Updates! Updates! Updates!

UPDATES!

As many of you can see, I've been a pretty terrible blogger lately! What can I say...Life.
Showing posts with label Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Challenge. Show all posts

Friday, June 1, 2012

Bookmark Break Challenge (5 Months Update!)

I Read 9 Books This Month!!!
But I don't want to brag or anything. Just very happy!


Another month, another update as per usual. I saw some numbers, not unlike my own, skyrocket this month! That's always very nice to see. Take a look where the standings are at...

Competitor's List:
Woo Hoo! That's a healthy looking list with a full cast ranging from CRAZY readers, to sensible readers! I, personally, am well on my way to completing my goal of 1 book per week. I think I'm actually head by a few. I knocked down 3 of my 4 rereads this month which makes me very happy! AND I completeed my monthly goal of breaking into the twenties as far as how many books I have read thus far! Shah, I told you I'd catch up with you!

I think it is time for a bit of an Impromtu Q & A!!!

Answer these questions for me...

1. What book was the biggest pain this month?
2. What book do you recommend?
3. Tell me a quick story about how you found one of the books you read this month or how it found you. (Not technically a question, but feel free to leave an answer in the comments or write your own blog post on it!)
4. If you didn't read a lot this month or haven't had any of these experiences then just tell me what you read and what you thought of it!

Here are my answers!

1. The biggest pain was Anna Karenina, but I buckled down and finished it off in a couple of days (I admit, there was some skimming in the middle.) Sadly, I didn't get much out of my second read. Just, still don't like the book.

2. Out of all the books I did finish this month I would highly suggest Sisters Red, especially if you like a good modern fantasy. Some characters were a bit flat, but I loved one of the main characters, Scarlett! Her character made it all worth it!

3. I found Outlaws of Sherwood because of a book review that Ruthie over at Live, Love, Laugh, Write! wrote quite a while ago. I am a sucker for a good Robin Hood book so I couldn't turn it down. It took me a very long time to find it, though. It wasn't in any of the mainstream bookstores that I could find. Suddenly, when I had given up looking and thought of just buying it online, there it was, in the basement of one of my favorite bookstores in town, just waiting for me, and reasonably priced! I had to start reading it the second I got it home!

4. N/A. I had lots to talk about this month!

Looking forward to hearing from you guys! and HAPPY READING in the month of JUNE!
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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Movie Madness Challenge

Another day and another challenge. I'm not thinking of doing something as structured as my Bookmark Break Challenge, but I am curious about the number of movies I watch in a year. Of course, we are quite a ways into the year, but better to start now than later. I am going to create a page on my blog that keeps track of the number of movies I watch, new and old, but especially the ones I see in theaters.

Would anyone like to join me?

I'm not thinking about challenging anyone to see if they can watch more movies, or see more movies in theaters, especially since that involves spending money, but more a challenge to just keep track. Could be kind of fun!

Well, I'm off to create my page. Please let me know if you are going to keep track too. Then, I will add a link to your list somewhere on my page!

Happy movie watching!
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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Bookmark Break Challenge (4 Month Update!)

Another month and another fabulous update!!! Of course, I haven't been doing anything this month, apparently. I think I read one book. :( However, many of you are kicking this competition into gear! So, way to go!

Check out the standings thus far...

Competitor's List:
Ruthie, Casper, and Susan are really pulling ahead and leading this compeition. They are the superstars thus far! Poe is in a class all her own, backing up the top competitor's and leading the group behind her. Natalie, Corina, Shah, Julie, and Sierra are loving those twenties. I hope to be well seated in this group by next month! That's my goal at least! Kyria, Lynette, Eden, Simply, and myself are still in the teens, a very consistent group, knocking out almost a book a week. :) Ib, Shan, Kea, Tegan, Andi, and Cheney are also a consistent group, adding about two or three books a month. Lesley, The Creative Muslimah, and Mrs. Facehead are supertroopers who have dedicated themselves to tracking their reading no matter the amount. Great job! I always love to see what you guys are taking the time to read. And Patrick and Glenda I hope to see some action from soon!

Here's what I've read so far...

My Book List:
  1. Haiku for the Single Girl (Poetry/Comedy)
  2. The Web of Titan (YA/Sci-Fi/Space/Post-Apocalyptic)
  3. The Hunger Games (YA/Dystopian) *2nd Read
  4. One for the Money (Fiction/Comedy)
  5. Catching Fire (YA/Dystopian) *2nd Read
  6. Outside In (YA/Dystopian)
  7. Uglies (YA/Dystopian) *2nd Read
  8. Touch of Power (Fantasy)
  9. The Secret Garden (Classical Literature) *Kindle
  10. Incarceron (YA/Futuristic Fantasy)
  11. Prisoner of Time (YA/Romance)
  12. Two for the Dough (Fiction/Comedy)
  13. True Belonging (Non-Fiction/Pyschology)
  14. City of Ashes (YA/Modern Fantasy)
  15. Mockingjay (YA/Dystopian) *2nd Read
  16. Red Riding Hood (YA/Fantasy)
Please feel free to chat with me about any of my reads. The only new book I read this month was Red Riding Hood. I really enjoyed the movie and wanted to compare the two. What a blast! The book starts out completely different, almost earlier in time than the movie, and then about a 3rd through the book, it almost reads word for word.

Currently Reading:
I'm slowly getting over this rereading thing. lol. I think it's slowing me down. I still love to reread, but I don't think I should have started this many. I think I'll keep them on my list, but move onto something new soon!
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Saturday, March 31, 2012

The Bookmark Break Challenge (3 Month Update)

I'm realizing that I have a real problem with writing a whole post and then accidentally deleting it! So, this is the next best thing...That post rewritten and dramatically reduced. So, I began with adding a comment about how much you guys have accomplished in the month of March alone! Amazing, especially Ruthie who is up 28 books!!! WOW! I, myself, am only up 5 books. :) But you're all awesome!

Then, I went on to tell everyone to move on to the competitor's list and somehow worked in the famous quote from The Hunger Games, "May the odds be ever in your favor!"

Then, I had this pic...


Here's the competitor's list thus far...Also, those of you with notes by your names, check them out and get back to me.

Competitor's List:
  • Ruthie (55 Books)
  • Casper (47 Books) *Private Blog
  • Susan (43 Books)
  • PoeKitten (26 Books)
  • Natalie (19 Books)
  • Eden Mabee (18 Books)
  • Corina (18 Books)
  • Shah (17 Books)
  • Sierra (17 Books)
  • Julie (16 Books)
  • SimplyMe (15 Books)
  • AubrieAnne (14 Books)
  • Lynette (14 Books)
  • Kyria (13 Books)
  • Kea (10 Books)
  • Ib (8 Books)
  • Cheney (7 Books)
  • Tegan (5 Books)
  • Shan (4 Books)
  • Lesley (3 Book)
  • Mrs. Facehead (1 Book)
  • The Creative Muslimah (1 Book)
  • Patrick---(Just to let you know, Note 2 in my Daily Updates I am not applying to you since I have been in contact with you during the competition. Although, I would love to see your book list so let me know when it is up and running!)
  • Glenda---Let me know when your list is up! Thank you. (Also, see Note 2 in the Daily Updates at the top of my blog.)
  • Carrie Ann---I have no link to find you at and your profile is private so I can't get a hold of you. If you see this please leave a link to your blog and or your book list in the comments and I will get you set up. Or you can email me at WhosYourEditor@aol.com if you wish to remain private. Thank you. (Also, see Note 2 in the Daily Updates at the top of my blog.)

Now, a quick look at my list thus far...I'm doing lots of rereading for some reason.

My Book List:

  1. Haiku for the Single Girl (Poetry/Comedy)
  2. The Web of Titan (YA/Sci-Fi/Space/Post-Apocalyptic)
  3. The Hunger Games (YA/Dystopian) *2nd Read
  4. One for the Money (Fiction/Comedy)
  5. Catching Fire (YA/Dystopian) *2nd Read
  6. Outside In (YA/Dystopian)
  7. Uglies (YA/Dystopian) *2nd Read
  8. Touch of Power (Fantasy)
  9. The Secret Garden (Classical Literature) *Kindle
  10. Incarceron (YA/Futuristic Fantasy)
  11. Prisoner of Time (YA/Romance)
  12. Two for the Dough (Fiction/Comedy)
  13. True Belonging (Non-Fiction/Psychology)
  14. City of Ashes (YA/Modern Fantasy)

And, a quick look at what I'm reading right now...Again, lots of rereading. I may have to make a discussion topic on this. Hmmm...

Currently Reading:


Here's what I can't wait to read!

On Deck:


Onto the next month!
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Saturday, March 3, 2012

Kyria: Another Bookmark Break Challenge 2011 Winner!

As Kyria put in her email to me, it is better late than never!!! Here is another winner of last year's wonderful Bookmark Break Challenge. Kyria read a toatl of 66 books, almost twice the amount of books I read last year, and still more than the goal I set for myself this year!!! WAH-HOO! Kyria is also taking part in the challenge this year!
But here is what Kyria had to say about last year...

Challenge Questions:

1.      Why did you join the Bookmark Break Challenge in 2011? I like to set goals for myself and this seemed like a fun way to set a reading goal, to interact with other bloggers and to have a healthy competition!

2.      Did you set a goal for yourself in this challenge? I wanted to read at least 52 books last year and to hopefully beat AubrieAnne and be in the top third of the readers in the challenge.

3.      Do you have a goal for this challenge in 2012? This year I also hope to read at least one book a week and to beat AubrieAnne. My loftier goal is to hopefully beat my own total from 2011 (66 books).

4.      How did you learn to read so fast!? I have always read a lot. I am not sure if that helps. Also, I think that we each make time for different things in our life. Reading, for me, is one of the most important things, so I make more time for it rather than other things.

5.      What was the kind of thing you were reading the most? (Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, a certain genre, books for school?) I mostly read fiction with a touch of nonfiction thrown in from time to time.

6.      How did your love for books begin? My mother probably. She used to be an avid reader.

7.      What was your favorite book you read this year and why? There were quite a few, but one that you may not have heard of is The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. It was about Jewish brothers during WWII. It was very sad but enlightening at the same time.

8.      What was your least favorite book you read this year and why? I read a lot of pretty bad chick lit books which are not even worth mentioning, but one that I had high expectations of due to other blogger reviews was The Wednesday Letters. I didn’t love it. Maybe it was because people hyped it up.

9.      Any books you are looking forward to in 2011? My To-Read book list is about a mile long, but I have heard good things about The Night Circus. I will have to check that one out.

10.   Any advice for those entering the challenge in 2012? Pick short books!

Random Questions:

1.      What do you love the most about yourself?  I am organized.

2.      What’s the most random thing that popped into your head today? I want to go to Mexico.

3.      What’s your blog and what’s it about? My blog is Travel Spot and it’s a mix of life, books, travel, running and photography.

4.      Tell me and my readers 2 truths and 1 lie and we’ll try to guess the lie. I love dogs. I never sleep with my socks on. I have a toy penguin.
5.     Tell me and my readers something you hold true to your heart, some wisdom. I hate backstabbers. I would rather you tell me to my face what you think rather than talk behind my back. So, be honest with people! Don’t be a fraud. Be true to yourself.
Thanks, Kyria!!! I loved hearing from you and reading all your answers. Good luck in this year's challenge!!!
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Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Bookmark Break Challenge (2 Month Update!)

Can you believe that it has already been 2 months since the beginning of this year's Bookmark Break Challenge??? I can't seem to wrap my head around it! Just watch 2012 fly by! Also, watch those books fly off the shelf! In only two months the 23 competitor's have read a total of 214 books! That's an average of 3.57 books PER DAY!!! BRAVO!!!

Who’s Your Editor?


Let's check out the competitor's list and see where everyone is at right now!

Competitor's List:
That's a pretty good looking list! We've got people all over the board. Ruthie, Susan, and Poekitten are dominating this challenge (Just like last year! I would expect nothing less!) Eden, Corina, Sierra, Julie, Natalie, and Kyria are all in a good place ahead of me. Shah, SimplyMe, and Kea are giving me a good run for my money. We all have a nice steady pace so far at about 1 book per week :) (Which is ultimately my goal!) Lynette, Cheney, Tegan, Shan, Ib, Lesley, Mrs. Facehead, and The Creative Muslimah are well on their way! Keep up the good work. Finally, Patrick, Glenda, and CarrieAnn are all still in this! Hopefully, you've been reading a bit and when your lists go up I get to see it!

So, how's it going for everyone? Are you meeting your goals?

It's been going great for me. I always feel like the challenge makes me read more and try new things. I am meeting my goal so far! 1 book per week or more. So, I hope to have 52+ books on my list by the end of the year.

What's been your favorite read so far?

Mine so far has been "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich. It is not something I would usually pick up, but I'm glad I did.

Well, that's all for now. I'll see you next month with another update. In the meantime, keep reading, keep updating you lists, and REMEMBER!!! ANYONE CAN STILL JOIN THE COMPETITION IF THEY WANT TO! Just CLICK HERE for more information on how to get statred!
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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Bookmark Break Challenge 2012 (1 Month Update!)

Ready for the 1 Month Update? Here we go!

This year is starting off better than ever, and we have way more competitors now to show for it! Welcome all you newbies! I am thrilled to have you!!! This is really turning into a great challenge that I am proud to continue it for another year!

REMEMBER: Anyone and everyone that would like to be a part of this year's Bookmark Break Challenge is more than welcome to still join! Just read more about it here, leave me a comment somewhere saying you would like to join, and create your booklist somewhere where I can keep track of your progress! :)

Now, let's see the break down of the challenge so far!

There are currently 22 competitors that have read a total of 94 books in January! Way to go!

Competitor's List:

Nice job everyone! Let me just say that I am more excited about this year than the last. nI feel like we've had more exposure, there are people participating for the second year in a row, definately a lot of enthusiasm going on! Also, I have stuck with my goal thus far, which is one book a week! I was so excited that I decided to update the list early about 2 weeks ago, thinking I was kicking butt! Then, I checked on Poe, Susan, Ruthie, Sierra, Julie, Corina, Kyria, and Shah! I must say I was knocked down a peg, but never discourage. You girls are rocking this competition so far. Keep it up!

Here's what I've been up to!

My Book List:
  1. Haiku for the Single Girl (Poetry/Comedy)
  2. The Web of Titan (YA/Sci-Fi/Space/Post-Apocalyptic)
  3. The Hunger Games (YA/Dystopian) (2nd Read) Getting ready for the movie! I can't wait!
  4. One for the Money (Fiction/Comedy) Also, getting ready for the movie! It came out last Friday!
  5. Catching Fire (YA/Dystopian) (2nd Read)
I noticed that A LOT of people have been reading or rereading The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins! I saw it on quite a few of your lists. The first two are on mine too! What was your reasoning. I'm getting ready for the movie! Plus, I let a friend borrow all of them and she was so into them and wanted to talk to be about them so I had to get all caught up again so we could chat away!

Currently Reading:
  • Outside In (YA/Dystopian) By one of my favorite authors right now! Her name is Maria V. Snyder!
On Deck:
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Monday, January 16, 2012

PoeKitten: Another Bookmark Break Challenge 2011 Winner!

PoeKitten from Many Waters

Poekitten joined the Bookmark Break Challenge in 2011, having read 114 books in total, and she is rejoining for the year of 2012! She's a fabulous competitor and I am so pleased to have her around 2 years in a row!
(NOTE: If you are a BMBC '11 Winner and you have not recieve the questionaire, please email me at redmatinee7007@aol.com and give me your email address. I was missing a few and plus my demon mailer shot some questionnaires back to me.)

Let's see what PoeKitten had to say!
Challenge Questions:
1.      Why did you join the Bookmark Break Challenge in 2011?
I thought it would be fun to keep track of how many books I read.  I love to read and knew that I read a lot but had never kept track.  This seemed like a great way to figure out how many books I read.
2.      Did you set a goal for yourself in this challenge?
Nope, just read as much as I could!
3.      Do you have a goal for this challenge in 2012?
Again, I just want to read as many as I can.  I did set a goal of 115 on Good Reads so I guess that works!  I read 114 last year and I’m hoping I can at least read as many as I did last year.  I didn’t increase it too much cause my first child is due in July and I’m not sure how much reading I’ll be able to do once munchkin arrives!
4.      How did you learn to read so fast!?
I have no idea.  I’ve always read fast but it can be a blessing and a curse.  I don’t always catch all the details.  I think this is why I don’t mind rereading books!
5.      What was the kind of thing you were reading the most? (Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, a certain genre, books for school?)
I was mostly reading Christian Fiction.  I got most of it for free on Amazon for my Kindle.   I did read other stuff too, like Harry Potter.
6.      How did your love for books begin?
It began before I could read.  I remember watching my mom read and I wanted to be able to read too!  I was so excited when I learned and I’ve never stopped.
7.      What was your favorite book you read this year and why?
I don’t have a single favorite.  I really enjoyed the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series.   The Hunger Games series was also enjoyable (though I hate saying that cause it’s not a fun/nice topic!)
8.      What was your least favorite book you read this year and why?
I’m not sure.  There were some that I didn’t think were as well written as others (that what you get for reading free books) but none that stick out in my mind.
9.      Any books you are looking forward to in 2011?
2011?  Do we mean 2012?  Um, not that I can think of.  I’m rereading some favorites now.  I’m hoping to get a little ahead in the beginning so I if I can’t read as much at the end of the year it will be ok.
10.   Any advice for those entering the challenge in 2012?
Just read.  Even reading for 5 or 10 minutes is good!  I bring my Kindle with me just about everywhere I go and if I have some downtime I love being able to read instead of wasting it.

Random Questions:
1.      What do you love the most about yourself?
This is a hard one.  Um, I love my eyes.  They’re brown and I just like them.
2.      What’s the most random thing that popped into your head today?
How I really want to have baked chicken for today.  Food hasn’t been sounding good so I’m excited that something finally does!
3.      What’s your blog and what’s it about?
My blog is called Many Waters and it’s about my life.  I write about being a military spouse, what I’m sewing/crafting, what we’re doing on our house, our about furbabies (we have 4) and about being pregnant.  Before we were pregnant I did share a little bit about our struggle with infertility.  It’s a little bit of everything.
4.      Tell me and my readers 2 truths and 1 lie and we’ll try to guess the lie.
  • I love to eat Salmon
  • I have at least 5 quilts to finish is my sewing room at the moment
  • I lived in Asia for 3 years.
So…what do you think?  If you want some help you can find the answers on my blog.
5.      Tell me and my readers something you hold true to your heart, some wisdom.
Never give up hope.

Thanks, Poe for the fantastic answers!

Let's not all forget to try and guess what Poe's lie might have been out of her 2 Truths and 1 Lie!
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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Natalie: A Bookmark Break Challenge 2011 Winner!

Natalie from The Adventures of the Vereen-Davises


Natalie is a contender form 2011 who has also joined in for 2012! I am so very happy to have her around again. Last year she read a total of 52 books and really gave me a run for my moneu thoughout most of the competition until she start to pull ahead of me and then there was no catching up to her!


Here's what she had to say about the challenge!


Challenge:
  1. Why did you join the Bookmark Break Challenge in 2011? I loved the idea of tracking the reading that I did in 2011--it was interesting to see how much I would read without any school assignments or outside pressures.
  2. Did you set a goal for yourself in this challenge? When I first started, I didn't have a goal, but about halfway through the year I began to aim for 50 books (which would work out to slightly less than a book a week). I was happy with how things turned out this first year.
  3. Do you have a goal for this challenge in 2012? To read more than I did in 2011. So, 2012's goal is at least 53.
  4. How did you learn to read so fast!? I've always been a reader--ever since I read my first book without any help (Curious George Flies a Kite) at age 5. However, I got the reading thing down to a science when I went to law school and then English graduate school. I would read between 6 and 9 hours a DAY during those years of my life, and speed reading becomes the only way you can humanly get through all of the material necessary. I wish I'd thought to write down the number of books I'd read during grad school!!
  5. What was the kind of thing you were reading the most? (Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, a certain genre, books for school?) I adore contemporary British fiction--like Kazuo Ishiguro, Iain Banks, Ian McEwan and Patrick McGrath--but I'm also a sucker for something I can zip through in a short time (like a Patricia Cornwell thriller). There are also some really random books on my list from when I was unpacking my library this year and found some oldie by goodie teen novels like Caroline B. Cooney and Anne Brasheres!
  6. How did your love for books begin? My parents read to me constantly when I was a child: newspapers, magazines, novels, picture books. Anything with words on it was fair game.
  7. What was your favorite book you read this year and why? I loved Eric Larson's Devil in the White City, one of my first forays into nonfiction: it was incredibly interesting and the fact that everything in the book was true made this book one that I couldn't put down. I also re-read some favorites like Audrey Niffenigger's Her Fearful Symmetry (spooky, haunting and about London--in other words, AWESOME!) and The Time Traveler's Wife (beautiful in every way), and Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves (which makes you rethink everything you know about the way a novel is written. At points in the book, the text goes in circles, follows the edges of the page or needs to be read in a mirror. Literary, postmodern, yet all around creepy and entertaining).
  8. What was your least favorite book you read this year and why? Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Angel's Game. I loved his first novel, The Shadow of the Wind, and thus, I was expecting more great things from the second book. The Angel's Game was a classic Gothic thriller until the last twenty pages or so, when the book takes an odd, odd direction, then leaves you scratching your head and going, "Huh? What just happened?" (and not in a good way, as Ian McEwan often does).
  9. Any books you are looking forward to in 2012? I really want to read The Woman in Black; I saw the West End play that is based on the book back in November 2011, and I'm intrigued to see how the book was translated onto the stage. Plus, I'm excited about the movie version coming out this year with Daniel Radcliffe--and I can't see the movie without reading the book first!
  10. Any advice for those entering the challenge in 2012? Be consistent. Reading dozens of book might seem overwhelming at first, but if you say, "I'll read one chapter a night," you'll be surprised how quickly you can start to finish your books.


Random:
  1. What do you love the most about yourself? I'm consistently optimistic. Of course, I have my down moments, but for the most part, I tend to see the good in everything and everyone until I'm given a reason not to.
  2. What’s the most random thing that popped into your head today? "I need to get some white linen pants this summer." (Because white linen  is totally what I need to be thinking about on a 40 degree day in January!)
  3. What’s your blog and what’s it about? My blog is The Adventures of the Vereen-Davises (www.vereen-davis.blogspot.com), and it basically follows my life: teaching, photography, travel, family moments, and our ongoing house renovations.
  4. Tell me and my readers 2 truths and 1 lie and we’ll try to guess the lie. 1) I used to jog past Hugh Grant's house and talk to his security guard in the hopes of catching a glimpse of him. 2) I only knew my husband a month before we decided to get married. 3) I'm an English major who secretly doesn't understand why people love Shakespeare so much.
  5. Tell me and my readers something you hold true to your heart, some wisdom. As corny as it sounds, be happy and try to make the people around you happy. And travel every chance you get--it's good for your spirits. :)
Thanks, Natalie! Can't wait to see you meet your goals this time around!

REMEMBER!!! Absolutley anyone and everyone can join in on the Bookmark Break Challenge 2012. If you are intested, comment below or check out the official BMBC '12 page here.
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