4 - Bookends

So, while I was dusting, I came across my favorite Jane Green book. I know I just read Straight Talking, but this one is soooooo much better. Maybe I love this book so much because Cath - the main character - opens a bookstore and cafe, which is of course my dream in life.

3 - Animal Farm

Yes, I teach this, but I figure if I have to read it five times a day, I get to count it on my list. Not that I'm complaining or anything, I actually love Animal Farm. This is one of those books that I'm amazed I got through school without ever having to read. In fact, the first time I read it was last year. Apparently, I have soft spot in my heart for allegorical novels about Russian history.

Rating: **** of 6

2 - Straight Talking

Still working on reading some real literature like Steinbeck and Emerson, but in the mean time I really needed to be lazy this morning and read a good standby. So, I settled on Straight Talking by Jane Green. I am a big fan of hers because she writes "chick lit" without succumbing any real formula. For example, all of her heroins are pretty strong women prior to the inevitable romancing at place in "chick lit." Their "Prince Charmings" aren't there to save them, which is refreshing to read. Also, every single one of her books is incredibly different from her others.

That said, ST isn't my favorite of hers, but I hadn't read it in a while, so I gave it a go. It's a little more, um, shall we say, racy than any of her other books. But it was a quick, fast read. Now that I've gotten some entertainment reading out of the way, maybe I can get down to the heavy stuff.

Rating: *** of 6

A Diet of Nyquil and Saltines Does Not Encourage SSR

Those of you who are teachers know what SSR is. Self-sustained silent reading. Ah. It is a magical thing, when used correctly, in a classroom. I rarely have difficulties making time to read and when I do make time, I NEVER have difficulty focusing. Until this week.

I am trying to read. And, I really do like the book that I pick up for about 5 minutes a day. A few months ago, I decided to start reading travel memoirs. There is a long drawn out story as to why I decided this, but I'll forgo it for now. Anyway, I came across an author who drew his inspiration from John Steinbeck's Travels With Charley and I thought, "Hey. I've never really read Steinbeck. I should read that!" (How I went through both high school and college in Oklahoma without having to read Steinbeck, I'll never quite understand.) So, I bought it. I'm 32 pages in. I seriously read about a page a day. If that. It's quite entertaining, though, so I hope I get motivated to read it with my full attention.



I don't read books by pages. I consume them - Harry Potter Number 7=9.5 hours! - so this whole page by page thing is driving me crazy.

Unfortunately, my nourishment this week was drawn from Nyquil (a gift from God, I'm convinced), diet 7Up, apples, and fat free saltines (7 for a WW point!). And here's a shocker - said 'nourishment' does not really give me the energy to sit and read. Instead, all I have really wanted to do is sleep. Hopefully, this will pass, because I'm rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy bored without books.

1 - Honey, Baby, Sweetheart

Book One
Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

Well, I'm off to a slow start with school starting back up and the Iowa caucus last night and the Orange Bowl (Rock Chalk!) and the insanity surrounding Britney Spears. There's just been so much distracting me that it was kind of difficult to focus on this book. Overall, it was a sweet little read. I've read some of Caletti's other books and they were much more intense than this one. It's YA, so I've yet to wander out of my comfort zone. People compare her a lot to Sarah Dessen, of whom I am a major fan and kind of want to be when I grow up. I don't get as drawn into the Caletti books as I do Dessen's (maybe because Dessen's books are all set in the south?), but they are really different stories with some pretty colorful characters. One of the chapters in H,B,S starts with the line, "The day we stole Lillian from the nursing home . . . ", so you know there's some crazy adventure waiting around the corner.

Rating: ***1/2 out of 6

2008 New Year's Resolutions

i turn 30 this year. gah. that might be the first time i have written those terrifying words, which makes them a little more of a reality. i've got a good five months and several other friends who will or already have hit the big 3-0 before me to help me adjust to the idea of entering another decade in my life. as we switch over to 2008, though, i do find myself doing a lot of thinking about certain accomplishments i hope to have in this, my thirtieth year. some of those - running at least one 5k race a month, spending at least 30 minutes outside every day, finally taking up yoga, keeping a plant alive, going back to school (again!), writing, paying all of my bills on time, keeping my car cleaned out, keeping my house clean and organized, getting my dog to lose 7 pounds before the summer heat rolls around, avoiding the candy bowl at work - are probably things i should automatically be doing anyway by nature of being an 'adult', so i don't know if they really qualify as resolutions. they might be more like obvious responsibilities.


every year, though, i do say i am going to read more. for those of you who know me, you might find that somewhat odd, as i tend to read quite a bit as it is. but in the last few years i have started to notice that i tend to read the same kinds of books over and over. so my resolution to 'read more' really should include the word 'variety.' so. that is the purpose of this new blog. i'm going to keep track of what i'm reading over this year. this is sort of an experiment for me. i, either arrogantly or selfishly, want to see exactly how many books i read in a year's time. also, i kind of feel like if i keep a log - just like if you keep a food log - i will pay more attention to WHAT i'm reading, which will hopefully inspire me to peruse more than my typical two rows at barnes and noble.


so, if you care to see what i'm reading, or if you are trying to figure out what to read, check here, maybe? i might do a little reviewing, but i don't really know what this blog will evolve into. i do know, though, that i will definitely need suggestions for what TO read. feel free to make those.


oh! happy new year, yall!