I've loved them for years. Really digging the new song!
Bout of Books 15 Finish Line
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 4th and runs through Sunday, January 10th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 15 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
Pages Read: 136 (Walking Dead) + 140 (House of Hades)
Pages Read Total: 4278
Books Read: 1
Books Read Total: 10
Comments:
Total TBR:
- American Vampire Vol. 4-7 √
- Fairest Vol. 5 √
- Manhattan Projects Vol. 2 √
- Chocolat by Joanne Harris √
- Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon √
- The Heart of Christmas √
- Walking Dead Vol. 23 √
- The House of Hades by Rick Riordan (in progress)
New Movie January #1-9
I love starting off my year with some great new-to-me movies. I'm not doing individual movie review posts, but opted for mini review collections.
#1 Star Wars: The Force Awakens "Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance." -- Really really really enjoyed this one! So glad I got to see it!
#2 The Skeleton Twins "Having both coincidentally cheated death on the same day, estranged twins reunite with the possibility of mending their relationship." -- I really enjoyed this quirky little indie film. Wiig and Hader were great in this. Two thumbs up.
#3 Vampire Academy "Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, half human-half vampire, a guardian of the Moroi, peaceful, mortal vampires living discreetly within our world. Her calling is to protect the Moroi from bloodthirsty, immortal Vampires, the Strigoi." -- I read the book series and enjoyed it. The movie was ridiculously campy and vapid. Not a fan at all.
#4 Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List "Naomi and Ely have loved each other their whole lives, even though Ely isn't exactly into girls. The institution of a "No Kiss List" has prevented the two from rifts in the past, but bonds are tested when they both fall for the same guy." -- Ugh! So stupid. I only watched about half before I gave up. It was not good at all...
#5 I Give It a Year "Newlywed couple Nat and Josh are deliriously happy despite their differences, though friends and family aren't convinced that they can last. With their first anniversary approaching and attractive alternatives in the mix, can they last?" -- I really really enjoyed this little romance. The lead actor was bugging me the entire movie until I figured out that he was in the Cornetto Trilogy. Duh! Beyond that, I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline in this one.
#6 Europa Report "An international crew of astronauts undertakes a privately funded mission to search for life on Jupiter's fourth largest moon." -- A little late to the party, but this movie was amazing! I loved the storyline, but even more, I loved the characters. Fascinating movie about space exploration. A must see! And that ending just floored me. I just sat there for a few minutes processing everything I had watched. Loved it!
#7 Drinking Buddies "Luke and Kate are coworkers at a brewery who spend their nights drinking and flirting heavily. One weekend away together with their significant others proves who really belongs together and who doesn't." -- I feel like the tone was a bit all over the place on this one. I didn't quite feel like I got the message at the end. Decent movie, but nothing to rave about.
#8 Insurgent "Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side." -- Ugh. Not excited about all the changes they made to the storyline and characters.
#9 Don Jon "A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love." -- Very interesting film. J and I had a big discussion about characters and pacing because of this film. I really like it, but the trailer completely sold a different movie.
2016 Nonfiction Reading Challenge
From The Introverted Reader:
The Challenge: Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult.That's it. You can choose anything. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge.
I always like levels in my challenges, so here are mine: Dilettante--Read 1-5 non-fiction books Explorer--Read 6-10 Seeker--Read 11-15 Master--Read 16-20
This challenge will last from January 1 to December 31, 2016. You can sign up anytime throughout the year.
I am not limiting the challenge to bloggers. You can also link to a review you wrote on another site, such as GoodReads or LibraryThing.
Crossovers with other challenges are acceptable, and feel free to read your books in any format you like.
I'm going for the Master level of 20 books this year.
2016 Fairytale Retellings Reading Challenge
From The Daily Prophecy:
This year I will be hosting the Fairytale challenge for the second time. Let’s go through the details:
- The challenge runs from January 1st to December 31st 2016.
- You can sign up on your blog, Goodreads, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter: whatever suits you. Make sure you link to a specific post/tweet/photo/etc, instead of a regular link to your account. (Or have some proof by posting the banner in your sidebar!)
- The goal is to read fairytale retellings, but if you want you can also pick other retellings. Think about mythology, myths, legends and folk tales. It's all up to you!
- You can read Middle Grade, Young Adult and Adult books for this challenge.
- Obviously, the book doesn't have to be published in 2016 and re-reads count.
- Physical, e-books, Audio books and novella's all count.
- Cross-linking your books from/with other challenges count.
- There are 6 different levels you can aim for:-Enchanted Moura: 1 – 4 books. -Goose Girl: 5 - 9 books. -Evil Queen: 10 – 15 books. -Wise princess: 16 – 20 books. -Kuma Lisa: 21 – 25 books. -Cheshire cat: 26+ books
- Every beginning of the month I will make a link-up post where you put all your reviews and update posts. These link-up posts will have informative/fun introductions, just like last year. I will also focus more on other retellings and there will be a giveaway in December. You can win extra entries throughout the entire challenge.
- Format for the link-up: UPDATE @ your name/blog name. REVIEW – book title @ your name/blog name.
- Use the hash tag #fairytaleRC on Twitter and Instagram.
I'm hoping to read some great retellings this coming year. I shooting for the Evil Queen Level of 10-15 books: Wish me luck!
2016 I Love Picture Books Reading Challenge
From Bea's Book Nook:
For all of you of all ages who love picture books but find they don't qualify for your other challenges, or just want an excuse to read them. . .here's a challenge just for you!
Formerly hosted by Book Dragon's Lair. She's cutting back her challenge hosting for 2016 and passed the baton to me.
- Challenge runs from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. Sign up is now through December 1, 2016.
- Read picture books.
- Pick a number and go for it. Twelve too easy? Go for 20. Piece of cake? Go for 40.
- Books you own and library check outs count. So do ebooks and re-reads.
- Please post about the challenge and sign up with a direct link.
- A blog is not necessary, just link to where you talk about the challenge or a dedicated public shelf at goodreads or LibraryThing.
- Write a review - 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences for your review.
I'm going for 100 this year. Arthur is deeply into books now so it's the perfect time to join in.
2016 Read My Own Damn Books Reading Challenge
From Estella's Revenge:
So the plan for 2016? #ReadtheDamnBooksYouAlreadyOwn is a hashtag that started thanks to a Twitter discussion...as most things do. When I mentioned wanting to shop my own book stash in the coming year, Adam from Roof Beam Reader suggested his long-running TBR Pile Challenge, but as it turns out, he won't be hosting it this year. I've failed miserably at this challenge in the past, so I was already a bit weary.
Several trusted blogger friends on Twitter suggested some alternative challenges like James Reads Books' final TBR Triple Dog DareorMy Reader's Block's Mount TBR 2016 Challenge. But....I kinda don't want to deal with any rules but my own.
The result: #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks. I'll be using this hashtag to talk about this personal challenge throughout the year. The rules are pretty nonexistent....
Read my own books
Try to knock off 100 in 2016 by either reading them or ditching the ones that are DNF
I can't buyyyy myself any books until I've read a significant amount of my own. Like maybe I can treat myself for every 5-10 of my own books I read. I'll be fairly flexible with this and see where my guilt leads me.
If I'm itching for newness...use the library. Even if it's the shitty local one.
I look at my shelves and there are SO MANY GREAT BOOKS waiting! And the ones that aren't great...be-gone-ya. The pic above is not all of my TBR, but it is the biggest chunk, nicely culled and organized.
I'm a big believer in keeping a manageable amount of things in the house, and when you live in a small house, the culling, cleaning out, and only keeping what you really need is IMPORTANT. Clutter messes with my head...a lot...so this is also an attempt to keep what I really love instead of collecting, collecting, collecting.
Wish me luck with #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks! If you'd like to join me, feel free to link up below. This is TOTALLY a choose-your-own-adventure, so don't feel beholden to my rules. You do you and holler with the hashtag on Twitter!
I definitely need to read the books from my shelf. And so I'm aiming for 40 books from my existing shelves as over flowing as they are...
2016 Graphic Novel and Manga Reading Challenge
From Graphic Novels and Manga Challenge:
The 9th Year of this Challenge starts in 2016 and will be my 5th year as host and I am thrilled to be here!!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!
The button this year is designed by "moi". I had someone cancel on me at the last minute so decided to finally give it a shot myself for the first time. The scary (perhaps interesting?) looking dude in the picture is my oldest son. I got that image from a photoshoot he participated in this year. No, he's not a professional model; he's a software engineer but can be found dressed like a comic book character in his spare time. Just kidding son, if you read this (LOL)
Anyway ....
It's time to start signing up for the 2016 challenge. No changes this year, but if anyone has any ideas for the big 10-year celebration next year get in touch with me.
Please write a sign-up post on your blog and then sign-up below with a link to your specific sign-up post (NOT to your home page).
What counts: graphic novels, collected trade editions, manga, comic strip collections, comic books or combinations of text and bubbles all in the same book. In print or digital. Anything else you feel is suitable. My personal criteria is if it has either frames OR speech bubbles it counts. I'm not going to be the comic police but if you are unsure, ask me in the comments any given month.
You must write a review and link to it for it to count towards the challenge. Reviews may be posted on your blog or goodreads or similar places. Several reviews may be gathered and posted in one link on your blog, but each book must be linked back here in the monthly linkies to count. Come back every month to record your progress.
Here is how the Challenge plays out:
runs from Jan.1 - Dec. 31, 2016
Levels
Modern Age: read and review 12 books during the year (that's only 1 book a month)
Bronze Age: read and review 24 books during the year (Can you handle 2 books a month.)
Silver Age: read and review 52 books during the year (Are you up to a book a week!)
You must sign up for a level, but once you complete that level you may move up and try for the next one.
After taking a year off from this challenge, I'm excited to jump back in. I'm going for the Bronze Age level.
The Walking Dead Vol. 23
Title: The Walking Dead Volume 23
Author: Robert Kirkman
Publisher: Image Comics 2015
Genre: Graphic Novel, Zombie
Pages: 136
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries; Graphic Novel; Popsugar - Under 150 pages
The new era of peace and prosperity is interrupted by a new type of enemy. One that travels amongst the walkers. One that will turn whispers of their appearance to screams.
Happened upon this volume at the library two days ago. Definitely checked it out right then and there and read it today. A nice addition to the storyline even if it was very limited in scope. This volume shows more of the mysterious new enemy as well as more of Carl, but that's about it. We don't get much more from other characters. I liked the volume, but wished the story would progress a bit faster.
2016 Popsugar Reading Challenge
I don't usually do this challenge, but a group of friends have joined a fun FB group centered around this one. So, I joined. It might be fun!
2016 Women Author Challenge
From Peek a Book:
This challenge will make us want to read more books of any kind written by women, so choose whatever you like and get involved!
Rules: * anyone can join; * you don't need a blog to partecipate: if you are a non-blogger please leave a comment with a link (if you review elsewhere) to your review or with the list of the books you read and the level you choose; * audio, e-books, bound books and re-reads are ok; * create a sign up post on your blog and post the link in the Linky below (scroll down please, it's at the end of the italian translation); * challenge goes from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016; *here you can link for your reviews.
Levels: Level 1: BABY GIRL - read 5 books written by a woman author Level 2: GIRLS POWER - read 6 to 15 books written by a woman author Level 3: SUPER GIRL - read 16 to 20 books written by a woman author Level 4: WONDER WOMAN - read 20+ books written by a woman author
Excited to join this challenge again this year. I'm going for the Wonder Woman level of 20 women authors.
2016 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge
From Bea's Book Nook:
The details:
All books that are part of a continuing series qualify (i.e. Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, James Patterson's Alex Cross, etc.)
It doesn't matter if you have 1 book or 10 books in a series to complete it, it qualifies (i.e. if you only need to read one more Mercy Thompson book to complete the goal, that's fine) The goal is to complete a series from wherever you are up to until the last published book.
The qualification period is January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. Books must be read during this time frame to count. Sign up is now until December 1, 2016.
Take the button above and post about it on your blog. Use the link below to sign up and make sure you link it directly to your post about this challenge, not to the home page of your blog.If you don't have a blog, that's fine. Just leave a comment to sign up and tell us which series you are reading. Or you can join the Goodreads group for this challenge by clicking here.
Each month there will be a post where you can link up your reviews. Write a review - 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences. Not sure what to write? How about something like, "The characters were a delight but the story was slow and confusing. It was disappointing."
Any format and length of book counts - print, audio, ebook, etc.
You should choose the series you want to finish before the challenge begins, but it isn't necessary. It's fine to change series during the year - as long as you complete whichever series it is.
Choose a level below.
Level 1 (Novice series reader) - Complete 1 series. Level 2 (Testing the waters) - Complete 2 -4 series. Level 3 (Experienced) - Complete 3 - 6 series. Level 4 (Expert series reader) - Complete 7 or more series.
I'm going for Level 3 Experienced of 3-6 series. I've definitely got a list of ones to finish this coming year.
2016 I Love Libraries Reading Challenge
From Bea's Book Nook:
I Love Libraries was formerly hosted by Book Dragon's Lair. She's cutting back her challenge hosting for 2016 and passed the baton to me. This challenge is one of several library challenges I've done since started my blog so I'm delighted to be hosting.
It's no secret that I love my library and it's been a tremendous resource for me over the years, and not just for books. For this challenge, use your library to check out reading material - books, magazines, any sort of reading material that you are allowed to check out, physical or digital. The challenge runs January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016.
The details:
Put a sign up post on your blog and link it below. If you don't have a blog, make a dedicated goodreads shelf (or LibraryThing), make sure it's public, and link it below. Any reading material that can be checked out of your library counts - print books, audio books, digital books, magazines, etc. As part of your sign up post, briefly write why you like using your library - free books, internet access, a quiet place to work, whatever draws you to the library. If you don't have a blog platform, post it in the comments below. Write a review - 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences. Not sure what to write? How about something like, "The characters were a delight but the story was slow and confusing. It was disappointing." There will be a post each month where you can link your reviews. Each linky will run for the calendar year. Pick a level from the list below. You can move up as needed but you can't move down. Books may overlap with other reading challenges. ETA Dec. 17: There's a goodreads group for anyone interested in discussing libraries or books or for tracking your challenge. The group was an outgrowth of yet another library reading challenge that has since ended but the group is still active. The challenge host, The Geeky Blogger, added me as a mod to the goodreads group, come check us out! Levels: board book - 3 picture book - 6 early reader - 9 chapter book - 12 middle grades - 18 Young adult - 24 adult - 36 just insert IV - 50
I'm going for the Young Adult level of 24 books this year.
2016 Book to Movie Reading Challenge
books to movies
From Ebook Classics:
Yes, it’s back! The Book to Movie Challenge is being rebooted in 2016 with more discussions, more monthly themes and more fun because let’s face it — the format last year probably bored all of you to tears! In addition, I’ll be giving away a few prizes throughout the year because bling is great motivation to participate.
GUIDELINES
♦ You can join at any time.
♦ Neither the book nor the movie has to be new in 2016.
♦ TV shows and mini-series count.
♦ Comic book and graphic novel adaptations count.
♦ Active participation in the challenge is required to qualify for prizes.
♦ Participation includes (but is not mandatory):
◊ Linking to a book to movie review on your blog
◊ Commenting on Book to Movie posts and participating in discussions
◊ Reading and commenting on the reviews of your fellow challenge participants
◊ Giving some of the mini-challenges a go
◊ Talking about the challenge on social media
♦ Prize winners will be randomly selected.
To sign-up for the challenge, post an introduction on your blog that names three (3) book adaptations in 2016 you’re excited about and tell us:
♦ Have you read the book and did you love/loathe it?
♦ Why are you excited about the adaptation?
♦ What do you think of the casting?
I'm going for 10 book to movie adaptations for this year. I'm leaving most of my list open for discoveries, but I do know that I want to read/watch:
- Chocolat -- Watched the movie and loved it, but have never read the book. It's on for my TBR for January.
- The Maze Runner -- Haven't read the book or watched the movie. Looking forward to it.
- The Mists of Avalon -- I saw the mini-series years ago and have wanted to read the book for years now.
2016 What's in a Name Reading Challenge
From The Worm Hole:
The basics
The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories (examples of books you could choose are in brackets – I’ve included some from other languages, and translations most definitely count!):
A country
An item of clothing
An item of furniture
A profession
A month of the year
A title with the word ‘tree’ in it
Extra information
- Books can be any format (print, audio, ebook).
- It’s preferred that the books don’t overlap with other challenges, but not a requirement at all.
- Books cannot overlap categories (for instance my example of Black Swan Rising for ‘an animal’ could be used for the ‘colour’ category or ‘animal’ category, but not both).
- Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!
- You don’t have to make your list of books beforehand, you can choose them as you go.
- You don’t have to read your chosen books in any particular order.
Everything else
On January 1 I’ll publish 7 posts, one for each category and one for your wrap-up post. These posts will be published as WordPress pages and linked to from one main, ‘gateway’, post on the blog. You will be able to post your links to your reviews or leave comments, depending on whether you’re a blogging reader or a non-blogger reader. If you are a blogger, please leave one review per category. You’ll be able to find the gateway post through a link I’ll be adding to the navigation section of my sidebar. Alternatively, for ease, you might want to subscribe to this blog via Feedly or email so that the gateway post will be immediately available to you without you having to search the site. The non-Feedly feed link and also a Bloglovin’ link are on the sidebar.
Excited to once again participate in this challenge. I love finding titles that fit with the categories.
Bout of Books 15 Day #4-5
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 4th and runs through Sunday, January 10th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 15 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
Pages Read: 321 (Chocolat) + 947 (Dragonfly in Amber)
Pages Read Total: 2742
Books Read: 2
Books Read Total: 9
Comments: I am really flying through this readathon this week. I finished one of my book club books and finally finished the second Outlander book. Now I think I'll start my other book club book and its prequel.
Remaining TBR: I've read all the books off my TBR pile! Time to dive into something new...
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
Title: Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2)
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Publisher: Dell 2001
Genre: Historical Romance/Fantasy
Pages: 947
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Scifi/Fan; Read My Own Damn Books; Popsugar - Over 600 pages
With her now-classic novel Outlander, Diana Gabaldon introduced two unforgettable characters — Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser—delighting readers with a story of adventure and love that spanned two centuries. Now Gabaldon returns to that extraordinary time and place in this vivid, powerful follow-up to Outlander....For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland’s majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones ... about a love that transcends the boundaries of time ... and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his....Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire’s spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart ... in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising ... and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves....
Confession time: I have been reading this book off and on for about 4 months now. And I have no idea why I kept putting it down because I loved it! Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed Outlander and this is just more of the same. This volume we get to follow Claire and Jaime as they try to thwart Charles Stuart's ill-fated attempt to regain his crown. My favorite section of the book was the part set in Paris. I loved meeting some new interesting characters (Fergus! Mother Hildegard and Bouton! Master Raymond!) and seeing Claire and Jaime in a different environment. And of course we all knew that Jack Randall would reappear at some point. Really loved where the story went in this volume. Makes me more excited about reading the third book sometime soon. (Although I might need a break from the 600+ page behemoths in this series. Maybe in March?)
Outlander
- #0.5 Virgins
- #1 Outlander
- #2 Dragonfly in Amber
- #3 Voyager
- #4 The Drums of Autumn
- #5 The Fiery Cross
- #6 A Breath of Snow and Ashes
- #7 An Echo in the Bone
- #7.5 The Space Between
- #8 Written in My Own Heart's Blood
- #8 A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows
Happiness Project: January
Last year, I read Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project and it really spoke to me. I know that I often put myself last on the priority list. This year, I want to be more intentional about my goals and monthly plans. So I am modifying Rubin's plan to fit my life. To help keep me accountable, I will be posting my goals and progress here on the blog. I've also helped create an in-person group through the parent's group. We are sharing our goals and progress and meeting once a month for a check-in.
For January, I decided to start with my attitude. I mulled over a few different focuses for January, but focusing on my attitude seemed the most likely to get the year started correctly. After I picked my larger focus, I broke it down into three manageable and fairly measurable goals.
Goals for January:
- Commit to fresh flowers and natural room scents -- Having a nice home helps my attitude. I love having fresh flowers on my kitchen island, but always seem to write them off as a silly excess. And I know I'm susceptible to scents. Having a nice smelling home will help. So I am committing to weekly fresh flowers (maybe biweekly depending on how long they last) and weekly natural room scents. I amy also use candles at some point, but I wanted to start with natural room scents.
- Be aware of judgments -- I fall into this trap sometimes. I want to follow two mottos this month (and the rest of the year): "Don't be a dick" and "Great for her, not for me."
- Establish daily and weekly routines -- Routines make me feel better. I hate dealing with chaos when it come sot the everyday tasks and goals. I used daily planning pages last year and got away from them this year. I love using my big planner for the larger goals and planning, but I think I need to return to daily planning pages throughout the week. So I'm going to plan out my next week on Sunday and each day on the night before. Hopefully a routine will start to emerge and by the end of the month I can have something more set.
2016 Monthly Focuses:
- January -- Attitude and Mindfulness
- February -- Money
- March -- Marriage
- April -- Work
- May -- Friendship
- June -- Parenthood
- July -- Play
- August -- Knowledge
- September -- Books
- October -- Self-care
- November -- Vitality
- December -- Reflection
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Title: Chocoat (Food Trilogy #1; Chocolat Trilogy #1)
Author: Joanne Harris
Publisher: Doubleday1999
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 321
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Read My Own Damn Books; Book to Movie; Popsugar - Europe
In tiny Lansquenet, where nothing much has changed in a hundred years, beautiful newcomer Vianne Rocher and her exquisite chocolate shop arrive and instantly begin to play havoc with Lenten vows. Each box of luscious bonbons comes with a free gift: Vianne's uncanny perception of its buyer's private discontents and a clever, caring cure for them. Is she a witch? Soon the parish no longer cares, as it abandons itself to temptation, happiness, and a dramatic face-off between Easter solemnity and the pagan gaiety of a chocolate festival.
I loved this book. Between the descriptions of the chocolate making and the great characters, I couldn't put it down. I loved the switch off between Vianne and Reynaurd's narration. The two perspectives was a nice literary device to help the reader dive into the characters. Armande is hands-down the best character, but I also enjoyed Luc and Guillaume and Josephine. I'm intrigued by sequels that I never knew about. Hopefully I can get to those this year.
Movie:
The movie retains the concept of the plot, but so many changes. I really enjoyed the movie, but so many changes! Judi Dench is a treat as Armande and I really liked Alfred Molina as the antagonist. I love how the chocolate is so central to the movie. It was a nice focus that didn't always come through in the book. The scenery is also very lovely. And there's Johnny Depp, back when he wasn't so crazy and definitely gorgeous. I like his Roux more than the Roux from the books. Crazy talk, but it's the truth. A great movie. I'm glad I finally got around to reading the book to compare.
Food Trilogy:
- #1 Chocolat
- #2 Blackberry Wine
- #3 Five Quarters of the Orange
Chocolat Trilogy:
- #1 Chocolat
- #2 The Girl with No Shadow
- #3 Peaches for Father Francis
2016 Goals and Resolutions
It’s the New Year. Time for my yearly goals and resolutions… I've cut back a bit because I have so many other projects, goals, and resolutions heading into 2016.
Blog and Reading Resolutions:
- Read 30,00 pages -- I'm going for it again this year!
- Read 100 books -- I'm excited to up my goal this year.
- Finish at least 75% of my reading challenges -- i've cut back on the number of challenges for the year, so I think I just might be able to attain this goal.
- Create a weekly schedule and stick to it for all three of the blogs
Life Resolutions:
- Focus on my Happiness Project -- OLW just didn't work for me, so I'm trying this project instead. And I have an accountability group to help me stay on track.
- Focus on freezer meals and cutting our food budget -- It's gotten out of control. I really want to spend less money on food.
Revisiting 2015’s goals and resolutions:
- Read 30,000 pages — Woohoo! I read over 35,000 pages in 2015!
- Read at least 75 books — I made it to 117 books so awesome!
- Read 20 new fiction authors — I read exactly 20 new fiction authors in 2015.
- Focus on OLW 2015 Home — I didn't quite put a huge amount of effort into this. I'd call it a fail this past year.
- Set up more 30 Day Challenges — A decent showing. I'm hoping to do more of these in 2016.
- Write more personal posts — I don't think I did a great job at this last year, but I'm going to continue.
- Be intentional about meal planning — I got much better at this in 2015.
- Create and stick to an exercise plan — Utter and total fail.
- Work on creating livable rooms — Decent showing for this goal this past year.
- Make progress on my 101 in 1001 list — I've completed 22 tasks and made huge progress on many others. Very excited.