tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74785008393713770522024-02-22T10:27:11.639-05:00Whatcha Readin', Books?: A Teacher/Learner's BlogThe independent learnings of a new teacher in love with books.Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.comBlogger361125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-50978354572451583212012-06-17T18:36:00.000-04:002012-06-17T18:36:20.558-04:00HiatusA quotation come to mind right now as I post this from one of my favourite novels (and movies), <em>Sense and Sensibility</em>, from that overbearing but delightful codger Mrs. Jennings: "Ah, Pooter. Still alive, I see." Replace Pooter the parrot with Teacher/Learner the blogger and there you have the initial reaction you must have had upon seeing this post on your Google Reader after nearly three months of no posts.<br />
<br />
I have had a wonderful (though exhausting) time teaching a grade 1/2 class for the past 10 weeks and am happy to report that I will be continuing in the same position with a new group of students from September to May. That means that book blogging during the school year will be very limited.<br />
<br />
I don't want to say goodbye or even farewell but I will, to be fair to all who come here (and I miss your comments, your posts & your literary kinship), I am announcing that I will have to take a hiatus from book blogging. My posts will be sporadic for the next year or so. I will likely have to bow out of reading challenges (as much as it pains me to) and will have to make time to read in the real world when I have the time, energy, and love to do so.<br />
<br />
I sure hope that I can return to this world. It has rekindled a love of reading in me that I hope will continue as I enter a much more demanding workforce.<br />
<br />
Thank you all for your support and well wishes :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-21268519452574834352012-04-19T19:18:00.000-04:002012-04-19T19:18:58.624-04:00"Crazybusy" Work Just Got "Crazybusier" & Here's Why!I had a successful job interview two days ago and am starting a full-time, long-term teaching job from Monday until the last day of school (a far cry from an average of 3 substitute teaching days a week!), so this is just a fair warning that my blog activity will be sufficiently curtailed for the next 10 weeks. <br />
<br />
I will try my best to get caught up on my reviews, but I don't expect I will have the time to post Monday memes or visit and comment on all your progress and wonderful reading material :(<br />
<br />
I whole-heartedly promise to be back full throttle in the summer. Thanks for your patience & please know that I am still around...just a bit busy in the non-virtual world at the moment :D<br />
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Happy reading as always!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-41578642094409417142012-04-16T16:53:00.000-04:002012-04-16T16:53:03.874-04:00A Quick Monday Check-InIt's been a crazybusy (I say it in one breath, so I'm inventing a new word--it definitely should exist, right?) work week and I have a job interview tomorrow! *Crosses fingers*<br />
<br />
I'm still reading <em>The Count of Monte Cristo</em>, which at 1100 pages and change isn't going to finish anytime soon (I'm at page 250). I was hoping to catch up on my backlog of reviews...*was* being the keyword since I haven't done any yet for the month of April!...so here's hoping that will happen this week. Or I might have to dip into something shorter that I can finish and get my reading groove back on. I wouldn't say I'm in a slump exactly...more like a sleep :D<br />
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Enjoy your week :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-6094805676438382012-04-04T10:10:00.000-04:002012-04-04T10:10:47.676-04:00March Wrap-Up & Missed Monday MemeWork has been very busy this week, so here's a quick update while I'm thinking on it:<br />
<br />
<u><strong>BOOKS READ IN MARCH: (4)</strong></u><br />
<em>Contact</em>- Carl Sagan<br />
<em>Persuasion</em>- Jane Austen<br />
<em>The Eyre Affair</em>- Jasper Fforde<br />
<em>Coraline</em>- Neil Gaiman<br />
<br />
<strong><u>REVIEWS IN MARCH: (3)</u></strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.ca/2012/03/jane-eyre-charlotte-bronte.html">Jane Eyre</a></em>- Charlotte Bronte<br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.ca/2012/03/seriouslyim-kidding-ellen-degeneres.html">Seriously...I'm Kidding</a></em>- Ellen DeGeneres<br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.ca/2012/03/112263-stephen-king.html">11/22/63</a></em>- Stephen King<br />
<br />
And now for the (belated) Monday meme:<br />
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<strong><u>Read This Week: (1)</u></strong><br />
<em>Coraline</em>- Neil Gaiman<br />
I loved his use of language and the mood he created was eerie and fascinating. Some of the story was a bit "meh" for me. I think I would have liked it better if I had the opportunity to read it as a child.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Currently Reading: (2)</u></strong><br />
<em>The Count of Monte Cristo</em>- Alexandre Dumas<br />
Technically a re-read this time with an unabridged edition.<br />
<br />
<em>My Life</em>- Bill Clinton<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Reviews This Week:</u></strong><br />
<em>11/22/63</em>- Stephen King<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Next to Read:</u></strong><br />
It will probably be a week or two before I can finish <em>Count of Monte Cristo</em>, so I won't decide that now and let spontaneity take over :)<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-7440836397772485712012-03-31T11:59:00.000-04:002012-03-31T11:59:47.793-04:0011/22/63- Stephen King<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lkL9e4NdrMSI7UpavVtMgezMsNKLHoMT6Ncb3MHsO8wndsvp4Fn6LWXOldIv5HyMdN5HPYFL_cATAmVd5Hi5tdLqu1YvV8eXFYKvJjLbnW-4maKCkBSL1y-yRuS_1ctndyd0MHPhGCrq/s1600/11-22-63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lkL9e4NdrMSI7UpavVtMgezMsNKLHoMT6Ncb3MHsO8wndsvp4Fn6LWXOldIv5HyMdN5HPYFL_cATAmVd5Hi5tdLqu1YvV8eXFYKvJjLbnW-4maKCkBSL1y-yRuS_1ctndyd0MHPhGCrq/s320/11-22-63.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purchase: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/11-22-63-A-Novel/dp/1451627289/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332338757&sr=1-1">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/11-22-63-A-Novel-Stephen-King/9781451627282-item.html?ikwid=11%2f22%2f63&ikwsec=Books">Chapters</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2011<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 849<br />
<strong>ISBN:</strong> 9781451627282<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Historical Fiction, Thriller<br />
<br />
<strong>Started:</strong> Jan. 11, 2012<br />
<strong>Finished:</strong> Jan. 30, 2012 (20 days)<br />
<br />
<strong>Where Found:</strong> Xmas 2011 gift<br />
<strong>Why Read: </strong> It's the latest Stephen King book...um, do I need any other reason? ;)<br />
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<strong>Read For:</strong> What's in a Name 5 Challenge--Something on the Calendar (1/6)<br />
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<strong>Summary: </strong>A high school English teacher in 2011 steps through a time travelling portal to 1958 with the intent of rewriting history by intervening in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.<br />
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<strong>Review:</strong><br />
<br />
Marketed as a reimagining of the socio-political day the music died, November 22, 1963, you may be surprised to find that the assassination and events leading up to the shots fired from the Book Depository in Dallas, Texas with suspicions surrounding the grassy knoll plays a supporting role. The story is more about the butterfly effect: how a single decisive event leads to countless outcomes in unfathomable ways.<br />
<br />
The book is highly ambitious with a seamless transition from 2011 to 1958 where Jake's journey begins. He discovers other tragedies and problems that he has the influence to change for the better...as long as he doesn't inadvertently change the outcomes of other people's fate. Cultural, political, and social atmosphere is tweaked for historical accuracy in such a way that contemporary readers who may not have lived during that time (including yours truly) can get a close-up glance of attitudinal contrasts between past and present.<br />
<br />
I really enjoyed where the story went and wasn't at all disappointed that the story of Lee Harvey Oswald and JFK's assassination blended into the background as Jake's imprint on other, fictional characters' fates made up most of the book. His relationship with Sadie was a lovely touch and just how (if he even can) prevent the assassination against the obstinate nature of time and space keeps you guessing.<br />
<br />
It was written in a way that stretched the scope of what constitutes a Stephen King novel, often to the point of forgetting that he wrote it, much in the way I thought of <em>Bag of Bones</em>. I was impressed with it for very different reasons than other books of his I've read and reviewed, and I would count it as a definite must-read. <em>The Green Mile</em> still remains my favourite King book with <em>Bag of Bones</em>, <em>Different Seasons,</em> and <em>Carrie </em>up there as well, but this is one fine addition to his catalogue.<br />
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<strong>Rank: <span style="background-color: cyan; color: black;">(A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend</span></strong>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-72652200886157832282012-03-26T17:08:00.000-04:002012-03-26T17:08:11.974-04:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s1600/mondaymeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s200/mondaymeme.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">Book Journey</a>.</div><br />
<strong><u>Read This Week: (1)</u></strong><br />
<em>The Eyre Affair</em>- Jasper Fforde<br />
Wow, this was one awesome ride! So unique. Can't wait to review it...but it'll be backlogged.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Currently Reading: (3)</u></strong><br />
<em>The Count of Monte Cristo</em>- Alexandre Dumas<br />
After loving the abridged edition (not knowing it was abridged until finishing it!), I'm reading the full version.<br />
<br />
<em>Coraline</em>- Neil Gaiman<br />
I took this to work as the above book is too heavy to lug around. Intriguing so far. Liked the movie.<br />
<br />
<em>My Life</em>- Bill Clinton<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Reviews This Week:</u></strong><br />
None :(<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Next to Read:</u></strong><br />
I'm probably covered for the next week, probably two. I need to catch up on my reviews...<br />
<br />
<br />
Have a great week of reading...and everything else, of course :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-22536062387105520942012-03-19T09:55:00.000-04:002012-03-19T09:55:49.848-04:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s1600/mondaymeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s200/mondaymeme.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">Book Journey</a>.</div><br />
<br />
<strong><u>Read This Week: (1)</u></strong><br />
<em>Persuasion</em>- Jane Austen (A)<br />
Loved it :) I'm officially hooked on Jane Austen. It goes to show how timeless her work is.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Currently Reading: (2)</u></strong><br />
<em>The Eyre Affair</em>- Jasper Fforde<br />
It's quite a world to settle into at first but now that I'm used to it, it's getting good!<br />
<br />
<em>My Life</em>- Bill Clinton<br />
New goal: Finish this book by my 50th birthday :D Just kidding...I just need to read a chunk at a time and I should be able to (finally) finish it.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Reviews This Week: (1)</u></strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.ca/2012/03/seriouslyim-kidding-ellen-degeneres.html">Seriously...I'm Kidding</a></em>- Ellen DeGeneres (B)<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Next to Read:</u></strong><br />
No idea...I'll keep my options open & go with what jumps out at me first :)<br />
<br />
I also <a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.ca/2012/03/im-joining-classics-club.html">posted about joining the Classics Club</a> this week and you can <a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.ca/p/classics-club-5-year-tbr-list.html">view my TBR list</a> for this 5-year challenge. Thanks again Jillian for hosting :)<br />
<br />
<br />
Have a great week of reading, everyone!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-71341869030656308152012-03-17T15:49:00.000-04:002012-03-17T15:49:09.553-04:00I'm Joining the Classics Club!Jillian @ <a href="http://jillianreadsbooks2.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/introducing-the-classics-club/">A Room of One's Own</a> has created a fantabulous (don't you just love that word?) challenge of sorts called the Classics Club. The basic idea is to read 50 or more books within 5 years from joining up, post a list, link up your review of the book to your list, and post your virtual happy dance comment at the Club when you accomplish your goal.<br />
<br />
In looking at my lifetime TBR list, I have come to two conclusions:<br />
<br />
1) I had better live to be at least age 100 to get through them all and then catch up on what I've missed on since ;)<br />
<br />
2) I have a boatload of classics on my list, because I am smitten with them.<br />
<br />
I have made a list of 50 as an initial goal, including classics I'm planning on getting to this year for reading challenges and some re-reads. I have over 250 (!) classics on my TBR list but I really need to<br />
clear off my shelves before I can make room for more...*she says* :)<br />
<br />
Visit my <a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.ca/p/classics-club-5-year-tbr-list.html">Classics Club TBR 5-Year List</a> for my choices.Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-1277842705289446772012-03-17T15:28:00.000-04:002012-03-17T15:28:48.346-04:00Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DK-MMlTJmWFDHtmbhTiq0uCVPoCs7w6pK4Yc28dvM2T6iDdFMYYu16_D081bbdynXmP6xCMOP0vTF_v31USeoDKMNfIHsPbjYkYXeg4_qMi6nhyphenhyphen5RYDzNHo3SHQYhxbNIvO9z073BY-J/s1600/seriouslyimkidding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DK-MMlTJmWFDHtmbhTiq0uCVPoCs7w6pK4Yc28dvM2T6iDdFMYYu16_D081bbdynXmP6xCMOP0vTF_v31USeoDKMNfIHsPbjYkYXeg4_qMi6nhyphenhyphen5RYDzNHo3SHQYhxbNIvO9z073BY-J/s320/seriouslyimkidding.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purchase: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Seriously-Im-Kidding-Ellen-DeGeneres/dp/0446585025/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332011181&sr=1-1">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Seriously-im-Kidding-Ellen-Degeneres/9780446585026-item.html?ikwid=seriously+i%27m+kidding&ikwsec=Books">Chapters</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2011<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 241<br />
<strong>ISBN:</strong> 9780446585026<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Humour, Memoir<br />
<br />
<strong>Started:</strong> Jan. 9, 2012<br />
<strong>Finished:</strong> Jan. 11, 2012 (3 days)<br />
<br />
<strong>Where Found: </strong> Xmas 2011 gift<br />
<strong>Why Read:</strong> I love the fun energy of her show, and I wanted to see how that came through in her book.<br />
<br />
<strong>Read For:</strong> Mixing It Up Challenge--Journalism/Humour (1/16)<br />
<br />
<strong>Summary:</strong> The queen of daytime talk chimes in on current social issues, the randomness of life, and general Ellenish things :)<br />
<br />
<strong>Review:</strong><br />
<br />
Is there anyone else you think of first when you hear the name Ellen? Well, I guess not if your mom or grandma or sister or best friend is named Ellen...But you get the idea :) Ellen DeGeneres is simply known as Ellen to millions of fans who tune in to her talk show for a guaranteed cure of the blues and blahs.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>*SPOILER ALERT*</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>(HILARITY TO ENSUE IN THIS PARAGRAPH!)</strong></span></div><br />
Her book is written in short spurts that tell stories, like the hilarious time she sat on a fork, used the intercom at home to find the cat, and was asked to not eat almonds in a casino (um, okay...why, exactly?), and offer insight on issues such as common courtesy, self-care, and socialization. There are bits just for fun like a letter to mall security which made me howl, translating a teenager's text message, a cut-off sentence from passing out in a sauna (now that's silly...since when does anyone do that? Is it me or is it really hot in h--). There's even a pros and cons list that covers reasons why you should (and shouldn't)...or maybe that should be would (and wouldn't)...or could (and couldn't)--sorry, I digress--read this book. And there's colouring pages for the kiddies, though I admit to doodling in some myself :) There are even lessons to be learned, such as "What is the secret of life?" The answer: Hale. And linguistics: Haiku sounds like a friendly greeting to someone named Ku. "Hi, Ku!" And English literature as she quoted from <em>Jane Eyre</em>. That was eerie for me as I had just finished reading it when I started Ellen's book. Oooooh...<br />
<br />
I imagine that the audiobook is probably more entertaining given her keen ability to structure and pace jokes for optimum hilarity. And hearing her read her own material has got to be fun. But all in all, her book is a fun, cute escape for a day when, to quote the Bruno Mars song, "I just don't feel like doing anything."<br />
<br />
<strong>Rank: <span style="background-color: lime;">(B)- Good</span></strong>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-65108203301910071182012-03-12T10:44:00.000-04:002012-03-12T10:44:19.585-04:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s1600/mondaymeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s200/mondaymeme.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">Book Journey</a>.</div><br />
<br />
Today is the first day of March Break and the weather is gorgeous! Sitting on the back porch with a book in the sunshine can't be too far off...*ahhh*<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Read This Week:</u> (1)</strong><br />
<em>Contact</em>- Carl Sagan<br />
This one really picked up in the last third. Sagan has a knack for making the potentially mundane exciting. Review coming soon.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Currently Reading:</u> (2)</strong><br />
<em>Persuasion</em>- Jane Austen<br />
Enjoying it so far (that was to be expected).<br />
<br />
<em>My Life</em>- Bill Clinton<br />
Haven't touched this one in some time. I'll finish it eventually. I just have to be in the mood.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Next to Read:</u></strong><br />
I'm really looking forward to <em>The Eyre Affair</em> by Jasper Fforde, so I'll probably dive into it next.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Reviews This Week:</u></strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2012/03/jane-eyre-charlotte-bronte.html">Jane Eyre</a></em>- Charlotte Bronte (A)<br />
...I'm behind by 7...<br />
<br />
I also posted my February wrap-up...a week late. Oops!<br />
<br />
Hope the winter blahs are officially behind us now. Spring feels so close. Speaking of which, did you remember to set your clocks ahead an hour?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-90679066736430115292012-03-08T15:58:00.001-05:002012-03-08T15:58:59.332-05:00February Wrap-Up PostThe following is a transcript from an actual conversation with myself in my head:<br />
<br />
ME: You know, today is March 8th.<br />
MYSELF: *checks date on watch* Yes, it is.<br />
ME: I should probably post a February wrap-up post.<br />
MYSELF: *scratches head* But, I thought you did?!<br />
ME: No, I don't think so. I've been behind on reviews and I posted a couple of those in the last couple of weeks but no, I don't think I got around to a February wrap-up.<br />
MYSELF: *scrolls through Blogger post history* You're right.<br />
ME: Boy, Myself, you really have a knack for doing actions in between asterisks<br />
MYSELF: *tries to cover up fact that I'm blushing*<br />
<br />
Okay...enough of that. I feel like I have a split personality...or an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other like in cartoons. I really don't. I just have a very wacky sense of humour.<br />
<br />
<strong>Read: (4)</strong><br />
<em>The Girl Who Played With Fire</em>- Stieg Larsson<br />
<em>The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest</em>- Stieg Larsson<br />
<em>Pygmalion</em>- George Bernard Shaw<br />
<em>Shameless Explotation in Pursuit of the Common Good</em>- Paul Newman & A.E. Hotchner<br />
<br />
<strong>Reviews: (2)</strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2012/02/life-itself-roger-ebert.html">Life Itself</a></em>- Roger Ebert (B)<br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2012/02/are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret-judy.html">Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret</a></em>- Judy Blume (A)Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-67434427269297538402012-03-08T15:36:00.000-05:002012-03-08T15:36:23.814-05:00Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0p_ttXOSSTlUTczsWOanWIs6AlaluZ1QH53h4A2o3yh4m5fGYxLo_7gXztglP59lW6XP4fCvbclGPpFvhAyYGv19CDil7a9tKqREXiREs4HoCOXEwlrt7XDuR-H24u6T6ajxDG-_f5aS3/s1600/janeeyre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0p_ttXOSSTlUTczsWOanWIs6AlaluZ1QH53h4A2o3yh4m5fGYxLo_7gXztglP59lW6XP4fCvbclGPpFvhAyYGv19CDil7a9tKqREXiREs4HoCOXEwlrt7XDuR-H24u6T6ajxDG-_f5aS3/s320/janeeyre.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purchase: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jane-Eyre-Charlotte-Bronte/dp/1441412646/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287699001&sr=1-1">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Puffin-Classics-Jane-Eyre-Charlotte-Bronte/9780140366785-item.html?ikwid=jane+eyre&ikwsec=Books">Chapters</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<strong>Published: </strong>1847<br />
<strong>Length: </strong> 352 pages<br />
<strong>ISBN: </strong> 9781441412645<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Classic<br />
<br />
<strong>Started: </strong>Jan. 1, 2012<br />
<strong> Finished Date: </strong>Jan. 8, 2012 (8 days)<br />
<br />
<strong>Where Found: </strong>Book Depot<br />
<strong> Why Read: </strong>On my TBR list<br />
<br />
<strong>Read For:</strong> Back to the Classics Challenge--19th Century Classic (1/9) and Mixing It Up Challenge--Classic (1/16)<br />
<br />
<strong>Summary: </strong>An orphan girl named Jane Eyre comes of age after a miserable childhood raised by a wretched aunt, schooled in a decrepit education system, settling into her role as a governess for a girl under the care of the rough-edged Mr. Rochester.<br />
<br />
<strong>Review:</strong><br />
<br />
<em>Jane Eyre</em> is considered one of the greatest gothic novels ever written. To give you an idea, it reminded me of Daphne du Maurier's <em>Rebecca</em> meets Jane Austen (though the book was published a good 30 years after Austen's work, it has similar social formalities, though you notice the characters have a more relaxed language and use some familiar slang).<br />
<br />
Jane's life is presented in stages, from her childhood with the Reeds, a family that doesn't want her and makes her miserable; Lowood, a school that doesn't want her and makes her even more miserable; Thornfield, where she finds her greatest happiness despite the sharp moods of Mr. Rochester; and the small family she encounters that brings her life around full circle.<br />
<br />
When it came to the characters, I didn't really like Jane until she came to Thornfield. Mind you, I did sympathize with her situation as a child but I think once she grew into herself, she became a stronger, better character, and I found her more admirable as a governess and teacher. Her friendship with Helen Burns at Lowood was touching, given the rest of her time at the school was dark and certainly makes me appreciate the school system I teach in--it may not be perfect but it beats Jane Eyre's any day!<br />
<br />
Rochester was downright hard to like, much like du Maurier's Max de Winter, but (<strong><span style="color: red;">*SPOILER ALERT*</span></strong>) in the end, both end up being respectable, loving men, despite first impressions and choice words and actions.<br />
<br />
What was a little off-putting to me were the religious hyperbole and deus ex machina coincidences occurring near the end of the book. On the upside, it lead to an ending that I liked and added romance to the book's gothic tones. It is thisclose (really, thisclose!) to an A+ for me but it's a smidge too overdramatic at times for me to put against my other A+s.<br />
<br />
Great quotations:<br />
<br />
"Make my happiness and I will make yours."<br />
<br />
"I know what it is to live entirely for and with what I love best on Earth."<br />
<br />
"And as for the vague something--was it a sinister or a sorrowful, a designing or a desponding expression?--that opened upon a careful observer now and then in his eye and closed again before one could fathom the strange depth partially disclosed."<br />
<br />
By the way, the most recent <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229822/">movie</a> version is from 2011 with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender as Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, which I saw just after finishing the book and thought it was a beautifully rendered adaptation. <br />
<br />
<strong>Rank: <span style="background-color: cyan;">(A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend</span></strong>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-64490971687405750742012-02-27T09:10:00.000-05:002012-02-27T09:10:34.368-05:00Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZdb0i7WcEjyw7tpk2N5VLwjNks8WIb0biDsPEg1Rd4bz-abia444uCb4eIxEAq3mBuONn9BpBjOq73VgayNWvV3rfu8hD8V2FhXhquSu0JFNbA_JJgCRqiJdrRs6GnE8BHIsx2yM0WJq/s1600/areyoutheregod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZdb0i7WcEjyw7tpk2N5VLwjNks8WIb0biDsPEg1Rd4bz-abia444uCb4eIxEAq3mBuONn9BpBjOq73VgayNWvV3rfu8hD8V2FhXhquSu0JFNbA_JJgCRqiJdrRs6GnE8BHIsx2yM0WJq/s320/areyoutheregod.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purchase: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Are-You-There-God-Margaret/dp/0385739869/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330350415&sr=8-1">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/You-There-God-Its-Me-Judy-Blume/9780440404194-item.html?ikwid=are+you+there+god+its+me+margaret&ikwsec=Home">Chapters</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1970<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 149<br />
<strong>ISBN:</strong> 9780440404194<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> YA, Classic<br />
<br />
<strong>Started:</strong> Dec. 30, 2011<br />
<strong>Finished:</strong> Dec. 30, 2011 (>1 day)<br />
<br />
<strong>Where Found:</strong> Xmas 2011 gift<br />
<strong>Why Read:</strong> A classic I missed reading in childhood. Better late than never, right?<br />
<br />
<strong>Summary: </strong>A young girl entering puberty moves to a new city where she struggles to adapt to her change in surroundings and changes in herself.<br />
<br />
<strong>Review:</strong><br />
<br />
So...I wondered about something that everyone who read this book years after its publication and initial controversy wondered: What exactly was controversial about this book that isn't a fact of life for young girls (always has, still is, and always will be)? If this isn't an example of censorship going overboard, I don't know what is.<br />
<br />
I loved reading <em>Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing</em> and <em>Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great</em> (a character I really connected to, being a klutzy tomboyish girl) years ago and was amazed how engaging <em>Margaret</em> was to me as an adult reader. I will admit that I cried when Margaret gave her teacher the letter instead of her project and she thought she had failed. It was a beautiful piece of the story.<br />
<br />
It was also interesting to me how Margaret explores the concept of God as a figment and not as an omniscient figure (I could see how the censorship racket would jump on that one quick-like) and the discovery of alternative ideas of thinking and feeling as she becomes her own person and not an extension of her parents, while at the same time she doesn't feel like she has a toehold on how to go about doing this with the flexible (maybe too flexible) attitudes of her parents.<br />
<br />
I would put this book into the hands of any girl age 11 or 12, especially when questions start coming about growth and development--it would make a great gift!<br />
<br />
<strong>Rank: <span style="background-color: cyan;">(A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend</span></strong>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-84970696458044224582012-02-24T13:11:00.000-05:002012-02-24T13:11:33.832-05:00Still Here...With Birthday BooksThis has been a crazy couple of months! I apologize for my long-winded absence. It's the same old tired excuses--if it's not work, it's getting a bad head cold; if it's not a head cold, it's pulling something in my neck that's been niggling at me off & on for a few months (I applied heat to it last night and appear to be cured at least temporarily...wish I had thought to do that earlier!); and if it's none of the above, it's the randomness of life throwing things at you. *Sigh* But never fear...for I come bearing news most bookish :)<br />
<br />
So...my progress of the past couple of weeks is thus: I finished <em>The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest</em>, successfully catching me up with the rest of the world on the Millennium series. A good end to the trilogy, though <a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2010/12/girl-with-dragon-tattoo-stieg-larsson.html"><em>The Girl With the</em> <em>Dragon Tattoo</em></a> remains my favourite of the three. I've only reviewed <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2012/02/life-itself-roger-ebert.html">Life Itself</a></em> by Roger Ebert and have a few other reviews in the wings, so please bear with me. I'm starting a new book today: <em>Pygmalion</em>, the play by George Bernard Shaw that was adapted into a movie and then later into another, more recognizable (and pronounceable) movie <em>My Fair Lady</em>.<br />
<br />
And now for the birthday book loot. My family knows me so well and got me some lovely books for me birthday (sorry...transformed into Eliza Doolittle for a second there). And wouldn't you know it? Some of them are for the reading challenges I'm participating in ;)<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Coraline</em>- Neil Gaiman</strong>--I liked the movie and heard all good things about the graphic novel.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>On the Origin of Species</em>- Charles Darwin</strong>--I went with the Penguin Classic cover (because it's coooool)<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Persuasion</em>- Jane Austen</strong>--I'm making this my next foray into Austen. Can't wait! I went with the Penguin Classics hardcover edition. Lovely green leaves on the cover.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Cloud Atlas</em>- David Mitchell</strong>--Have no idea what I'm getting into with this one but sounds interesting<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Contact</em>- Carl Sagan</strong>--The movie is highly underrated and so perceptive about the state of the universe and its inhabitants...you know, besides us. Fascinating subject matter.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Last Night at Twisted River</em>- John Irving</strong>--I loved <em>Garp</em> and <em>Owen Meany</em>, liked <em>Cider House Rules</em>, and am coming back for more Irving.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Shades of Grey</em> and <em>The Eyre Affair</em>- Jasper Fforde</strong>--I see these on so many book blogs, curiosity kil...made the cat go out and buy the books :D<br />
<br />
And...drumroll please...<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Sense & Sensibility</em>- Jane Austen</strong><br />
YES! Am awaiting my order of the pretty pretty Penguin Classics hardcover edition.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>The Count of Monte Cristo</em>- Alexandre Dumas</strong><br />
Unfortunately the Barnes & Noble leatherbound edition isn't for sale in Canada :( But I have the Everyman unabridged (thank goodness) one on order. Now I can actually read the <em>entire</em> story!<br />
<br />
<br />
I also got a few DVDs: <br />
<br />
<em><strong>Tangled</strong>--</em>I think this is the best Disney "princess" movie released in ages...so fun!<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street</strong></em>--Ahhh....Johnny Depp. Let's just say I pause this one a lot to enjoy the view ;)<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Inception</strong></em>--Twisted, tangled awesomeness<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Panic Room</strong></em>--This is one of the smartest thrillers I've ever seen.<br />
<br />
<br />
I will try my best to get a review or two up over the weekend and get back on some kind of track. I also hope to go back through all the posts in my Google Reader to catch up on what you've all been reading. Wow...that'll take a while. Must get busy...This will take a record-breaking amount of coffee. Almost as much as Stieg Larsson's characters drink...anyone else notice that they all seem to consume "coffee and sandwiches" wherever they are?<br />
<br />
Happy reading :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-64524388864926419122012-02-10T10:04:00.000-05:002012-02-10T10:04:07.108-05:00Life Itself- Roger Ebert<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm1fTX2hLtmYkNc9VvX2YUlGi9SRIX_6Em8dpGCCt4G1rEsWjyuUK857fC-mdVo46OEoKx6b6OSCnKYyEmcbZiHs1cZt9wNgtC4jpDRNoTPNm0mOi-mQ5is-JX2ngPvwC3CuCmgKoqPOl/s1600/lifeitself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm1fTX2hLtmYkNc9VvX2YUlGi9SRIX_6Em8dpGCCt4G1rEsWjyuUK857fC-mdVo46OEoKx6b6OSCnKYyEmcbZiHs1cZt9wNgtC4jpDRNoTPNm0mOi-mQ5is-JX2ngPvwC3CuCmgKoqPOl/s320/lifeitself.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purchase: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Itself-Memoir-Roger-Ebert/dp/0446584975/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328884876&sr=8-1">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Life-Itself-A-Memoir-Roger-Ebert/9780446584975-item.html?ikwid=life+itself+roger+ebert&ikwsec=Home">Chapters</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2011<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 436<br />
<strong>ISBN:</strong> 9780446584975<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Nonfiction, Memoir<br />
<br />
<strong>Started:</strong> Dec. 25, 2011<br />
<strong>Finished:</strong> Dec. 30, 2011 (6 days)<br />
<br />
<strong>Where Found:</strong> Xmas 2011 gift<br />
<strong>Why Read: </strong> I enjoy Ebert's movie reviews and more often than not agree with his opinions, and was interested in learning how he became one of the most revered movie critics worldwide.<br />
<br />
<strong>Summary:</strong> A reflection of childhood, his start in journalism, interests in reading, travel, memorable interviews and encounters, and his influence by and on the movies.<br />
<br />
<strong>Review:</strong><br />
<br />
Roger Ebert has an inside view of the film industry unlike any other. He isn't a filmmaker, an actor, or a studio executive, yet he is just as respected, opinionated, and central to the world of movies as those who run the cogs of the machine called Hollywood. Ebert isn't pounding the pavement but is the one who brings it all together: he watches the finished product, scrutinizes what worked and what didn't, and makes a conclusion that millions of moviegoing public recognize as <em>the</em> inside scoop on the best answer to the inevitable question: "Is there anything good playing at the movies?"<br />
<br />
Ebert has a refreshingly honest tone in his memoir, writing as if he has nothing left to prove or hide, which he readily admits when the book comes to the time when Ebert underwent treatment for thyroid and salivary gland cancer. He starts as all good stories do from the beginning, recounting his start in journalism, encounters with both the famous, including an interview with Lee Marvin and a road trip with Robert Mitchum, but most memorably with the not-so-famous, his stay at the Eyrie Mansion, and his friendship and working relationship with Ebert's complete and utter opposite Gene Siskel.<br />
<br />
His transition from Catholic childhood in the chapter "How I Believe in God" fascinated me most and, similarly to myself, a thankfulness for its simplest moral values of honest, kindness, and humility, but not its theology. His bibliophiliac chapter "Books Do Furnish a Room" would make a great book on its own.<br />
<br />
The movies don't play as much of a part in this memoir as you would think, but they crop up occasionally. This book is less about the movies and Ebert as a movie critic, and more wholistic in scope with Ebert's experiences as a journalist and a traveler.<br />
<br />
<strong>Rank: <span style="background-color: lime; color: black;">(B)- Very Good, Recommend</span></strong>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-12438280828348164952012-02-02T09:51:00.001-05:002012-03-08T15:58:46.837-05:00December & January Wrap-UpSo...it's been a crazy couple of months, but hopefully February will start the ball rolling for a smooth 2012. If the past month is any indication of what the year will bring...yikes!<br />
<br />
So...I neglected to post a wrap-up for the month of December, but maybe this will make my microscopic reading progress in January look better if I put them beside last month :D<br />
<br />
So...*okay, that's enough of that*<br />
<br />
<strong><u>DECEMBER</u></strong><br />
<strong>Read:</strong> <strong>(4)</strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/bag-of-bones-stephen-king.html">Bag of Bones</a></em>- Stephen King (A+)<br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/simpsons-uncensored-unauthorized.html">The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History</a></em>- John Ortved (B)<br />
<em>Life Itself</em>- Roger Ebert<br />
<em>Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret</em>- Judy Blume<br />
<br />
<strong>Reviews: (6; see 2 above)</strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/count-of-monte-cristo-alexandre-dumas.html">The Count of Monte Cristo</a></em>- Alexandre Dumas (A+)<br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/count-of-monte-cristo-alexandre-dumas.html">The Old Man & the Sea</a></em>- Ernest Hemingway (A)<br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/heart-is-lonely-hunter-carson-mccullers.html">The Heart is a Lonely Hunter</a></em>- Carson McCullers (A)<br />
<a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/it-stephen-king.html"><em>It</em></a>- Stephen King (A)<br />
<br />
<strong><u>JANUARY</u></strong><br />
<strong>Read: (3)</strong><br />
<em>Jane Eyre</em>- Charlotte Bronte<br />
<em>Seriously...I'm Kidding</em>- Ellen DeGeneres<br />
<em>11/22/63</em>- Stephen King<br />
<br />
<strong>Reviews: (1)</strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/simpsons-uncensored-unauthorized.html">Emma</a></em>- Jane AustenTeacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-68432702596251981542012-01-30T12:44:00.000-05:002012-01-30T12:44:43.417-05:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s1600/mondaymeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s200/mondaymeme.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">Book Journey</a>.</div><br />
<br />
Ouch, two weeks later and I've just finished one book: <em>11/22/63</em> by Stephen King. I've had no motivation to write any reviews, either. Is this a slump? Well, at least I'm still reading something. It's a reviews slump :)<br />
<br />
<strong>Read This Week:</strong><br />
<em>11/22/63</em>- Stephen King<br />
Wow, this was a terrific read! It was full of unexpected threads and he works the time travel yarn (get it? Threads? Yarn? Ha ha) so well, it makes me want to not only re-read <em>The Time Traveler's Wife</em> but find more books in this subgenre. Any suggestions?<br />
<br />
Collecting dust on the nightstand but still hanging in there:<br />
<em>U2 by U2</em>- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)<br />
<em>My Life</em>- Bill Clinton<br />
<br />
<strong>Reviews Coming Soon (I promise):</strong><br />
<em>Life Itself</em>- Roger Ebert<br />
<em>Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret</em>- Judy Blume<br />
<em>Jane Eyre</em>- Charlotte Bronte<br />
<em>Seriously...I'm Kidding</em>- Ellen DeGeneres<br />
<em>11/22/63</em>- Stephen King<br />
<br />
<strong>Next to Read:</strong><br />
I'm finally going to get to <em>The Girl Who Played With Fire</em> and <em>The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest</em>. With the release of the movie <em>The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</em>, I'd like to finish the book<br />
series off.<br />
<br />
<br />
Have a great week of reading :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-9825290802884945672012-01-16T14:04:00.000-05:002012-01-16T14:04:57.986-05:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s1600/mondaymeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s200/mondaymeme.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">Book Journey</a>.</div><br />
Quick check-in post today...<br />
<br />
<strong>Read This Week: (1)</strong><br />
<em>Seriously...I'm Kidding</em>- Ellen DeGeneres<br />
Sweet, breezy read. Review coming soon.<br />
<br />
<strong>Reviews This Week:</strong><br />
None...I'm behind again (by 4).<br />
<br />
<strong>Currently Reading: (3)</strong><br />
<em>11/22/63</em>- Stephen King--I love time travel stories and this one is getting good :)<br />
<br />
<em>U2 by U2</em>- U2 (Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)<br />
<em>My Life</em>- Bill Clinton<br />
<br />
<strong>Next to Read:</strong>Probably something shorter after the 800+ pages of 11/22/63 ;)<br />
<br />
<br />
Have a great reading week :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-87640982070095027522012-01-09T10:31:00.001-05:002012-01-09T10:35:31.345-05:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s1600/mondaymeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z_QpvNPX5DWnnMiMOXYkH2iW5kZYpcEK9ZxxbGygGPhaGHhHLcEX5Bb_YGzrQBdveuVVEOWKR-vG3yDpdurOw3sg9lTWDkxTHRorzCjaJmxQ1yH8gDWqc2capOrbzuCOhQW6b7Epa9pz/s200/mondaymeme.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">Book Journey</a>.</div><br />
Yay, I finished my first book of 2012! It feels great to kick the new year off with a good one.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Read This Week: (1)</u></strong><br />
<em>Jane Eyre</em>- Charlotte Bronte (A)<br />
I really enjoyed this one. It felt like Jane Austen meets <em>Rebecca</em>. Review coming soon!<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Reviews This Week: (1)</u></strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/emma-jane-austen.html">Emma</a></em>- Jane Austen (B)<br />
<strong><u>Currently Reading: (3)</u></strong><br />
<em>Seriously...I'm Kidding</em>- Ellen DeGeneres<br />
Before delving into Stephen King's latest, I'm dipping into the new Queen of talk's book.<br />
<br />
<em>U2 by U2</em>- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)<br />
<em>My Life</em>- Bill Clinton<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Next to Read:</u></strong><br />
<em>11/22/63</em>- Stephen King<br />
I'm hoping it lives up to the hype...<br />
<br />
<br />
Have a great week everyone :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-47616822312997484642012-01-04T11:01:00.000-05:002012-01-04T11:01:39.687-05:00Emma- Jane Austen<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BEIuuN0mWQr9M30AQgD7An9KPB39fnE55wlw37jYgpcZGqKmA_J_EKwLYPIP2gsLMVbmHv9S10wgGwVOm3DBeR7FQVQQVH4qN3KutT7-Gj-ldLD882uveh-lbGQ8pu5rb7A9jusIqn5J/s1600/emma-jane-austen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BEIuuN0mWQr9M30AQgD7An9KPB39fnE55wlw37jYgpcZGqKmA_J_EKwLYPIP2gsLMVbmHv9S10wgGwVOm3DBeR7FQVQQVH4qN3KutT7-Gj-ldLD882uveh-lbGQ8pu5rb7A9jusIqn5J/s1600/emma-jane-austen.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purchase: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Penguin-Classics-Emma-Jane-Austen/dp/0141439580/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325692257&sr=1-2">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Penguin-Classics-Emma-Jane-Austen/9780141439587-item.html?ikwid=emma+jane+austen+penguin&ikwsec=Books">Chapters</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1815 (mine is the Penguin Classics hardcover edition pictured here)<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 474<br />
<strong>ISBN:</strong> 9780141192475<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Classics<br />
<br />
<strong>Started:</strong> Dec. 14, 2011<br />
<strong>Finished:</strong> Dec. 24, 2011 (11 days)<br />
<br />
<strong>Where Found:</strong> Chapters-Indigo<br />
<strong>Why Read: </strong> I love <em>Sense & Sensibility</em> and <em>Pride & Prejudice</em>, so when I spotted this copy (on sale to boot!), I snatched it up.<br />
<br />
<strong>Summary: </strong> A young lady successful (for the most part) at matchmaking struggles to settle conflicts interfering with her own love life.<br />
<br />
<strong>Review:</strong><br />
<br />
Jane Austen is definitely master of the genre comedy of manners. She is able to weave together complex social dramas with tongue permanently implanted in cheek. Formalities and niceties aside, there are glimpses of social situations that are just as sticky to be caught in now as they were then.<br />
<br />
Unlike <em>Sense & Sensibility </em>and <em>Pride & Prejudice</em>,<em> </em>I wasn't taken with any particular character in <em>Emma </em>but the story is fun and lively. I found Emma very self-involved, and not very reliable or sympathetic, whereas the turmoils of Elinor & Marianne Dashwood and Elizabeth Bennet were at the heart of the other two novels. Oh, Knightley...I wish there had been more of him! He was a sweet, decent character, and I liked him better than Edward Ferrars (not as stuffy) but not quite as much as Mr. Darcy or Col. Brandon. There is always a secondary character that provides comic relief from the tense romantic plot, and in <em>Emma</em>, it's the bubbly, constantly talkative Miss Bates, who is just hilarious, especially how she describes everything she notices as they walk from the front door to the dining room of the Woodhouse estate, including warning the person just behind her that there is a step down from the floor!<br />
<br />
The best moments of <em>Emma </em>are where mistakes are either made or fixed surrounding a person's demeanor, and the humour comes from the extremities between what was once thought and what is actually true. Judgment, especially about a person's physical appearance, behaviour, or past, is a recurring theme in Austen's novels, and it is especially important in <em>Emma</em>.<br />
<br />
Not the best of Jane Austen, but an enjoyable romp. Dive in and enjoy :)<br />
<br />
Some memorable quotations:<br />
<br />
<em>"What did she say? Just what she ought of course. A lady always does."</em><br />
<br />
<em>"And with all her advantages, natural and domestic, she was now in great danger of suffering from intellectual solitude."</em><br />
<br />
<em>"Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken."</em><br />
<br />
<strong>Rank: <span style="background-color: lime;">(B)- Good, Recommend</span></strong>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-13097232048897058002012-01-02T12:35:00.000-05:002012-01-02T12:35:18.013-05:00Xmas Book Gifts & Monday Check-In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWuXb-JvAfgTq9MoiOVI1-CjBd1NncjEApltZ9EwvnUqunlyzNlHmdEE_bu02EBQ3dV9k5grXd-vOUcyZct7NM0SrHuXI9FW4O1MXphLEeTShS66FkLbM99bSWlC_WSd0EIIaKte4YvNL/s1600/mondaymeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWuXb-JvAfgTq9MoiOVI1-CjBd1NncjEApltZ9EwvnUqunlyzNlHmdEE_bu02EBQ3dV9k5grXd-vOUcyZct7NM0SrHuXI9FW4O1MXphLEeTShS66FkLbM99bSWlC_WSd0EIIaKte4YvNL/s200/mondaymeme.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">Book Journey</a>.</div><br />
I'm baaaack! Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Mine was lovely, as usual. I have an additional week off work, so I get to continue the relaxation and get some reading in. December was a slow working month for me as the weather kept everyone healthy and no one needed a substitute teacher...Left me with lots of Xmas planning time :D <br />
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I had to go back and edit my <a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/year-end-wrap-up-post-best-of-lists.html">2011 wrap-up post</a> as I completed 3 more books before ringing in 2012. Reviews coming soon for:<br />
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<em>Emma</em>- Jane Austen<br />
<em>Life Itself: A Memoir</em>- Roger Ebert<br />
<em>Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret</em>- Judy Blume<br />
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I'm currently reading <em>Jane Eyre</em> by Charlotte Bronte, which I'm applying to two reading challenges. This was a "book of the year" for a few bloggers last year, so here's hoping I take to it just as well :)<br />
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Judging by the posts I've read, Santa left some great books under your tree. Wouldn't you know it...he did at my house, too :)<br />
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<strong>11/22/63- Stephen King</strong><br />
Highly anticipated! This is getting mostly good reviews. I love time travel stories :) I'm hoping to get to this next.<br />
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<strong>Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume</strong><br />
A YA classic I wish I'd read back then but am so glad I did now. A beautiful little book for girls about growing up.<br />
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<strong>I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou</strong><br />
Another classic I'm finally getting around to. Isn't it a gorgeous cover?<br />
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<strong>Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck</strong><br />
I didn't know how slim this book is! A classic I haven't gotten around to yet and my first Steinbeck.<br />
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<strong>Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres</strong><br />
Her show is so lively and never fails to cheer me up on a bad day. Sounds fun :)<br />
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<strong>Life Itself: A Memoir- Roger Ebert</strong><br />
I read this in just a few days. Some fascinating stories. Review coming soon.<br />
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...And I previously posted about <a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/its-monday-what-are-you-reading.html">some early bookish Xmas gifts</a>. <br />
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</div>I also got some DVDs: <em>Glengarry Glen Ross</em>, <em>Matchstick Men</em>, and was very surprised to get a rare (at least inexpensively) copy of a terrific movie, <em>Charade</em>, lots of iTunes, a couple of I Spy books for my closetful of children's books (now I just need a classroom to put them in!), Burt's Bees pomegranate lip balm, Uniball pens, hand cream, chocolate, and a calendar with bulldogs (awww, they're so cute). And I got a plaque made from this picture in the <em>Entertainment Weekly </em>reunions issue from one of my favourite movies:<br />
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I got it done at Staples. It was very affordable and it turned out so well, especially considering the crease in the middle. It's barely visible on the plaque (that's not it pictured) and looks even better than the original.<br />
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Happy New Year! And have a great reading week :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-84889591575681486892011-12-23T15:21:00.006-05:002012-01-02T12:31:05.151-05:00Year-End Wrap Up Post: Best Of Lists, Challenges & Holiday BreakPlease excuse the extra-long post but this is an exciting time of year and there's a lot to be shared about this first year (and a half) of book blogging! I sure hope everyone else's year was as good for reading as mine was. In a word: Wow! In just 1 1/2 years of book blogging, the number of books I read (compared to last year, from what I can remember) has increased more than three-fold, and the quality of books read has been incredible, thanks to recommendations from book bloggers and from sucking it up and digging into some classics I would not likely have thought to try.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><u>STATISTICS</u></strong></div><br />
<strong>Books Read:</strong> 56 (40 fiction, 16 nonfiction)<br />
*For a complete list of books read in 2011, see <a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/p/books-read-by-year.html">Books Read by Year.</a><br />
<strong>Pages Read:</strong> 21 097<br />
<strong>Average Page Count:</strong> 366 (probably skewed due to the two 1000+ page whoppers in the list)<br />
<strong>Shortest Book:</strong> <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/old-man-sea-ernest-hemingway.html">The Old Man and the Sea</a></em>- Ernest Hemingway (93 pages)<br />
<strong>Longest Book:</strong> <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/stand-stephen-king.html">The Stand</a></em>- Stephen King (1141 pages)<br />
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*Note: These are only for books that were reviewed in 2011:<br />
<strong>A+ </strong>Books: 11<br />
<strong>A</strong> Books: 26 (Very lucky)<br />
<strong>B</strong> Books: 9<br />
<strong>C</strong> Books: 4<br />
<strong>D</strong> Books: 0 (Whew!)<br />
<strong>DNFs</strong>: 4<br />
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<strong>Most Read Authors:</strong> Stephen King (8), J.K. Rowling (7), John Irving (2)<br />
<strong>Series Read:</strong> Harry Potter (7), 1 each of Kinsey Millhone, Dark Tower, Hitchhikers, Chronicles of Narnia<br />
<strong>New (to me) Authors:</strong> Ian McEwan, Alexandre Dumas, Ray Bradbury, Douglas Adams, Khaled Hosseini, David Sedaris, Jeffrey Eugenides, Elie Wiesel, Ernest Hemingway, Daphne du Maurier, Bill Bryson, Frank McCourt, Michael Chabon<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><u>BEST OF THE YEAR</u></strong></div><br />
<strong>Most Surprising (in a good way)</strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/03/fahrenheit-451-ray-bradbury.html">Fahrenheit 451</a></em>- Ray Bradbury<br />
Going in, I thought this book would have aged terribly. It definitely hasn't. An amazing book.<br />
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<strong>Most Suspenseful</strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/count-of-monte-cristo-alexandre-dumas.html">The Count of Monte Cristo</a></em>- Alexandre Dumas<br />
Every chapter ended on a cliffhanger!<br />
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<strong>Funniest</strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/hitchhikers-guide-to-galaxy-douglas.html">The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy</a></em>- Douglas Adams<br />
Caution: Having a drink while reading this book risks having it spurt out your nose :D<br />
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<strong>Scariest</strong><br />
Various stories from <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/night-shift-stephen-king.html">Night Shift</a></em> and <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/full-dark-no-stars-stephen-king_11.html">Full Dark, No Stars</a></em>, both by Stephen King<br />
In short: rats, dead bodies coming to life, finding out your husband is a killer, slimy spiders, killer military toys, walking a 5-inch ledge on a skyscraper's top floor, quit smoking at the expense of your sanity, and mowing the lawn (yup, even that one's scary).<br />
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<strong>Brainiest</strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/short-history-of-nearly-everything-bill.html">A Short Guide to Nearly Everything</a></em>- Bill Bryson<br />
The science class everyone should have been in.<br />
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<strong>Loveliest</strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/sense-sensibility-jane-austen.html">Sense & Sensibility</a></em>- Jane Austen<br />
This story has stayed with me since I read it. Beautiful, romantic, funny, what's not to love?<br />
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<strong>Nostalgic</strong><br />
<em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/09/alice-in-wonderland-lewis-carroll.html">Alice in Wonderland</a></em>- Lewis Carroll<br />
I saw the Disney movie countless times as a kid but never read the book. It was a sweet and<br />
funny read.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><u>FAVOURITES</u></strong></div><br />
*Note: It was impossible to narrow each category down to a single choice. Forgive the cop-out :)<br />
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<strong>Favourite Characters</strong>: Col. Brandon (<em>Sense & Sensibility</em>), Noirtier de Villefort (<em>The Count of Monte Cristo</em>), Prof. Snape <em>(Harry Potter</em> series, especially in <em>The Deathly Hallows</em>), Mick Kelly (<em>The Heart is a Lonely Hunter</em>), Hassan (<em>The Kite Runner</em>), Dill (<em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em>)<br />
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<strong>Favourite Villains:</strong> Zaphrod Beeblebrox (<em>Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy</em>), Annie Wilkes (<em>Misery</em>), Dolores Umbridge (<em>Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix</em>), Dorian Gray (<em>The Picture of Dorian Gray</em>), Mrs. Danvers (<em>Rebecca</em>)<br />
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<strong>Favourite Series:</strong> <em>Harry Potter</em>, of course! I had a fantastic time reading the whole series (the last 4 books for the first time).<br />
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<strong>Favourite Quotations: </strong><br />
"For you, a thousand times over" - Hassan, <em>The Kite Runner</em><br />
"To your sister I wish all imaginable happiness; to Willoughby that he may endeavour to deserve her" - Col. Brandon, <em>Sense and Sensibility</em><br />
"Curiouser and curiouser" - Alice, <em>Alice in Wonderland</em><br />
"Come back to me" - Celia, <em>Atonement</em><br />
"'Forty-two,'" said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm." - <em>The</em> <em>Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy</em><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><u>TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR</u></strong></div><br />
*Note: These may include books written before (often <u>long</u> before) 2011.<br />
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10) <em> <a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/bag-of-bones-stephen-king.html">Bag of Bones</a></em>- Stephen King<br />
9) <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/hitchhikers-guide-to-galaxy-douglas.html">The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy</a></em>- Douglas Adams<br />
8) <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/night-elie-wiesel.html">Night</a></em>- Elie Wiesel<br />
7) <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/kite-runner-khaled-hosseini.html">The Kite Runner</a></em>- Khaled Hosseini<br />
6) <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/09/boy-in-striped-pyjamas-john-boyne.html">The Boy in the Striped Pajamas</a></em>- John Boyne<br />
5) <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/07/to-kill-mockingbird-harper-lee.html">To Kill a Mockingbird</a></em>- Harper Lee (this was a re-read but I can't exclude it from the list)<br />
4) <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/03/fahrenheit-451-ray-bradbury.html">Fahrenheit 451</a></em>- Ray Bradbury<br />
3) <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/count-of-monte-cristo-alexandre-dumas.html">The Count of Monte Cristo</a></em>- Alexandre Dumas<br />
2) <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/sense-sensibility-jane-austen.html">Sense & Sensibility</a></em>- Jane Austen<br />
...*drumroll please*...<br />
1) <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2011/08/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-hp-series.html">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</a></em>- J.K. Rowling<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><u>LESSONS LEARNED</u></strong></div><br />
Always pack a towel--it will become very useful (<em>The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy</em>)<br />
Don't trust a cat with green eyes (<em>Pet Sematary</em>)<br />
Teach recipes in English class (<em>Teacher Man</em>)<br />
A dead dog and a tuba will fit snugly but perfectly in the trunk of a car (<em>Wonder Boys</em>)<br />
*Note: I sure hope I never have to apply this lesson in my life.<br />
Trust the memory of an elephant (<em>Water For Elephants</em>)<br />
Watch your step lest you tumble down a rabbit hole...then again, go ahead (<em>Alice in Wonderland</em>)<br />
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<strong><u>CHALLENGES WRAP-UP</u></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">*Special thanks to the hosts: Sarah, Beth, Katy, Book Vixen & Carolyn :)</div><br />
This is my first time participating in challenges and I managed to finish all 5 I signed up for. I found by taking it easy with the number I signed up for (and believe me, it was hard to resist signing up for many, many more!), I could manage them and not feel like every book I read had to apply to one of them. That right mix of flexibility and structure was just what I needed.<br />
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I read 26 books for 4 challenges with specific categories, and of course, all books counted towards the Outdo Yourself challenge. For a complete list of books read for these challenges, visit my <a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/p/challenges-checklist.html">Challenges Checklist</a>.<br />
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<strong><u>Back to the Classics</u></strong><br />
Wow, this was a very successful challenge! After a couple of false starts on original book choices, I settled in and was not disappointed by any on this list. I've already signed up for the encore challenge in 2012.<br />
<strong>Favourite Book:</strong> How do you choose between the A+s in this list?!<br />
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<strong><u>What's in a Name 4</u></strong><br />
A unique challenge that made me think outside the box to fit the title to the category. I've already signed up for What's in a Name 5. <br />
<strong>Favourite Book:</strong> A tough choice but I'd have to go with <em>Fahrenheit 451</em>. It was very ahead<br />
of its time and is important for everyone to read about the scary potential of losing the power and impact of the written word.<br />
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<strong><u>1st in a Series</u></strong> (level: Series Lover, 6 books)<br />
This got me to read the entire Harry Potter series and get a jumpstart on <em>The</em> <em>Chronicles of Narnia</em>. How could I lose? <br />
<strong>Favourite Book:</strong> <em>Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone</em>, an infectious start to a wonderful<br />
series.<br />
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<strong><u>Stephen King</u></strong> (level: 6 books, plus 2 more)<br />
Being a huge SK fan since I was a teenager, this was impossible to resist. I read mostly older books of his with just one new one (I'll get to <em>11/22/63</em> next year).<br />
<strong>Favourite Book: </strong> Definitely <em>Bag of Bones</em>. It was unlike any other Stephen King book I've read, surprised me in so many ways and not since <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2010/09/mist-stephen-king.html">The Mist</a></em> have I read an SK book that stays with me long after reading it.<br />
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<strong><u>Outdo Yourself</u></strong> (level: I'm on Fire, 16+ more books)<br />
I actually read 36 more books than last year! My numbers from last year aren't exact, but from memory, I counted 17 books, and this year I read 53. Yowzah! :D<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmYdL0YF8OgsWqzljZM_WgEqhFYMFv50OkuUfAb5kYbauEdeffzL4Vs5qk-UDDWjDkJVtKKEViEVY0cj-etwpCSR8ZnVgs6VZ2ULyIJTmkmP1LoCGGiEzrWG89xRUhjxZHuyW8o9b1ND2/s1600/happyholidays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmYdL0YF8OgsWqzljZM_WgEqhFYMFv50OkuUfAb5kYbauEdeffzL4Vs5qk-UDDWjDkJVtKKEViEVY0cj-etwpCSR8ZnVgs6VZ2ULyIJTmkmP1LoCGGiEzrWG89xRUhjxZHuyW8o9b1ND2/s320/happyholidays.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I'm looking forward to seeing how you all did this year and your reading plans for 2012. Have a wonderful holiday, enjoy yourself, and keep safe and warm, if you get any snow...remember snow? It's that white fluff that usually falls sometime in December. Yeah, I'm starting to forget what it looks like, too, and I live in Canada :D<br />
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I will be taking a break from book blogging to relax and enjoy the holidays from now until January 9th. I may pop on occasionally but won't be doing reviews or memes until then. I'll return with a book loot post should Santa leave any books under the tree ;)<br />
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All the best for a happy holiday and New Year!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEgVVRd-eG3MA7jge810bcHTv2twpPeKY3z_-4QSW3iuBSBK-CTfTmrWLy-ReUcS4tY8ZUKAoE1hrR4QTPdlypnPHuLpk0_WZp_zm576QlxlzXWALxNoaafwrXPmk89Ots3yVv45VWEgG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-45345113511475837982011-12-23T14:57:00.000-05:002011-12-23T14:57:53.292-05:00The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History- John Ortved<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AiDGeTeAAwXsrsTsmmqP0kq18VfpEe9FbGedOHVZyFWaaIQi3mnb6OQjHmLMQCCstF33dPjBJ2aXZArJCCgpGZks5ToxvV3IwHcdTbOs48Mrbxo2uwfQtR3MT8a9Pkf9FiSyiH42BjpI/s1600/ortvedsimpsons.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AiDGeTeAAwXsrsTsmmqP0kq18VfpEe9FbGedOHVZyFWaaIQi3mnb6OQjHmLMQCCstF33dPjBJ2aXZArJCCgpGZks5ToxvV3IwHcdTbOs48Mrbxo2uwfQtR3MT8a9Pkf9FiSyiH42BjpI/s320/ortvedsimpsons.gif" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purchase: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Simpsons-John-Ortved/dp/1553657969/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324669652&sr=1-6">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Simpsons-Uncensored-Unauthorized-History-John-Ortved-Douglas-Coupland/9781553657965-item.html?ikwid=the+simpsons+john+ortved&ikwsec=Books">Chapters</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<strong>Published: </strong>2009<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 332<br />
<strong>ISBN: </strong>9781553657965<br />
<strong>Genre: </strong>Nonfiction, TV history/criticism<br />
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<strong>Started: </strong>Dec. 9, 2011<br />
<strong>Finished: </strong>Dec. 13, 2011 (4 days)<br />
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<strong>Where Found: </strong>Chapters-Indigo<br />
<strong>Why Read:</strong> I'm a <em>Simpsons</em> aficionado and love the cultural history books on the show.<br />
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<strong>Summary:</strong> A compilation of interviews and author commentary on the development of <em>The Simpsons</em> and its behind-the-scenes dramas.<br />
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<strong>Review:</strong><br />
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John Ortved obviously has a passion for <em>The Simpsons </em>and for clarifying misguided lore of its ludicrous media coverage, both before and during the advent of the Internet. Ortved provides an "oral" history of sorts by cleverly editing quotations from prior magazine, TV and radio bits with the three wise men of the show's creation: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon, and snippets from his own interviews, mostly with staff readers likely won't recognize by name, let alone place in the show's history, and very few heavyweights. With that impression, you should know that this book is definitely not for casual viewers or readers.<br />
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Some chapters were worthwhile and would have been even better if they had been expanded to supercede the more gossipy, less focussed chapters with he said/she said speculations that start becoming redundant. The chapters most worthwhile were on the writers, the guest voices, and the process of writing funny gags and clever or touching stories with the right dash of cultural reference and satirical irony. <br />
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Conan O'Brien provides hilarious anecdotes of his time (post-<em>Saturday Night Live</em>, pre-late night talk shows) as a <em>Simpsons</em> writer--he is responsible, along with writer George Meyer, for the funniest episodes in the show's history, and <em>Family Guy</em> creator Seth McFarlane graciously acknowledges the <em>Simpsons</em>' influence on his show's success. Ortved also breaks mythological barriers surrounding stories of Groening being the sole creator and mastermind behind the show--his legendary Midas touch is not without the influence of producers Brooks and Simon, both of whom had prior success jumpstarting <em>Taxi </em>and <em>The Mary Tyler Moore Show</em>. <br />
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Conflicts over money and shareholder rights leave you feeling like not all is well in Springfield when everyone's hands dive into the money pit for their fair share of the show's success and the bottom tier of animators, colourists, and other contributors receive less adequate compensation than network executives.<br />
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Ortved references my favourite book on <em>The Simpsons</em>, Chris Turner's exhaustive but fantastic <em><a href="http://whatchareadinbooks.blogspot.com/2010/09/planet-simpson-chris-turner.html">Planet Simpsons</a></em>, which is more in-depth on the show's significance in pop culture, seasonal trends, individual episodes, quotations, and even gag descriptions, most of the above being fan favourites, and characters ranging from the recognizable Simpsons clan to the more anonymous Comic Book Guy, Bumblebee Man and Squeaky-Voiced Teen. However, long-time fans of <em>The Simpsons </em>will probably be as powerless to resist this book as Homer is to a sprinkle-covered donut.<br />
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<strong>Rank: <span style="background-color: lime;">(B)- Good, Maybe Read It</span></strong>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-50009132845901526632011-12-23T10:34:00.000-05:002011-12-23T10:34:27.393-05:00It- Stephen King<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRevr2yxzXjQGweiY0Zp428mlC8uQFDKEsZ8kbjqOYvjB5VtYHvkyTH6h2HYe6fIPyfR_TcGtct0lEbCOGrxdQZi9eUqcM4iphERWHpmrW3KO3NSPSGjDbJYi7b6xCFzh2pWpyucSHG49d/s1600/itstephenking.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRevr2yxzXjQGweiY0Zp428mlC8uQFDKEsZ8kbjqOYvjB5VtYHvkyTH6h2HYe6fIPyfR_TcGtct0lEbCOGrxdQZi9eUqcM4iphERWHpmrW3KO3NSPSGjDbJYi7b6xCFzh2pWpyucSHG49d/s1600/itstephenking.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purchase: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Stephen-King/dp/0340951451/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324652561&sr=1-2">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/It-Stephen-King/9780451169518-item.html?ikwid=it+stephen+king&ikwsec=Books">Chapters</a></td></tr>
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<strong>Published:</strong> 1980<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 1090<br />
<strong>ISBN:</strong> 9780451169518<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Horror<br />
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<strong>Started:</strong> Nov. 13, 2011<br />
<strong>Finished:</strong> Nov. 30, 2011 (18 days)<br />
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<strong>Where Found:</strong> Chapters-Indigo<br />
<strong>Why Read:</strong> Was recommended from several book bloggers<br />
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<strong>Summary:</strong> A group of 7 childhood friends come together again as adults in their haunted hometown of Derry, Maine to ward off a shapeshifting demon who has terrorized and killed over generations and was thought to have been vanguished but has returned after remaining silent for 25 years.<br />
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<strong>Review:</strong><br />
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I was surprised to find that this novel is nearly as long as Stephen King's most massive undertakings, <em>The Stand</em> and <em>Under the Dome </em>yet in relatively the same number of pages, he weaves a story more focused on the gang of seven and less varied than the other massive doorstop novels with casts of characters bigger than a Kennedy family reunion.<br />
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Without the undertones of supernatural phenomena, <em>It </em>reads like a serial killer novel, but definitely not a typical one. The seven childhood friends all grow up to have successful jobs but each have a troubling personal problem that has lingered with them for most of their lives, from stuttering to psychosomatic disorder, to sexual abuse, and in a terrifying cycle, all are bound to relive the hauntings of their childhood at the hands of an otherworldly creature they thought they had vanquished.<br />
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Stan and Mike were my favourite characters: both awkward, shy, introverted outsiders to the gang of seven, yet vital to the story's progression, and the only two of the gang to have the strongest memories of their childhood encounters with It. <br />
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The ending comes off like a fairy tale (a bit dopey but it made me smile) and you come away thinking that things are bound to cycle back around again. <em>It </em>is a worthwhile read with an exciting and layered story. At least one character should remind you of someone you know from childhood--King has a penchant for writing diverse child characters so accurately. <em>It</em> didn't wow me as much as my follow-up read, <em>Bag of Bones</em>, but was a solid investment.<br />
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<strong>Rank: <span style="background-color: cyan;">(A)- Very Enjoyable, Highly Recommend</span></strong>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478500839371377052.post-91362479619308614102011-12-21T18:59:00.000-05:002011-12-21T18:59:44.743-05:00Bag of Bones- Stephen King<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2bwh-s-v6ODHvxbrJ1TcCz3WY26RiNWvqPS0ut8wRDH_7fhtwt6CAj4Tv8bwUxTgYDy271zZlRNe6tosLPbqNYJ7UsqBDA7zW1nE2YIpvDU8EA-cgf1HC4bq28U0U4ZqNVnvDR7glpxW/s1600/bagofbones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2bwh-s-v6ODHvxbrJ1TcCz3WY26RiNWvqPS0ut8wRDH_7fhtwt6CAj4Tv8bwUxTgYDy271zZlRNe6tosLPbqNYJ7UsqBDA7zW1nE2YIpvDU8EA-cgf1HC4bq28U0U4ZqNVnvDR7glpxW/s1600/bagofbones.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purchase: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Bag-Bones-Stephen-King/dp/1439106215/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324511842&sr=1-2">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Bag-Bones-Movie-Tie-Novel-Stephen-King/9781451678628-item.html?ikwid=bag+of+bones&ikwsec=Books">Chapters</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<strong>Published: </strong>1998 (original version; I read the 10th anniversary edition)<br />
<strong>Pages: </strong>548<br />
<strong>ISBN: </strong>9781439106211<br />
<strong>Genre: </strong>Mystery/Horror<br />
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<strong>Started: </strong>Dec. 1, 2011<br />
<strong>Finished: </strong>Dec. 9, 2011 (9 days)<br />
<br />
<strong>Where Found: </strong>Chapters-Indigo<br />
<strong>Why Read: </strong>It's no secret that I love Stephen King books. This one was recommended by <a href="http://twobibliomaniacs.blogspot.com/">Two Bibliomaniacs</a>. Thanks :)<br />
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<strong>Summary: </strong>A writer whose wife died suddenly 4 years ago returns to their summer retreat, Sara Laughs, where he encounters supernatural phenomena coinciding with the custodial struggle of a young mother with a precocious 3-year-old against the wealthy psychotic father of her dead husband.<br />
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<strong>Review:</strong><br />
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If Daphne du Maurier and Ray Bradbury had a child who wrote a book, would your first guess to his/her identity be Stephen King? Me neither.<br />
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King enters vaguely familiar territory without veering too far from his background in horror fiction with the shocking backstory that is slowly unveiled as writer Mike Noonan (in a thinly disguised likeness of the author) tries to resolve a three-fold mystery: the bizarre nature of his wife's sudden, tragic death; the cause and source of eerie ghost-like behaviour in the house: a bell that rings on its own, refrigerator letter magnets that spell cryptic messages, thumping that responds to yes/no questions, and deathly screams he recognizes as those of his wife's, and the crotchety multi-millionnaire along with his skeletal crone of a constant companion seeking to ruin his widowed daughter-in-law through any means necessary to fight custody of his 3-year-old granddaughter who quickly forms a significant bond with Mike. Whew...<br />
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It takes time for the ball to get rolling and even then the writing is so absorbing that you don't tire of it at all, but in no time, it all comes barreling down the hill. Like a typically clever mystery, your suspicions are many, but your accuracies are few. When du Maurier rests and Bradbury reigns over King's brilliant duality of style, the mystery once a tough coconut to crack gets to the centre core and the result is certainly sweet...and a tad bitter.<br />
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No Stephen King fan should ignore this book and any dissuaders of his should take notice: I've never been more confident in reviewing a Stephen king book (and I've reviewed 16 of them), and neither should you in reading it.<br />
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<strong>Rank: <span style="background-color: magenta; color: black;">(A+)- One of His Best, Must-Read</span></strong>Teacher/Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13280690822570558469noreply@blogger.com4