Thursday, December 31, 2009

Goals for 2010

It is the end of 2009. It will be interesting to see what 2010 holds for me and mine. I have hopes and dreams about what it will hold. And I have a really good feeling about 2010. I have definitely been feeling more optimistic in the last few weeks. I feel more at peace and more in control. I have some concrete goals for the next few months, and they aren't unreasonable or out of reach.

Most of my goals are private, but I have them listed in a OneNote notebook, and have a "plan" to help implement them.

My work goals include getting my A+ certifcation by April 1 and my Project+ certifcation by December 1. I've already had some training for the the A+ certification, so I just bought a review book, and hopefully I'll be able to bang that out quickly. That way I can focus on the project certification for the rest of the year.

I hope that Chris and I will be able to go to Washington DC this spring on vacation.

I'm working on a new blog that does Christmas reviews. I'll add the address later, when there is a little more content. My goal is to post to that site once a week. I am hoping to post to this site 3-4 times a week.

Happy New Years!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Thriller and Suspense Challenge 2010

Another new challenge for me! This one is hosted by Book Chick City.

My planned list is:

1. Postmortem, Patricia Cornwell
2. Black, Ted Dekker
3. Chosen, Ted Dekker
4. City of Shadows, Ariana Franklin
5. And then there was none, Agatha Christie
6. Fantasy in Death, JD Robb
7. Indulgence in Death, JD Robb
8. Breathing Water, Timothy Hallinan
9. The Bourne Identity, Robert Ludlum
10. The Last Days, Joel Rosenberg
11. The Quickie, James Patterson
12. 4th of July, James Patterson

2010 Book Blogger Recommendations

This is a new challenge for me. She has a list of the top 25 Books that were recommended by book bloggers. I had already read quite a few, but have picked five from the list to read:

1. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
2. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
3. Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
4. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
5. Eragon, Christopher Paolini

2010 Chick Lit Challenge

I really enjoyed this challenge last year and found quite a few new authors that I LOVED! So hopefully I will be as successful this year. The goal is to read 8 chick lit books.

1. Remember Me, Sophie Kinsella
2. Undomestic Goddess, Sophie Kinsella
3. The Nanny Diaries, Emma McLaughlin
4. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
5. In Her Shoes, Jennifer Weiner
6. Friday Night Knitting Club, Kate Jacobs
7. The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love - Jill Conner Browne
8. The Castaways, Elin Hilderbrand

2010 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Royal Reviews is hosting this challenge. Click the image to read the rules and sign up! (psst, let me know if you sign up so I can check out your list!)

I will be doing the Addicted level of the challenge, which is to read 12 historical fiction books.

My planned list is as follows:

1. Regency Buck, Georgette Heyer
2. North and South, John Jakes
3. Love and War, John Jakes
4. Heaven and Hell, John Jakes
5. Through a Glass Darkly, Karleen Koen
6. The Concubine, Norah Lofts
7. The Reluctant Widow, Georgette Heyer
8. Lady of Quality, Georgette Heyer
9. Sprig Muslin, Georgette Heyer
10. The Luxe, Anna Godbersen
11. David Copperfield, Charles Dicken
12. Rainwater, Sandra Brown

I have a feeling I'm going to be purchasing a few of these books, because our library doesn't carry some of the Heyer books. But I always see really good reviews, so I'm guessing it will be worth the investment.

1st in a Series Challenge 2010

Royal Reviews is hosting this challenge. Click the image to read the rules and sign up! (psst, let me know if you sign up so I can check out your list!)

I will be doing the Addicted level of the challenge, which is to read 12 books (that are the first in a series).

My planned list is as follows:
1. North and South, John Jakes
2. Eyes Like Stars, Lisa Mantchev
3. Tomorrow, When the War Began, John Marsden
4. Daughter of the Forest, Juliet Marillier
5. Heart's Blood, Juliet Marillier
6. Storm Front, Jim Butcher
7. Postmortem, Patricia Cormwell
8. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
9. Keeping it Real, Justina Robson
10. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
11. Chosen, Ted Dekker
12. Black, Ted Dekker

All of these books (except Storm Front and Postmortem) have come from other blogger's lists. I checked out their lists, and then looked up the books on GoodReads. Hopefully I'll find some gems!

Reading Challenge Sign Up Time

Last years reading challenges didn't go as well as hoped. I read (and/or listened to) 71 books in 2009. The one thing that participating in reading challenges did do was expose me to new authors and new genres. I got hung up on some of the "harder" books, and I think that is what slowed me down. Anyhow, the time has come to sign up for the new reading challenges. I will be participating in 6 challenges this year:

1st in a Series Challenge 2010
2010 Historical Fiction Challenge
2010 Chick Lit Challenge

2010 Book Blogger Recommendations Challenge
Thriller and Suspense Challenge 2010

and the one challenge that encompasses EVERYTHING I read in the year, the

2010 100+ Reading Challenge



I will do individual posts (with lists) for the first five challenges, along with progress updates in the sidebar. I will compile my full list in the sidebar as well. To participate and/or read the rules for the challenges, please just click the image and it will take you to the host's site.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
There were parts of the book that I really liked a lot. Quite a few hilarious scenes. However, there are parts in the middle that could have been edited quite a bit more. The flow seemed off, and it was hard to follow what was going on. And sometimes I felt like she was referring to things that she thought she had already mentioned, but she hadn't. I saw the movie first (it is usually the other way around for me) and I really liked the movie. There isn't as much Julia in the book as in the movie. I've read that Julie Powell just published another book, but I probably won't be reading that one. Its about infidelity and butchering. Kind of a bizarre combo.

View all my reviews >>

CymLowell

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Reading Challenges Update

I realize it has been awhile. And now you are getting two posts in one day :)

Even though I haven't been blogging, I've still been keeping up with what I have been reading. Here are the additions for this year since my last update:

44. Fat Chance, Deborah Blumenthal - good
45. Finger Lickin' Fifteen, Janet Evanovich - good
46.
Smoke Screen, Sandra Brown - ok
47. Atonement, Ian McEwan - bad - I hated this book.
48. Drums of Autumn, Diana Gabaldon - fantastic
49. Bet Your Bottom Dollar, Karen Gillespie - good
50. Sanctuary, Nora Roberts - good
51. Good Grief, Lolly Winston - good
52. 92 Pacific Boulevard, Debbie Macomber - ok
53. The Fiery Cross, Diana Gabaldon- good
54. A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Diana Gabaldon - good
55. An Echo in the Bone, Diana Gabaldon - good
56. Bed of Roses, Nora Roberts - good
57. Certain Girls, Jennifer Weiner - good
58. Kindred in Death, JD Robb - fantastic
59. REREAD - Twilight, Stephenie Meyer - fantastic (yes I read them for a 2nd time this year)
60. REREAD - New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
- fantastic (yes I read them for a 2nd time this year)
61. REREAD - Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
- fantastic (yes I read them for a 2nd time this year)
62. REREAD - Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
- fantastic (yes I read them for a 2nd time this year)
63. Firefly Lane, Kristin Hannah - good
64. Can you Keep a Secret - Sophie Kinsella - fantastic
65. Barefoot, Elin Hilderbrand - good


So I'm definitely NOT going to make it to 100 books this year. Good thing I didn't sign up for the challenge. Not that it matters, I didn't complete some of the challenges that I DID sign up for.

Chunkster Challenge - FAILED
Deadline: Nov 15
I was supposed to read 5 books by the deadline. I only read 2 from my original list. I substituted another 1 from the list because my original was to hard to find. And just ran out of time on the other two. I read the following for this challenge:
1. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - decent book overall, but very depressing. Took me FOREVER to get through cause I kept stopping.
2. The Moon Below - decent book - I think my hopes were too high
3. Substituted An Echo in the Bone (most recent Outlander book) for History. Couldn't find History anywhere. Echo was FABULOUS - started out slow but then the ending picks you up, throws you across the room, and then slams the book in your face. Yes it is that crazy.

Romance Reading Challenge - COMPLETE
Deadline: December 31
1. Bridget Jones' Diary - good
2 Bed of Roses - good (substitue for The Reluctant Widow - our library didn't have it, but I still want to read a Georgette Heyer novel)
3. On a Highland Shore - good
4. Vision in White - good (The Awakening was nixed. Couldn't get through the first chapter)
5. The Princess Bride - EXACTLY like the movie - good

Outlander Challenge - FAILED
Deadline: Release of An Echo in the Bone
Hubby and I were listening to these on audio (btw, Hubby loves the books). We were getting them from audible.com, but they didn't have the last 2 books in an unabridged version, so I had to wait for them at the library, and it just seemed to take a lot longer. I did finish the 6 book about 2 weeks after Echo came out, so that isn't too bad.

Chick Lit Challenge - IN PROGRESS - 1 book to go

Book Vs Movie Challenge - IN PROGRESS - 5/6 books to go
It doesn't look like I am going to finish. I have watched 4 of the movies, but only read 1 of the books. EEP.

Look for my postings on the 2010 challenges that I will be signing up for soon. Here's hoping I do better next year.

Book Review: Can You Keep a Secret

Can You Keep a Secret? Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really really enjoyed this book. I had heard of the author before, but hadn't read any of her books. This was a pretty fast read for me. I had several literal laugh out loud moments (one was late at night and I woke up my husband, who was quite irritated). I seem to have a thing for books about British women. So far I've read several books where the main character is a British woman, and I've loved all of them. This is a fun, entertaining, captivating book. I highly recommend it.

View all my reviews >>

I know its been awhile since I've posted, but I found some motivation. :) This blog is giving away a KINDLE if you post a book review. Go to this site for more info:

CymLowell

Book Supplied by: Lexington Public Library :)