  Although I did have The Killers Battle Born on repeat...

Book finished: Almost America, The Passage

Reading: Nothing.  Gearing up for A Winter's Respite readathon

On the Nightstand: A Winter's Respite readathon TBR...

MakingLists: Potential movies and books for February. I'm doing Fantasy February, so I need to pull tons of fantasy books to choose from.  And, as a personal challenge, I'm watching one new-to-me movie each day of February.  To help accomplish this, I'm making a list of ~10 must watches.  Mostly these are movies from the server and on our DVD shelves that I've just not gotten around to.

From the kitchen: J's back at work after being so sick last week.  That means I'm back to making meals for one or at least making a meal and having tons of leftovers.  I haven't been too creative with my meals (mostly the standards), but I'm making plans to try something new next week.  Just have to pick it.

On the Web: I'm so far behind in my GoogleReader, but I"m still neglecting it.  Instead of following the blogs I usually follow, I've found myself being sucked into the black abyss of the internet searching for fun card making ideas.  I now have a ton of new bookmarks and at least 7 new blogs to follow.  Check out my "Crafting" section for some of the outcomes...

Crafting: I got a bit inspired and made a few cards.  I'm on a new plan to use my scraps before cutting up new 12x12 sheets.  Thankfully I found a ton of ideas to do just that.

I had a few scraps of this fun pink chandelier paper.  I paired it with scraps of polka dot ribbon, fabric flowers, and a cute little "congrats" stamp.

More fabric flowers and last of the polka dot ribbon, but with a hot pink zebra print background.  This would be a perfect birthday card for a pre-teen girl.

I experimented with double stamping with the background flowers.  I don't love the result, but it's nice.  I decided to add a tag with sentiment instead of adding a new stamp.

It's a bit hard to tell, but I stamped "dream" in silver behind the black to add some dimension.  I like the look and will definitely be playing with the idea more in the future.

I had a few pieces of this beautiful watercolor paper.  It was so pretty that I didn't really want to use it, but i just had to.  One of these "hope" cards is going to a my mom's friend who's dealing with a cancer diagnosis.  I think the soft colors add a soothing presence to these cards.

Watching: We're into the last season of The West Wing and trying to finish the last season of Stargate Universe.  Those are my two must finishs by the end of January.  Beyond that, I finished Lie to Me and S1 of Legend of the Seeker (love me some cheese).  I imagine February's television series watching will be low do to my movie watching plans.  We'll probably just be catching up on our currently airing shows.  But I would really love to finish Legend of the Seeker next month.

Wondering: Where's a good dim sum place not in San Francisco?  I only know of places in the city, but don't really want to travel 45 minutes for a good meal.  There has to be places somewhere in South Bay.

From Nature: Gorgeous temps and sunshine.  Helped me get out and walk instead of staying in and lounging.

Project: Job searching.  No one hires over the holidays, so I didn't get anywhere the past month.  Hopefully January-February has much better results.  The problem is that I don't have a set idea of what job I'm looking for.  Basically anything I qualify for that looks at all interesting, I apply.

Picture: Yummy dinner at The Fish Market.  I actually got a pic of J!  Amazing!

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Title: The Passage

Author: Justin Cronin

Publisher: Ballantine 2011

Genre: Vampires

Pages: 784

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Paranormal --Vampires; New Author; TBR Pile; Dusty Bookshelf; Book Bingo -- 1 Everyone has Read but Me

How I Got It: I own it!

An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival,The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl—and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape—but he can’t stop society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world.

This is definitely one of those books that I just had to read after it came out, and yet, it's taken me two years to get around to it.  Even with all the waiting, it did not disappoint.  This story is terrifying.  It reminds me of I am Legend and The Forest of Hands and Teeth and As the World Dies trilogy all wrapped up into one.  I realize that two of those are zombie stories, but ultimately they are all stories of survival.  The beginning is a bit slow, as in, the characters seem to tell their stories in stream of consciousness.  It took a while to get used to, but once I did, I loved the style.  We get inside the heads of the characters We see their hopes, joys, and fears.  We understand them.  This makes the story much easier to follow as we drift from character to character and later skip decades.  I loved Alicia and Michael.  Those were definitely my favorite characters.  They each have their own specialty, but neither one is quite comfortable in their own skin and around other people.  The other characters are all great, I just really connected to those two.  Initially I thought I would hated the time jump, but the story had to jump in order to stay interesting.  I don't need to see the rest of the war and attempted evacuation.  The echoes linger even ~90 years in the future.  Hopefully, I can pick up the sequel later this year.

Passage

• #1 The Passage
• #2 The Twelve
• #3 The City of Mirrors

A Winter's Respite Readathon -- Starting Line

From Michelle at Seasons of Reading:

It's here! The official sign up for A Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon! It's just a month away on January 21 - 27! It will start at 12:00am Monday and end at 11:59pm on Sunday.  Times are central standard time so adjust your times accordingly.  Of course, like most read-a-thons, the books read must be novels or novellas, adult or young adult are fine, and you can read children's books too (as long as you do read some novels too).  You DO NOT have to participate the entire week.  Join in when you can, start in the middle, end early...whatever works best for your schedule.  As long as you sign in at the sign-in post and do some kind of wrap up post, you're in for the big giveaway at the end.  As with my previous read-a-thons, it will be a week of relaxed reading during which we can personally challenge ourselves and whittle away those ever looming TBR piles/shelves/libraries.  I hope you will join me! I will not be hosting any mini-challenges, as we learned from my last two read-a-thons, focusing on the reading rocks. However, if anyone else would like to host a mini-challenge, you are more than welcome. We will have a few scheduled Twitter chats again (and perhaps some more reading sprints). Our twitter hashtag is #WintersRespiteSign up in the linky below. You do not have to do a post now, unless you want to help spread the word (hint, hint...) If you don't have a blog, use Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads. Having a blog is not required. Be sure to grab the button at the top of this post. (Don't forget that this is just the sign-up linky. There will be starting line sign-in and wrap-up linkies during the read-a-thon and doing both is required to be eligible for the giveaway).

I've already done the Bout of Books readathon to kick off 2013, but you know I have to join this one.  Second year in a row!

My goals:

• Read 5 books
• Review all books read
• Read Part IV of Persuasion (online readalong)
• Read Long Way Gone (January book club selection)
• Read an average of 2 hours a day

My TBR pile (I like lots of options):

• Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah (book club selection)
• Persuasion by Jane Austen (week 4 -- iPad)
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (iPad)
• The Wedding Gift by Lucy Kevin (iPad)
• Lost by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson (iPad)
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (iPad)
• Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
• P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
• Matched by Ally Condie
• Crossed by Ally Condie
• One Day by David Nicholls
• Velveteen by Daniel Marks
• Terror by Night by Ambrose Bierce
• A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock
• Thomas Paine by Craig Nelson
• One Day by David Nicholls

Last Year's Totals (Let's see if I can beat them):

• Total Books Read: 8
• Total Pages Read:  2003
• Total Time Read: 13 hours 26 minutes

2013 Book Blogger Recommendation Reading Challenge

From Reading with Tequila:

The Levels:Level I - Read 5 books from the 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation List Level II - Read 10 books Level III - Read 15 books Level IV - Read 20 books Level V - Read 20+ booksThe Rules:

Challenge will run January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. Participants can join anytime throughout the challenge.Create an intro post, linking back to this post. Sign up with the Linky below. Please link to your challenge intro post, not your blog home page. Chose your own books from the list. You can decide to read books only on the Top 25 list or from the entire recommendation list. You do not have to make a list of books before the challenge begins.All forms of books acceptable (audiobooks, eBooks, etc.)Rereads do not count towards the completion of the challenge. The challenge is about discovering books that are new to you.You don't need a blog to participate.Reviews, while always appreciated, are not mandatory.

Complete List (already read are bolded):

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
5. Divergent by Veronica Roth
6. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
7. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
8. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
9. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
10. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
11. Partials by Dan Wells
12. Pawn of Prophecy, David Eddings
13. Persuasion by Jane Austen
14. Plague Town by Dana Fredsti
15. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
16. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
17. The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain
18. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
19. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
20. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
21. Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince by J.K.Rowling
22. Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts
23. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
24. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
25. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
26. The Prestige by Christopher Priest
27. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
28. Allison Hewitt Is Trapped by Madeline Roux
29. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
30. Every Day by David Levithan
31. I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
32. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
33. Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
34. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
35. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
36. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
37. The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan
38. 84 Charring Cross Road by Helene Hanff
39. A Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
40. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
41. Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare
42. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
43. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
44. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
45. The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
46. The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain
47. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
48. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
49. Crewel by Gennifer Albin
50. MWF seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche
51. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
52. The Night Is Large by Martin Gardner
53. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
54. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
55. Under The Dome by Stephen King
56. Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden
57. Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis & Tracey Hickman
58. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
59. Gone by Michael Grant
60. Perfume by Patrick Suskind
61. Sail by James Patterson
62. Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
63. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
64. Soulless by Gail Carriger
65. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
66. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
67. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
68. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
69. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
70. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
71. Explosive 18 by Janet Evanovich
72. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
73. North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell
74. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
75. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
76. Strong Poison by Dorthy L Sayers
77. The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer
78. The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
79. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
80. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
81. Matched by Ally Condie
82. Poison Study, Maria V. Snyder
83. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
84. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
85. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
86. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer
87. The Snow Child be by Eowyn Ivey
88. This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers
89. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
90. Feed by Mira Grant
91. I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
92. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
93. Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder
94. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
95. The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain
96. The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C Clarke
97. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
98. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
99. A Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
100. A Storm of Swords part 1 by George R.R. Martin
101. Books, Baguettes and Bedbugs (Time Was Soft There) by Jeremy Mercer
102. Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
103. Julie & Julia by Julie Powell
104. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
105. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

I'm signing up for Level II: 10 books.  Out of the 105 books on the list, I've already read 21.  Looking at the remaining books, I narrowed it even further to 31 possibilities.  I've italicized my must-reads.  The other options are up for grabs.

1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
2. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth
5. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
6. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
7. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
8. Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts
9. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
10. Every Day by David Levithan
11. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
12. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
13. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
14. MWF seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche
15. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
16. Under The Dome by Stephen King
17. Gone by Michael Grant
18. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
19. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
20. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
21. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
22. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
23. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
24. Matched by Ally Condie
25. Poison Study, Maria V. Snyder
26. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer
27. This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers
28. Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder
29. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
30. A Storm of Swords part 1 by George R.R. Martin
31. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Thankfuls 2013

I found this wonderful meme idea on Ruby Bastille.  I thought it would be a great way to share my life with my readers.  So here we go with my first Thankful Thursday.

1) A healthy J -- He's been sick since I got back from Indiana.

2) California weather -- The frigid Midwest is just not me

3) Crafting friends -- Tuesday night class was just so much fun

4) New crafting friends -- Hoping to see some of the ladies I met at another class

5) Evernote -- Making my blog planning and writing so much more organized

2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge

From Kristilyn at Reading in Winter:

Of course, a challenge isn’t really a challenge unless there are some rules and guidelines:

1. Be awesome. If you’re not, this isn’t going to work.
2. The challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2013.
3. If you want to participate, you can join in any time of the year! Feel free to write up a blog post with the rules linking back to my and Anne’s blog in your sign-up post.
4. If you read one book for the “1 book” in any category, you can’t change it later on when you read another book to “2 books.” Once a square is crossed off, it’s crossed off for good! (Feel free to print off the scoreboard to keep track!)
5. Books read for one square are for that square ONLY and cannot be counted towards another category. This is all about reading ALL THE BOOKS.
6. The FREE SQUARE isn’t really a free square. In order to cross it off, you must read a book by either:
   1. Reading a book picked by another participant, or
   2. Reading a book in a genre picked by another participant.
   3. You can start your board over again, but ONLY if you receive the stamp of awesome by completing a blackout. The “winners” of the challenge will be the ones who achieve the most winning combinations by the end of 2013.
   4. You can feel free to post your reading list for each category, though it’s not a requirement.
   5. Having a blog or writing reviews for books read is not required. So long as you want to have fun, you can participate!
   6. This isn’t a race, but don’t be afraid to rub your reads in the other player’s face. This will be seen as encouragement. Feel free to use the hashtag #2013BookBingo on Twitter!

While you can definitely “win” by the boring ol’ vertical or horizontal (or diagonal!) lines, the best ways to win are as follows:

Like it says in the guidelines, the ONLY way to start a new board is to become the SUPER READER! The goal is to read ALL THE BOOKS! To be a winner (thus, to become the awesomest reader around), you’ll want to accomplish as many wins as possible!

UPDATE: I had a question about when we will post updates for the challenge, so I decided that every 3 months I will post an update here and all participants can link to their own updates. Tentatively, an update post will go up April 1st, July 1st, October 1st, and December 31st. 

Will you participate in this challenge? Do you have what it takes to become a super reader? 

Holy crap!  This looks like so much fun!  I am jumping on this challenge and am hoping to be a super reader and fill the entire board!

2013 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge

From 52 Books in 52 Weeks:

Are you ready for another round of Reading 52 books in 52 Weeks? Whether you are just joining in or continuing on for another round, the rules are very simple. The goal is to read one book (at least) a week for 52 weeks. Make the year easy and casual or kick it up by exploring new to you authors and genres. Challenge yourself to read at least some classics or delve into that chunkster (more than 500 pages) you always wanted to tackle. The goal is to read 52 books. How you get there is up to you.

Since this is our 5th year, I challenge you to a 5/5/5 challenge. Read 5 books in 5 Categories and/or 5 Genres. I have several mini challenges to make it fun:

A to Z challenge: Read books alphabetically by title and/or author.

Canadian Mini Challenge - read non fiction or fiction authors

C.S. Lewis: Read the works of C.S. Lewis

Chunky Mini Challenge -books more than 500 pages

Dusty Mini challenge: Limit buying new books for 1 - 4 months and read 4 to 12 or more books gathering dust on your shelves prior to 2013.

Inspiration Reading Project - Faith based or the Classics.

Mind Voyages: Explore the Hugo and Nebula winners, take side trips through the different decades reading the nominees.

Well Educated Mind: Explore the classics in five categories: Fiction, Autobiography, History/Politics, Drama and Poetry.

The mini challenges and weekly challenges are optional, Mix it up anyway you like.

1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013.
2. Our book weeks begin on Sunday.
3. Participants may join at any time.
4. All books are acceptable except children books.
5. All forms of books are acceptable including e-books, audio books, etc.
6. Re-reads are acceptable as long as they are read after January 1, 2013.
7. Books may overlap other challenges.
8. Create an entry post linking to this blog.
9. Sign up with Mr. Linky in the "I'm participating post" below this post.
10. You don't need a blog to participate. Post your weekly book in the comments section of each weekly post.
11. Mr. Linky will be added to the bottom of the weekly post to link to reviews of your most current reads.

52 books in 52 weeks?  Easy peasy.  I don't have my TBR list, but I'm certain I can find a read for each week's period and possibly some theme reads.

Quote Wednesday - Dr. Seuss

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.  Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. -- Dr. Seuss

How many of you loved the ridiculous in Dr. Seuss' books as a child (or even as an adult)?  I feel like we all need a bit of fantasy in our everyday lives.  That's part of why I read.  It helps unlock my imagination.

2013 Zombie Reading Challenge

From Book Chick City:

SIGN-UP DETAILS

To sign up you MUST make a post on your blog about participating in the challenge. Please feel free to use the banner above, however, a link via the image back to this post, so others can join the challenge if they wish, would be much appreciated.

CHALLENGE DETAILS

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2013 – 31 Dec 2013
• Rules: There are FOUR (4) LEVELS to choose from

1.        One Chomp: Read 6 Zombie books in 2013
2.         Two Chomps: Read 12 Zombie books in 2013
3.         Three Chomps: Read 18 Zombie books in 2013
4.         Four Chomps: Read 24 Zombie books in 2013

• You don’t have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.
• You can join at anytime. All books read in 2013 count towards the challenge regardless of when you sign up.
• At the beginning of Jan 2013, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews.
• Audiobooks are accepted.
• This challenge can crossover to other challenges.
• You DO NOT have to write reviews of the books you read, but if you decide to then there will be a place each month for you to link up your reviews.
• You don’t have to have a blog to join in – for those without a blog but who use Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing etc, you can add the URL to where you track your books. If you don’t have a URL at all then choose a name you would like to use and then copy and paste the following link: http://wp.me/p2wdqf-6ZV

Finally!  I do love me some zombies!  This year I am scaling back a bit and only going for One Chomp (6 books).  TBR list to come later...

2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge

The aim of The Eclectic Reader 2013 Challenge is to push you outside your comfort zone by reading up to 12 books during the year from 12 different categories.

Join in:

• The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st 2013. Participants may join at any time up until December 1st 2013

• Create a blog post committing to  your participation in this challenge.

• Select, read and review a book from each genre listed below during the year for a total of 12 books. A book may be in print, electronic or audio format.

*  You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advance. You may combine this challenge with others if you wish.

*  Where a book is identified by more than one genre eg historical romance, it may only count for either the historical fiction or romantic fiction genres – not both.

*  You can read your chosen titles in any order, at any pace, just complete the challenge by December 21st 2013 to be eligible for the prize drawing.

Categories

1. Translated fiction
2. Historical mystery
3. Romantic suspense
4. Made into a movie
5. New Adult
6. Urban Fantasy
7. Dystopian
8. Memoir
9. LGBT
10. Action Adventure
11. Humour
12. Published in 2013

• Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, make sure you identify it by adding either a direct statement  and /or the challenge image badge to the post.

• Share your review with other challenge participants by posting your name/blog name and title of the book with a direct link to your review in the Linky.

All participants that complete the challenge by December 31st 2012 will be eligible to win a book of their choice to the value of $15AUD from bookdepository.com or a $10US Amazon gift card or paypal funds of  US$10 to be drawn via random.org Jan  2014.

My TBR List:

1. Translated fiction -- The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
2. Historical mystery -- The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
3. Romantic suspense -- TBD
4. Made into a movie -- P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
5. New Adult -- Switched by Amanda Hocking
6. Urban Fantasy --Veil of Shadows by Jennifer Armintrout
7. Dystopian -- Crossed by Ally Condie
8. Memoir -- TBD
9. LGBT -- TBD
10. Action Adventure --TBD
11. Humour-- TBD
12. Published in 2013 -- TBD

Almost America by Steve Tally

Title: Almost America

Author: Steve Tally

Publisher: William Morrow 2000

Genre: U.S. History

Pages: 402

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nerdy Nonfiction -- History; New Authors; Mount TBR; Dusty Reads -- January, Nonfiction

How I Got It: I own it!

American history is full of difficult choices that could have gone the other way. Now Steve Tally sends you back to the most important moments in our nation's history -- and takes the other fork in the road.

I a huge U.S. History geek.  So any book about history, I'll read.  It's a blessing and a curse.  I've had this one lying around for a few years and never seemed to actually read it.  This is definitely my type of U.S. History book.  It presuposes a certain level of historical knowledge and then builds upon it.  I like the play on counterfactual history.  It appeals to my sense of whimsy and fantasy.  Plus is makes history more of a fun story.  What if?  I love it.

2013 Book to Movie Reading Challenge

From Doing Dewey:

Alright folks! Today we have another exciting new first for Doing Dewey! I will be hosting my first ever reading challenge, the 2013 Book to Movie Challenge. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to review books and the movies which they’ve been made into. It’s a tough job, but someone has to let us book lovers know which movies are going to fulfill our dreams of watching our favorite books come to life and which movies are going to ruthlessly shatter those dreams!

You can change challenge levels at any time and the challenge levels are as follows:

Movie Fan - read 3 books and watch their movies Movie Devotee - read 6 books and watch their movies Movie Lover - read 9 books and watch their movies Movie Aficionado - read 12 books and watch their movies

Credit for the logo, to which I artistically added writing, goes to the Ozark Dale County Public Library.

I'm going for the Movie Afficionado Level of 12 books and movies.  I love comparing movies to the original texts.

My TBR List:

1. The Reader
2. Mansfield Park
3. A Game of Thrones
4. One Day
5. The Host
6. The Secret Garden
7. Emma
8. Never Let Me Go
9. Vanity Fair
10. TBD
11. TBD
12. TBD

Music Monday -- 101 Faves Names Edition

As part of my ongoing Day Zero Project, I've made a list of my favorite 101 songs of all time.  To help cut down on the possibilities, I took songs only from my iTunes account.  Each edition will include ~5 songs with a theme.  Enjoy! This week's edition is all about songs with names for titles.

Goo Goo Dolls "Iris" --  One of those favorite songs from the high school era.

Sarah McLachlan "Adia" -- Another favorite from high school.

Orgy "Eva" -- Saw them in concert back in the late 1990s (or 2000).

Damien Rice "Amie" -- Beautiful song.  Beautiful voice.  Beautiful lyrics.

Sunday Sunset #1

This is my weekly wrap-up post for life and bookish concerns.  After a few weeks on vacation back in Indiana, I'm back in California and looking forward to getting back to a good routine of blogging.

Listening To: I snapped up a few discounted albums on iTunes right after Christmas.  Lady Antebellum "Own the Night,"  The Killers "Battle Born," and The Avett Brothers "The Carpenter."  Basically those have been on heavy rotation.  Plus, I've been listening to huge iTunes shuffle during traveling (over 5000 songs).

Book finished: Change of Fortune, Wanted, Chicken with Plums, Locke and Key Vol. 1, Locke and Key Vol. 2, Locke and Key Vol. 3, Locke and Key Vol. 4, Game of Thrones, Beauty and the Bitch, Good Omens, Ill Wind, Heat Stroke, and Chill Factor.  It was a good two weeks with 13 books read!

Reading: Chill Factor by Rachel Caine

On the Nightstand: The Passage by Justin Cronin, Chicks Dig Time Lords, Persuasion and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson

MakingLists: I've got a few lists ready to be made...

• Grocery List -- I came home to a house with no food.  So of course, I needed to make a kicking grocery list
• Winter's Respite TBR -- it's coming soon, January 21-27.
• Fantasy February TBR -- I joined Fantasy February, committing myself to read all fantasy for a month.  I'm excited!  My only exception is the month's book club selection (it probably won't be fantasy).

Around the house: I came home to a sick J.  So, it's been not so fun around here.  No sleep, germs everywhere...

From the kitchen: We haven't really left the house, so I've had to actually cook dinner the past few days.  I made an awesome pot of chicken and noodles with enough left over to freeze for later.  Yummy!  But nothing else exciting.

Crafting: Nothing, but I did make sure to stop by and snap up items from Stampin' Up's clearance racks.  And I made sure to hit Hobby Lobby while in Indiana.  Next week, I'm back to crafting classes and get togethers.  Looking forward to it!

Watching: While in Indiana, I didn't watch much (lots of sports in the house).  I got in the Doctor Who Christmas special, Mockingbird Lane (I missed it during Halloween), and S1 of American Horror Story (oh no they didn't!).  Since getting back, we've caught up on our currently airing shows, S6 of The West Wing, S1 of Star Trek, and S3 of Lie to Me.

Wondering: How many books will I be able to read this year?  I'm hoping for at least 175 books.

From Nature: It feels great being back to the West Coast with decent temps (50s - low 60s) instead of the frigid Midwest.  I think I'll stay here awhile.

Project: I'm getting my blog and reading plan under control.  I've started using Evernote to organize my monthly blog posts.  And I'm loving it!  Plus, I'm planning the rest of my 2013 Must Reads.

Bout of Books Readathon 6.0 -- Finish Line

Pages read today: 352

Pages read total: 2671

Time read today: 3 hours 42 minutes

Time read total: 22 hour 51 minutes

Today in 6 words: Volume three is a gripping ride!

My goals: 3 out of 5 goals met ain't bad...

• Read at least 5 books √
• Review all books read √
• Participate in at least 2 mini challenges -- Failed, too much else going on
• Read at least 2 hours a day √
• Comment on at least five participant blogs each day -- Failed, distracted by life and reading

My TBR pile: Loving my total of 6 books (and a chunk of Persuasion) read!

• A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
• Persuasion by Jane Austen (week 2 -- iPad)
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (iPad)
• The Wedding Gift by Lucy Kevin (iPad)
• Lost by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson (iPad)
• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (iPad)
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (iPad)
• Beauty or the Bitch by Jasmine Haynes (iPad)
• Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
• Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
• Chill Factor by Rachel Caine
• The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
• P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
• Matched by Ally Condie
• Crossed by Ally Condie
• One Day by David Nicholls
• Velveteen by Daniel Marks

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books 6.0 team

Chill Factor by Rachel Caine

Title: Chill Factor (Weather Wardens #3)

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: Roc 2005

Genre: Paranormal action adventure

Pages: 352

Rating:  4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Sub Genre -- Thriller, Supernatural; Monthly Reads January -- Cold; Mount TBR; Seriously Series; Book Bingo 4 from series

How I Got It: I own it

Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin has protected the human race from monster storms, been killed, reborn as a Djinn, and then restored to her original form. Now she's throwing the dice to stop an infinitely powerful, deeply disturbed kid-who is holed up in a Vegas hotel-from bringing on a new ice age.

I was with the storyline in Ill Wind, I stayed with it through Heat Stroke.  But Chill Factor has certainly thrown the curve balls in.  I was on the edge of my seat the entire ride, and I do mean ride.  The action picks up right where it left off in the previous book and doesn't stop for 352.  Even on the last page, we're left with a cliffhanger.  I'm sure the next book will start right there.  It's a gripping ride through Joanne's ups and downs.  I am excited to see where the character goes next.  With the big news, I'm sure it's going to be interesting.

Weather Warden:

1. Ill Wind
2. Heat Stroke
3. Chill Factor
4. Windfall
5. Fire Storm
6. Thin Air
7. Gale Force
8. Cape Storm
9. Total Eclipse

2013 Dusty Bookshelf Reading Challenge

From Books a True Story:

Hi everyone! I’m really excited for next year’s Dusty Bookshelf Challenge.  I started this challenge to read those books that have been sitting on my shelf for a long time or books that I don’t own, but that I’ve been meaning to read for years.  It’s up to you what books qualify for this challenge.

Because of the awesome people in the Dusty Bookshelf Goodreads group, I have even more fun things to add to the challenge this year.  There will be a theme for every month to help you pick books from your list.  Last year we had themes like Page to Screen, Animals, Young Adult, and Jane Austen.  Since these themes were so much fun in the Goodreads group, I’m going to share the theme on my blog monthly as well.  The Goodreads group also has a challenge widget to keep track of your progress!

I’m also going to do mini-challenges every month.  Here’s the schedule of the mini-challenges next year:

• Jan. – Quote Game
• Feb. – Share your favorite cover
• Mar.  - Swag Swap
• April – Pick my Read
• May – Soundtrack your Book
• June – Read your Biggest Book
• July – eBooks
• Aug. – Clear your Shelves
• Sept. – Read your Dustiest Book
• Oct.-  Book Buying Ban Moral Support
• Nov. – Share your Fav. Holiday Books
• Dec. – Final Giveaway and Link-up

There will also be a few giveaways throughout the year!  The giveaways will be mostly for the review link-ups every three months.  The review link-ups are for you to link up the book reviews of books that you’ve read for the challenge.  The first review link-up will be in March.

You can participate in as many or as few themes and mini-challenges as you’d like.  They aren’t required – they’re just for fun and motivation.

~Pixie Dust – Read 0-5 books

~Dust Bunny – Read 5-10 books

~Cobwebs – Read 10-15 books

~Grungy – Read 20+ books

EXTRA CREDIT-Say how long that book has been sitting on your shelf!

I think it's time to get the dust off of my bookshelf, so I'm definitely joining this one.  I added the Goodreads group to my profile and will be updating there and here on my blog.  In order not to get too bogged down, I am going to sign up for the Cobwebs level of 10-15 books. Tentative TBR list:

• P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
• Thomas Paine by Craig Nelson

2013 Seriously Series Reading Challenge

From On a Book Bender:

How serious about series are you? We'll find out in 2013.

In the summer of 2012, Amanda and I hosted an informal challenge that focused on completing books in series that we owned. It was enough of a success that we decided we wanted to turn it into a year-long challenge--with a few minor changes. To start with, we have expanded on our original challenge by including both ongoing series and adding new-to-us series, as well as an option for series rereads for those that are VERY serious about their series (or for those that just like to go back and reread old favorites).

Definitions

For this challenge, we define a series as a collection of two or more books that belong together and where the second book is published before the end of 2013. This is a pretty broad definition of series, and it includes traditional series like the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, less traditional series like Stephanie Perkins's YA contemps (Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door), and shorter series, like Kendare Blake's Anna series (Anna Dressed in Blood, Girl of Nightmares).

A series is considered complete in one of two ways: either as finishing all the books that you own in the series or as obtaining and reading all the books that have been published in the series to date. Because we don't want this challenge to become a financial burden, how you choose to define completion is left to your discretion.

How It Works

To allow for the greatest level of flexibility, we've separated series into three categories: series started before 2013, series started in 2013, and series rereads. Series started before 2013 are defined as series that you have started reading before Jan. 2013 and that you still have unread books to get current in (or finish) the series. Series started in 2013 are defined as any series that you start reading between Jan. and Dec. 2013, and the second book in the series must be published before December 2013. A series reread is defined as books that are part of a series that were read before Jan. 2013 and that are reread between Jan. 2013 and Dec. 2013. A series reread does NOT have to include the full series.

For each category, there are different levels of seriousness about series that you can choose. Semi-serious is reading 1 to 6 series, seriously serious is reading 7 to 12 series, super seriously serious is reading 13 to 18 series, and seriously spectacular series star is reading more than 18 series. What this ends up looking like is this:

series started before 2013series started in 2013series rereads

Semi-Serious1-6 series1-61-6

Seriously Serious7-127-127-12

Super Seriously Serious13-1813-1813-18

Seriously Spectacular Series Star18+18+18+

You choose which categories you want to attempt and which level to shoot for. Reading novellas and short storiesfrom a series does count here.

Goals and Progress

Want to sign up? Create a post or page about this challenge, what goals you would like to accomplish (mine is here, as an example), and then link up your post here at Reading the Paranormal. I will be hosting all of the linkies for this challenge. In addition to the sign up, every three months, we will post a check-in, where you can report your progress and reassess your original goals.

That schedule will look like the following:

• April 1st: January--March
• July 1st: April--June
• October 1st: July--September
• January 1st, 2014: October--December

I'm going for the semi-serious level of 1-6 series for series started in 2012  and seriously serious level of 7-12 for series started in 2013.  I try to keep my series in progress to a minimum at any given time.  Therefore, I don't have a ton of qualifying books, but there are few.  I imagine that I will be starting some more series during 2013.  Tentative TBR list:

Already started

• Neil Gaiman's Sandman series
• Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series
• Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood series

Starting

• Weather Wardens
• Locke and Key
• Victoria Gardella
• Matched
• Chicago Fire
• ???

Bout of Books Readathon 6.0 -- Day #6

Pages read today: 109 (Ill Wind) + 352 (Heat Stroke)

Pages read total: 2319

Time read today: 4 hours 14 minutes

Time read total: 19 hour 9 minutes

Today in 6 words: Reading a book straight through fun!