Category: Challenges

Good morning (or afternoon or evening depending on where you live).

Over the weekend I got it in my head that I was going to go through all my old posts and make an alphabetized page of all my book reviews for easy reference.  For the record… it was a bigger project than I had anticipated.  I worked on it in afternoons while listening to audio, and in the evening while watching movies, and off and on throughout the days…. and it took me three days to complete it.  It is however… done.

While it was a LOT OF WORK (I have been reviewing since early 2009), it was also quite the walk through Book Journey history.  As I made my way into the older reviews I actually discovered a lot.

I had forgotten many of the older titles that I had once reviewed and was surprised by some of the earlier titles that I had accepted.  There were a lot of so-so books in the early years, but there were also great reads such as this one and this one . And this one.  Ok there were a lot. I also discovered that I have reviewed Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone between book and audio… 4 times.  Yes! 4 times! I interviewed many authors in the early days and almost every review had a giveaway.  I also read a lot more James Patterson and Kristin Hannah than I had thought.

Many of the books that I reviewed in the early days were my own, from the library, and often for book club. I used a lot of color in my writing then… blue, red, green… and I bolded my entire posts.  My first book sent to me from an author was Dragon House by John Shors.  It was an excellent read. My first book tour was a book called A Will To Love by Kim Smith and I used a little picture to represent the tour:

Some of the non book review posts I ran into were the very first Morning Meandering was in August of 2009.  I also discovered that in 2009 I was signed up to participate on another Harry Potter Readalong!   I had also created a meme called Word Verification Balderdash (Ryan from Wordsmithonia will remember this one, he was great at it!)  We would create meanings for the fun word verifications we had found while commenting on blogs.  Some of them were hilarious!  My favorite non bookish post was one where I interviewed myself as the Wicked … err sorely misunderstood witch of Snow White (I have no idea why I did this and had actually forgot about it), the post is actually a bit funny…

So over all the project was a success.  It was more work than I had anticipated but it was fun to go back through every post I have written.  I laughed and I eye rolled.  It was all good. 🙂

Before I go today I wanted to share another Library Challenge.  I had started a Library Challenge here for 2015 and forgot that Felicia from Geeky Bloggers Book Blog hosts one as well.  I would encourage those of you interested in the library challenge to take a look at hers too… in many ways they are the same (so its really no more work), but she has a cool link to join in a Goodreads group which is pretty cool.  Also… check out her challenge pic…. SO COOL.  I am joining in and will do this one along with my own challenge.  On hers I think I will go for Thrifty Reader which is a goal of 24.

Good morning.  It has been quite the week.  I woke up Wednesday morning and the pain that I have had in my right arm and fingers had moved into my upper back, shoulder and neck.  Super annoying and has thrown off my week.  It hurts to sit and rest my back on anything.  It hurts to roll over in bed.  Lets just say it hurts.  I have been taking Advil like they are candy and seeing a chiropractor.  I am not used to things like this not fixing themselves quickly so still being in pain on Saturday is yup…. annoying.  I am trying to do everything I have planned for this week and keep up on appearances but once I am home I am sooooo glad.  🙂

Anyhoo… that is not what I meant to write about.

I did mention that I would be hosting three challenges for 2015.  Two of them I have posted…  The 2015 Library Challenge (so much interest in this one – I am soooo excited!) and The First Book Of The Year Challenge (not really a 2015 challenge, it is only a one day commitment but a fun one!).  Now, the one I have hosted for many years now…

The 2015 WHERE Are You Reading Challenge.  I just love this years meme pic!  So it is ready to go and the basics of this one are to keep track of where your books are set at… if the book is about a family in Idaho, then that is an Idaho book.  If it is non fiction and about the lakes of Minnesota it is a Minnesota book.. if you can not find anywhere the book connects too, I use where the author is living… anyhoo… check it out.  It is a fun one to see at the end of the year all the places you have traveled through books.

A couple quick reminders – Today is the day that we should start talking about our Harry Potter readalong book, The Chamber Of Secrets.  Those participating can hook up their posts here.  Interested in signing up, do that here…

AND tonight on Twitter, 8 pm central time, Tanya from Dogeared Copy is hosting the movie Twitter party where we all hunker down with our popcorn and Every Flavored Beans and enjoy the movie together.  I have a Christmas party to attend but hope to be home in time to participate in the movie as well.

I couldn’t sleep.

I tossed and turned… 3:20 a.m., 3:30 a.m., 3:33 a.m., 3:38 a.m…. 3:58 a.m. I got up.  Cleaned my kitchen counter.  Made a cup of coffee… played on line Scrabble.  For now.. I am AWAKE.

Yesterday I posted a 2015 Challenge for using your local Libraries.  I posted it as much for me as for anyone else who wants to join me by spending a little more time there in 2015 and walking out with good books or audio or even movies.

Fair warning – two more challenges for 2015 are being posted this week.  The one, an easy one, and a favorite of mine is not even really a challenge… it is the First Book Of The Year Meme/Challenge/ What have you.  It is a one day commitment on January 1st to post about the book that is bringing you into the new year.  I do love this one, it is something I have done long before I blogged – picking out the book that would kick off the New Year.  Be sure to check that one out.  I will post it today.

The other, is the one I have hosted for years – WHERE Are You Reading Challenge… the challenge where you capture where your books are set at and keep a running list or use Google Maps or both.  It really is fun to see where you have read in a years time.  This past year that one got away from me but I will try again.  Watch for that one to be posted in the next few days.

SO that’s me…. I have a bit of shopping to do, you know.. when it is REAL morning, and I am into a really good read, Finding Jake, so hope to finish that today as well.

How is your Wednesday shaping up for you?  Any books or fun happenings to discuss?

Friday!   And…. August.  WHA????  Where is the summer going?  I guess my first clue should have been that our County Fair opened this week.  I am not a county fair fan ever since the boys were old enough to go on their own with their friends I bowed out of that hot sticky mess.  😉   However, my cousin has a daughter who performs on a horse there, and several friends win awards for their breads, and jams, and vegetables and fruits…. in that sense, it is very Gilmore Girls.

Back to August.

August is actually a FULL month.  This afternoon I leave for Wisconsin with my friend for the Mud Run for MS in the morning.  And then I come back, clean up tomorrow afternoon and go directly to Crosslake where the first day of the Camp Benedict Bike ride will be taking place.  I am on the board for Camp and will be late due to this ride being the same weekend as the mud run.  I will stay overnight and help cheer the riders in for day two on Sunday – unsure if I am going to be support team or ride day two…

Then after this weekend August explodes into the church annual picnic baptism, the Fall Book Sale for the Library, a possible Zombie run (oh how I want to but it is soooo far away!), Wine and Words, a cabin weekend with my son, and then our Annual cabin trip with friends for Labor Day weekend.

That….

is August.

It’s good… it’s full…. and drips into September but I will hold off on those details. 🙂

I imagine my reading will possibly be light this month due to the schedule, however I hope to participate in the Austen In August event.  Jane Austen is one of those authors I want to spend time with.  I think I am supposed to, like we are somehow kindred spirits.  Her birth date December 16th, is the birth of my oldest son/first child.  The date of her death, July 18th, is my Anniversary.  Mmmmm hmmmmm…. I need to read Jane. 🙂  I am thinking perhaps Emma.  I think I have that one on my Classic shelf.

Have you read Austen?  What have you read?  What did you think?

Good morning and Happy January 2!  We made it to 2014 and mental high fives all the way around!  🙂

Yesterday I posted the book lovers who sent me pictures of what they were reading on January 1st.  If you have not checked that out, please do… its kind of awesome to see all these book bloggers and book lovers reading that first book – AND you can see what that first book was.  I had a few that came in after I put the post up so please let me add them now:

Isn’t that so fun?  LOVE it!  On yesterdays post they were able to link up their first book of the year posts so if you have time, grab a second (third?) cup of coffee and go check them out.  It was really fun to read them last night and I still have more to get to.

Today is a LONG DAY.  It is our annual meeting at work today and I am in charge of the details details details… I will probably be there from 8 this morning until about 8:30 or 9 tonight.  *sigh*  But it is ok, it fun – good fun 🙂

Have an awesome day everyone!  Yes I ran my first 5k of the year yesterday in -6 degree weather… pictures will be up on Saturday for that fun event to kick off 2014.