A Quick Monday Check-In

It'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*

I'm still reading The Count of Monte Cristo, 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

Enjoy your week :)

March Wrap-Up & Missed Monday Meme

Work has been very busy this week, so here's a quick update while I'm thinking on it:

BOOKS READ IN MARCH:  (4)
Contact- Carl Sagan
Persuasion- Jane Austen
The Eyre Affair- Jasper Fforde
Coraline- Neil Gaiman

REVIEWS IN MARCH:  (3)
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
11/22/63- Stephen King

And now for the (belated) Monday meme:

Read This Week:  (1)
Coraline- Neil Gaiman
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.

Currently Reading:  (2)
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
Technically a re-read this time with an unabridged edition.

My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week:
11/22/63- Stephen King

Next to Read:
It will probably be a week or two before I can finish Count of Monte Cristo, so I won't decide that now and let spontaneity take over :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Read This Week:  (1)
The Eyre Affair- Jasper Fforde
Wow, this was one awesome ride!  So unique.  Can't wait to review it...but it'll be backlogged.

Currently Reading:  (3)
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
After loving the abridged edition (not knowing it was abridged until finishing it!), I'm reading the full version.

Coraline- Neil Gaiman
I took this to work as the above book is too heavy to lug around.  Intriguing so far.  Liked the movie.

My Life- Bill Clinton


Reviews This Week:
None :(

Next to Read:
I'm probably covered for the next week, probably two.  I need to catch up on my reviews...


Have a great week of reading...and everything else, of course :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Read This Week:  (1)
Persuasion- Jane Austen (A)
Loved it :)  I'm officially hooked on Jane Austen.  It goes to show how timeless her work is.

Currently Reading:  (2)
The Eyre Affair- Jasper Fforde
It's quite a world to settle into at first but now that I'm used to it, it's getting good!

My Life- Bill Clinton
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.

Reviews This Week:  (1)
Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres (B)

Next to Read:
No idea...I'll keep my options open & go with what jumps out at me first :)

I also posted about joining the Classics Club this week and you can view my TBR list for this 5-year challenge.  Thanks again Jillian for hosting :)


Have a great week of reading, everyone!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

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*


Read This Week:  (1)
Contact- Carl Sagan
This one really picked up in the last third.  Sagan has a knack for making the potentially mundane exciting.  Review coming soon.


Currently Reading: (2)
Persuasion- Jane Austen
Enjoying it so far (that was to be expected).

My Life- Bill Clinton
Haven't touched this one in some time.  I'll finish it eventually. I just have to be in the mood.


Next to Read:
I'm really looking forward to The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, so I'll probably dive into it next.


Reviews This Week:
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte (A)
...I'm behind by 7...

I also posted my February wrap-up...a week late.  Oops!

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?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Ouch, two weeks later and I've just finished one book: 11/22/63 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 :)

Read This Week:
11/22/63- Stephen King
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 The Time Traveler's Wife but find more books in this subgenre.  Any suggestions?

Collecting dust on the nightstand but still hanging in there:
U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews Coming Soon (I promise):
Life Itself- Roger Ebert
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
11/22/63- Stephen King

Next to Read:
I'm finally going to get to The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  With the release of the movie The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I'd like to finish the book
series off.


Have a great week of reading :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Quick check-in post today...

Read This Week:  (1)
Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
Sweet, breezy read.  Review coming soon.

Reviews This Week:
None...I'm behind again (by 4).

Currently Reading:  (3)
11/22/63- Stephen King--I love time travel stories and this one is getting good :)

U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Next to Read:Probably something shorter after the 800+ pages of 11/22/63 ;)


Have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Yay, I finished my first book of 2012!  It feels great to kick the new year off with a good one.

Read This Week:  (1)
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte (A)
I really enjoyed this one.  It felt like Jane Austen meets Rebecca.  Review coming soon!

Reviews This Week:  (1)
Emma- Jane Austen (B)
Currently Reading:  (3)
Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
Before delving into Stephen King's latest, I'm dipping into the new Queen of talk's book.

U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Next to Read:
11/22/63- Stephen King
I'm hoping it lives up to the hype...


Have a great week everyone :)

Xmas Book Gifts & Monday Check-In

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

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 

I had to go back and edit my 2011 wrap-up post as I completed 3 more books before ringing in 2012.  Reviews coming soon for:

Emma- Jane Austen
Life Itself: A Memoir- Roger Ebert
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume

I'm currently reading Jane Eyre 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 :)

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 :)

11/22/63- Stephen King
Highly anticipated! This is getting mostly good reviews. I love time travel stories :) I'm hoping to get to this next.

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume
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.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou
Another classic I'm finally getting around to. Isn't it a gorgeous cover?

Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck
I didn't know how slim this book is! A classic I haven't gotten around to yet and my first Steinbeck.

Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
Her show is so lively and never fails to cheer me up on a bad day. Sounds fun :)

Life Itself: A Memoir- Roger Ebert
I read this in just a few days.   Some fascinating stories.  Review coming soon.

...And I previously posted about some early bookish Xmas gifts.

I also got some DVDs: Glengarry Glen Ross, Matchstick Men, and was very surprised to get a rare (at least inexpensively) copy of a terrific movie, Charade, 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 Entertainment Weekly reunions issue from one of my favourite movies:

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.

Happy New Year!  And have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

This will be my last Monday meme check-in until after the holidays.  I'll get a year-end post up on Friday.  Can you believe...less than a week until Xmas?

Read This Week:  (1)
The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History- John Ortved
A decent critical history of my favourite TV series.  Review coming soon.

Currently Reading:  (3)
Emma- Jane Austen
I'm about halfway through.  It's a fun romp, though I still love Sense & Sensibility best and liked Pride & Prejudice better.

U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week:  (3)
I got caught up a bit on backlog reviews:
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas (A+)
The Old Man and the Sea- Ernest Hemingway (A)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers (A)

Two more coming this week:  It and Bag of Bones, both by Stephen King.

Next to Read:
This depends on when I finish Emma.  If I finish it after Jan. 1, I can start a challenge book and I think I'll begin with Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.  If I happen to finish it before Jan. 1, I'll probably try reading a chunk from my U2 and Bill Clinton books.  Yikes, they're collecting dust!  It's not that I don't enjoy them, but sometimes I just need a break from nonfiction and find escape in a novel.

Have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Our neighbourhood's hydro is being shut down for a few hours, so I have to get this up quickly :D   Can you believe, less than 2 weeks until Xmas?  I've nearly finished my shopping.  Next up: baking.  And I'm playing the newest Legend of Zelda game, Skyward Swod, on the Wii--incredible animation with lots of fun bits from older games.  Ah, nostalgia :D

Read This Week:  (1)
Bag of Bones- Stephen King--Wow, this was a change of pace for SK and I really enjoyed it!  A mini-series with Pierce Brosnan aired last night on A&E (Part 2 is on tonight) but I didn't really get into it.

Currently Reading:  (3)
The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History- John Ortved--Almost finished.  It's interesting...most of the time.  It's not for everyone and certainly not casual reading, but it was worthwhile for me.

These two are on the back burner for now:
U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews:
I'm behind by 5 now.  Writing reviews seemed like a chore but by putting them off so long, I get back in the mood to write them.  I'll fire some off this week.  Titles to look for:
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas (A+)
The Old Man and the Sea- Ernest Hemingway (A)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers (A)
It- Stephen King (A)
Bag of Bones- Stephen King (A+)

Next to Read:
Emma by Jane Austen.  I'm in an Austen mood for the pre-holidays :)


Have a great week of reading :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I skipped last week's meme post as nothing had changed.  I had more progress over the weekend, finishing the book I've been on for about two weeks, and acquired some early bookish Xmas goodies :)

On Friday, the final Harry Potter movie was released on DVD/BluRay and all 8 movies were packaged in a box set. There were only 2 box sets (!) left on the shelf at Future Shop and one is now mine :) I've now seen all 8 movies and they were fantastic (didn't doubt it from the start). If I had to choose, I think Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix were the strongest movies. I loved how the film tweaked Lupin and Snape's role in PoA and Imelda Staunton was the perfect Dolores Umbridge. Oooh...she was nasty :D  Unfortunately, this set doesn't have many bonus features but no big deal.

I also (finally) found a copy of It by Stephen King, which I'm starting today.  All I know is it involves a freakish clown :D  And I picked up book #3 of the Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (still need to read book #2), and The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler as I appear to have misplaced my original copy.

And lastly, I got two DVDs: 

Sense & Sensibility
Emma Thompson's adaptation of Jane Austen's novel was bright and refreshing, making the relationships between characters stronger than I felt the novel lead on. 

What's Up Doc?
A hilarious modernized (for the time) screwball comedy.






P.S.  I forgot to mention that I also snagged a 10th anniversary edition copy of Bag of Bones by Stephen King.  The cover is different than this one.

Read This Week:  (1)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers
This was a heartbreaking but beautiful book.  It reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird with its depiction of coming of age in the South during the Depression.  Review coming soon.

Currently Reading:  (3)
It- Stephen King
I'm going to start this today.  I've been meaning to read this for a long time!

U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week:  (1)
An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton

Next to Read:
My options are wide open :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Happy Hallowe'en!

I had an annoying nose & throat cold all this week, so it was the perfect time for reading.  Luckily I'm well in time for handing out candy at the door tonight and will be watching Nightmare Before Christmas as I do every year on this day (*What's this? What's this?*) and I taped Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the 1978 version) I've wanted to see for a long time.  The 1950s original is still really good and I'd watch Donald Sutherland read the phone book, so there you have it :)

Read This Week: (3)
Reviews coming soon for these two:
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas--Awesome!  Highly recommend.
The Old Man & the Sea- Ernest Hemingway--Read in one sitting. 

and 1 DNF:

We Need to Talk About Kevin- Lionel Shriver
I got through about 60 pages.  I understand that this was a critical masterpiece to some people but it was way too depressing for me to continue with it.  I knew it wouldn't be a book I could "like" given the subject matter (yet I liked The Handmaid's Tale, Atonement, The Stand, and other books with very sad, even downright miserable circumstances).  The perspective of the novel was not what I expected (not necessarily a bad thing), and I found the vocabulary was impressive, the style interesting, but it was the protagonist, Eva, that made me want to chuck the book across the room.  I've never read about such a dark, depressing character and it actually made me nauseous.  No thanks...

Currently Reading:  (3)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers--Off to a good start.  I saw the movie a few years ago and thought Alan Arkin and Sondra Locke were amazing.

U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews Written This Week:
Teacher Man- Frank McCourt (A)

Next to Read:
I haven't planned what to read next.  My options are wide open :)

Other Blog News:
Thinking About Challenges...
I could use your input on writing a wrap-up post.

Have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I skipped a post last Monday as my progress was identical to the previous week.  This past week: progress!

Read This Week:  (1)
The Stand- Stephen King (A)--review coming soon
...and 3 DNFs!  Here's why that happened.

Currently Reading:  (3)
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas--off to an awesome start; definitely influenced The Shawshank Redemption, my favourite movie :)

U2 by U2- Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen Jr. (a.k.a. U2)--fun!

My Life- Bill Clinton--I won't "DNF" this...probably won't finish until into 2012 :)

Reviews This Week:  (2)
A 2-in-1 post for Born Standing Up by Steve Martin & Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.

I'm just behind by 3 now :)

Next to Read:
I'll probably finish off the Back to the Classics challenge (my last one!) with my replacement 20th century pick, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.  Wish me luck :)

Other Bookish News:
I went with a friend of mine to see The Ides of March with George Clooney & Ryan Gosling (also a great supporting cast of Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman & Evan Rachel Wood).  It was quite good, full of political scandal and intrigue.  I recommend it...and having two smokin' hot leading men doesn't hurt, either ;)

After the movie, we stopped off at the Indigo bookstore and I couldn't leave without snapping up at least 1 book.  I chose We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (who, until news of the movie version came about, I thought was a man....oops!).  I also got the super fun musical Singin' in the Rain on DVD for just $10 (for me) and an early Xmas gift for my dad.

Have a great reading week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadian book bloggers & visitors!

I played catch-up this week and posted 4 backlog reviews with 4 more left to come.

Read This Week:  (2)
Teacher Man- Frank McCourt--I am always pleased to find an author I haven't read before but have heard so much about and end up enjoying.  This was a terrific read!  Review coming soon.

An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton--Witty, fascinating look at collective nouns (or venery) from the well-known (pride of lions, murder of crows) to the clever (wince of dentists, a mutter of mothers-in-law).  Review coming soon

Currently Reading:  (4)
(Well, not really.  One at the moment & 3 sitting idle)

The Stand- Stephen King--I'm hooked!  After reading Under the Dome, I can see a similar style with a truckload of characters and criss-crossing of plotlines.  Loving it!

The Taking of Pelham 123- John Godey
The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week:  (4)
Night- Elie Wiesel (A+)
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen (A)--have added to My Top 25 Favourite Books (#24)
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot (B)
Pet Sematary- Stephen King (A)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I'm alive!  It's been a busy couple of work weeks but I read the superb Sense & Sensibility which makes me want to read Pride & Prejudice again just to discover what I missed!  The nighstand book pile is a bit tall now (see my cramped-looking Goodreads widget).  I blame fluctuating reading moods :)

Read This & Last Week:  (1)
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen--loved it!  I can't wait to get to the review...oh yeah, and all those backlogged ones, too ;)

Reviews:
Behind again...

Currently Reading: (5)
Aaacckkk!

Teacher Man- Frank McCourt--funny, bitterly true hurrah for teachers in tough situations

An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton--whip-smart history of collective nouns (e.g. a pride of lions)

The Taking of Pelham 123- John Godey--love the movie (the original one) and dipped into this; not sure about it yet.  There's a number of racial slurs that make me wince.

The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith--not sure when/if I'll ever finish this

My Life- Bill Clinton--I'm taking this very slow...can you tell?! :)

Next to Read:
I think I'm set for the rest of this week and maybe next week.  I'll put my nose to the grindstone and start The Stand by Stephen King next.  Maybe I'll finish it by New Year's :D

Have a great reading week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Read This Week:  (1)
Me Talk Pretty Some Day- David Sedaris--LOL! LOL! LOL!

Currently Reading:  (3)
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen--very sweet :)
The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week:
Behind again, sorry :(

Next to Read:
I don't want to plan too far ahead but The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill is peering out at me.


Have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Read This Week:  (1)
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot--an enjoyable biography of one of my favourite musicians; review coming soon

Currently Reading:  (3)
Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris--should finish it off today or tomorrow; brutally funny!
The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews:
None this week.

Next to Read:
I need to get back into The First Wives Club and hopefully finish it before moving on.  I'll just wait and see what jumps out at me from my shelf :)

Have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Read This Week:  (1)
Pet Sematary- Stephen King (A)--review coming soon

Currently Reading:  (3)
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot--I love his and S&G's music, so when I spotted this at the Book Depot, I was thrilled!  It's a smooth read so far, as breezy as the music.

The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith--I've stalled on this one and hope to get back to it after I finish the PS biography above.

My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews Written This Week:  (2)
American on Purpose- Craig Fergson (B)
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne (A+)

Other Posts This Week:
August Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date
2-in-1 Challenge Wrap-Up (1st in a Series and What's in a Name 4 challenges)


Have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I've been reading more & reviewing less...yet again.  Plus I'm working on a family history project with a reunion coming up in a couple of weeks and school will be starting up again before I blink.  I'm hoping to catch up on reviews for American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne, Night by Elie Wiesel, and my recent finish from this week, Born Standing Up by Steve Martin.  I might need to pair these reviews up--two Holocaust-themed books and two by comedians.  All very good reads, not a disappointment among them.

Here are my week's stats:

Read This Week: (2)
Isn't it funny how we sometimes dip into a book just for kicks and it grabs hold of you?  This happened to me twice this week...

Born Standing Up- Steve Martin--A jack-of-all-trades in Hollywood, Steve Martin is a sharp writer, his voice as clear (and deliciously sarcastic) in print as it is on the screen

Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll--Charming, delightful story, impossible not to love

Currently Reading: (2)
The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith-- I'm about halfway through.  It's not bad but feels padded.  Definitely needed some trimming.  I like the movie better.

My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week:
None :(   Time to play catch-up this week!

Next to Read:
I watched the movie Dreamcatcher (based on a Stephen King novel) this week (my reaction: so-so, pretty cheesy CGI), but it's getting me back in the mood for a King novel--maybe Pet Sematary.  I keep putting off The Stand until I can devote lots of time to it.
Have a great reading week :)