Shel: #Readathon Update Eight

Oh, why must reading be such a sedentary practice?  And why must I love to read in bed?  Oh, WHY?!

I would be tempted to venture off to my complex's gym so I can ride on a bike or walk on a treadmill while I read.  But the gym is a whole five minute walk away.  And I'm lazy.  Plus, it's dark out.  And, you know, the gym would be closed this late. 


 I suppose this may be why I'm prone to choosing sedentary hobbies. 


 I'm reading on, taking a small risk by retiring to my bed with my books, but still there's definite reading happening.  Comprehension?  That remains to be seen.  You'll have to quiz me tomorrow afternoon. 


 Plus, Monica and I are gearing up for our own challenge (starting in less than an hour now!). So, dear readers, you must down some more caffeine and stick around for that. 


P.S.  Can't help but notice more intense editing is necessary for these late night posts.  I keep replacing "for" with "four" and other silly mistakes that don't plague me when I'm more awake.

Response to Early Favorites #readathon Mini-Challenge

The first book that I remember truly falling in love with, imagining that I was a part of the world, friends with the characters was Redwall by Brian Jacques.  I was six.  That book ruined me for life.

This was back in the *mumble* grrrug time, when the Redwall series only had two or three books to its name, before Jacques had written any picturebooks.  So, my teacher had few choices over what she could read to us to prepare us for the visit.  She told us Brian Jacques would travel all the way from England to come to our school.  That meant nothing to me, until my teacher introduced me to Clooney the Scourge and Redwall Abbey.

Let's be honest.  I was WAY too young for this book.  At the time, I was actually a struggling reader.  My parents had taken me to an intervention specialist.  But when my teacher started reading Redwall aloud to the first, second and third graders, I loved the idea of wielding a sword beside Martin or Matthias.  I made my parents buy all the books.  I struggled through them, at first struggling along as my teacher read aloud, but eventually working ahead.

We were only about one-third of the way through the book when it came time for Jacques to spend the morning with my class.  He did a dramatic read aloud for us.  I remember being very angry, because even though my teacher had shown him the exact spot where she'd left off reading to us, Jacques began reading a portion we'd already heard.  Sure, he stood, did the voices and included some arm motions, but I wanted to hear what happened next.

I also remember being insanely jealous, because as I got my copy of Redwall signed, Jacques didn't really say anything to me.  But he had told my friend Catherine that if she lived in the Redwall world, she would have been a squirrel.  What injustice!  What animal would I be, Brian?  I still don't know.

I'll admit that there while there was a time I was completely on-top of reading all of the books in the series.  It was around seventh grade that I stopped reading Jacques.  But he still has my imagination.

I actually attended an author visit he did to Cover to Cover bookstore last year.  While he seemed...er, rounder.  His voice was still the same one that had read the wrong passage of Redwall to me when I was six.

Monica: Readathon Mini Challenge ("Title Teasers")

Happy just-after-midnight, y'all! I'm on my second can of Red Bull -- how are the rest of you holding up, dear readers?

To try and hang on to consciousness, here's a Complete The Title mini challenge from Write for a Reader.

1. The Dark Divine
2. An Irish Country Girl
3. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott
4. Necessary Heartbreak
5. She's So Dead to Us
6. Fireworks Over Toccoa
7. Beautiful Dead
8. Scones & Sensibility
9. All Unquiet Things
10. Beautiful Creatures
11. Perchance to Dream
12. The Dead-Tossed Waves
13. I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It
14. Prophecy of the Sisters
15. Very LeFreak (Actually, there were a couple I thought this one might be...)
16. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky
17. Marriage and Other Acts of Charity
18. Making Toast
19. White Cat
20. Letters to My Daughter

Prophecy of the Sisters, as an aside, was a wicked-cool book... although it did make me a little nervous around my siblings for a while afterwards....

Response to Once Upon a Reading #readathon Mini-Challenge

Okay, so this is a tad bit forced, but here is my response to Bookjourney's challenge:

The old woman leaned forward, the light from the fake crystal ball on the table cast horrendous shadows on her thin face. “Who Killed My Daughter?” she asked Lindsey.

“Umm.” When Lindsey had signed up to cover the fortune telling booth at the middle school’s annual Cirque du Freak she hadn’t expected to be asked a question like that one. She’d expected sixth grade girls asking about first kisses. Maybe an annoying seventh grade guy asking, "Why Can’t you Make Them Behave, King George?” or “Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?” while trying to get her to forge a parent’s signature for a failing test. Or asking about Killing Mr. Griffin, the meanest teacher at school. Lindsey had suffered through having two classes with him the year before herself. She’d even prepared a fake answer in case a slacker boy eighth grader asked How to Steal a Car. Boys were so immature.

The old woman was still staring at Lindsey. Was this woman kidding?  Lindsey needed to do something to get this woman out of the booth quick.  “I Am the Messenger!” Lindsey exclaimed, making sure to gesture wildly. Her drama teacher would be proud. “And I proclaim, that there is a Demon in My View preventing my sight. It stands In the Forest of the Night, blocking me from reaching the Greenwitch in The Forest of Hands and Teeth…which, ah, is, umm, where my answers usually come from.” Lindsey made a show of slumping her shoulders. “I am sorry. I cannot help you.”

The woman didn’t seem surprised by Lindsey’s response. “I had hoped you had The Third Eye or perhaps A Gift of Magic.”

Nope, only a gift for the dramatic. But Lindsey didn’t say that out loud. As she watched the old woman push herself out of the folding chair, Lindsey did hope the woman found an answer. Somewhere that wasn’t a middle school cafeteria.

Shel: #Readathon Update Seven

Wow, I really feel like I'm accomplishing a lot of reading today/tonight...and probably tomorrow morning.

I may even jump ahead and start Heist Society.  Monica and I are going to be taking a closer look at it over the next few weeks for our literary feast.

It looks like a lot of fun.  With lots of intrigue.  And thievery.  I'm entertained by fictional thefts.

On the off chance any of you out there will want to participate with us, we'll start by discussing the first eight chapters next Saturday.  We'd more than welcome your opinions of the book in our comments sections.  (In fact, some happy dances may be involved if you do check back in to share your thoughts.)

Kay, back to the books!

P.S.  Is anybody else's backside vaguely sore from sitting too long?  Yes?  No?  Nobody else willing to admit to that problem?

Monica: Readathon Mini Challenge ("Romancing Your Friendship")

Right! This Mini Challenge comes to us from Star Shadow, and it... was super difficult.

I want you to pick out your favorite book or series where there is a boy/girl boy/boy girl/girl couple that fall in love

Post The Cover of the book and the description of the book on your blog, with the reason you think they should be the top friends to lovers couple

I obviously am way too fond of books where friends end up as lovers. I had to literally fight myself (very dramatic to watch) to keep from listing The Fire's Stone, which I finally decided didn't count since they didn't end up together until literally the last page. That seemed to be cutting it slightly too close.

Anyway, having knocked that one off the list, I've decided on Talia and Dirk, as part of the entire Heralds of Valdemar trilogy by Mercedes Lackey.

Their love, guys, is ridiculously epic. It's all:

Book one! They see each other for the first time, and it's fairly nondramatic, and then they become friends, but Dirk is sort of still in the background and Talia is mostly concerned with not getting killed.


Book two! They're separated by a great distance and Talia is all semi-hooked-up with Dirk's best friend, but they're pining for each other and -- gasp! -- are maybe lifebonded?


Book three! There's death and destruction and important people are killed, and Talia needs someone who loves her to pull her back from the brink! But who could it be? Certainly not Dirk, who has never admitted his feelings... until now!!!


Wow. I'm... I'm going to have to reread that entire trilogy immediately, having just reminded myself of how utterly awesome it is....

Monica: Readathon Update 5

Finally finally, I managed to make my way through Seeker by William Nicholson. It gets a solid three and a half stars -- there were parts that sort of... wandered... but Nicholson ended up bringing it home, and cheers of satisfaction were heard throughout the land.

Plus, no lie, I have developed a serious crush on Wildman. If this sucker gets made into a movie, I am there. Although again, it'll be tricky differentiating it from The Seeker, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising, Cyber Seeker, The Legend of the Seeker....

Anyway, here. Have this long, long quote from page 375 as a sign of my love.

The priest on duty proceeded to the tanks to collect the evening's tribute. The guards opened the grid door, and the priest pointed to Mercy.
"She's the one."
Mercy rose and made her way up the steps without a moment's hesitation. The Wildman took in what was happening just a few seconds too late.
"No!" he cried. "Not her! Don't take her!"
The grid door dropped down onto him, knocking him to the floor. The heavy bolts slammed home. He was up and hanging from the bars, rattling and screaming, before the priest and the tribute were out of the door.
"Not her!" he screamed. "Not her!"
Mercy turned and looked back and gave him a sweet sad smile. He saw in that look that she was ready, even willing, to die, but all the raging life force in him cried out against it. He turned and howled at the rest of the prisoners, who looked on, silent in the tank.
"Are you dead already? Why don't you shout? Why don't you scream? Don't let them do this! What are you? Chickens? We're going to die anyway! Don't die silent! Die noisy! Die yelling! Die loud!"
He followed this with a great wordless howl of fury.
"Aieee-ee-ee!"

#readathon Bookish Movies Mini-Challenge Answer

I would absolutely LOVE to see Diana Peterfreund's young adult fantasy novel Rampant turned into a movie.

My reasoning for this can be summarized with two words:  Killer.  Unicorns.

Awesome, right?

Or at least, it has the potential to be.  Depending on the special effects used...

Okay, I can't help myself.  Let me say more!

This was my favorite book of 2009.  It was well-written and powerful.  Rampant could pretty much be considered a Buffy the Vampire series for a new generation of girls. The teenage ladies kick many a mythical bum-bum, all while weighing the meaning of virginity, female empowerment and sexuality.

To play our tough, young protagonist, Astrid, I think I'll go with...

Saoirse Ronan (of The Lovely Bones and Atonement).  Mostly because her acting annoys me much less than the lack of acting skills of many other young actresses out there.

Shel: #Readathon Update Six (Complete with Survey Action!)

1. What are you reading right now?

Dusssie by Nancy Springer

2. How many books have you read so far?

Erm...5 ish and 1/2 of two other books-ish (don't be too impressed.  A few were picturebooks!)

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

I want to make some progress in The Kayla Chronicles.  I also want to pick Will Grayson, Will Grayson back up.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?

Not at all.  Spending the day reading is fairly normal.  I'm just more studious today.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

My main interruption has been the pesky tendency to get hungry.  I don't think there's much anyone can do about that but eat.  I suppose next time around I could plan to have a servant to spoon food into my mouth for me.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

That I've been able to resist taking a nap so far.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

It's great fun as it is!

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

Erm, to be honest, I'm surprised how well it's going this time.  The last readathon felt much more difficult.  This time I think it helped to include some quick reads.

9. Are you getting tired yet?

I'm pretty awake at the moment.  My back is getting tired of me sitting in chairs though.  That actually makes me a little nervous.  I fear reading lying down may lead to sleep, no matter how awake I feel.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?

Take dancing breaks.  And when you do so, dance like it's still 1987.

Monica: Readathon Mini Challenge ("If the Cover Fits")

Yeeks!

I'm squeaking in under the wire with this one, friends -- it comes by way of eclectic/eccentric.

This time around I am challenging you to find book covers that fit the following categories:
Disturbing
Vibrant
Beautiful
Scary
Moving

Ready?

We've got...
Disturbing


Vibrant (BAM, says this book cover.)


Beautiful


Scary


Moving


Of course, that last one may only be moving to those of us who get giddy about unicorns... ;)

Monica: Readathon Update 4

Aw. No lie, I really enjoyed Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. It was all drama-y and full of intrigue and also hot guys who can turn into cobras. (Tragically, the romance moves slower than molasses in January. There's some cute dancing, though!)

Plus, whoa. You have to approve of a book that takes on ridiculously weighty subjects like prejudice and racism, and which starts out with a twelve-year-old bleeding to death from a stomach wound, and which still manages to include fun, sassy characters.

I do feel, though, like one definitely needs to finish reading the series to get a full idea of the story -- a lot of craziness goes down in the last three pages or so, and it would have been nice to be able to flow right into the next book, as opposed to just BAM having everything end as is.

Hmm.

Okay! On to finishing Seeker, and then... we'll see what's next on my To Be Read pile!

Hope you guys are having as much fun with this as I am. =)

Shel: #Readathon Update Five

I thought it was about time I check back in with all my reading peeps.

How is everyone doing out there?

Well, I managed to finish Blokhedz.  And it has few if any similarities to the X-Men.  But it does have many strengths of its own.

For those of you not in the know, it's the story of Blak who dreams of being a rapper.  He hates that a lot of the other people in the projects think he's soft.  As the story continues, Blak is faced with a choice of seeking revenge, becoming hard, obtaining his dream and realizing the true power of his words, speaking from his heart and helping those he cares about in his community.  It's a complex graphic novel that takes a lot of the common traits of a hero's journey and applies them to the very real tensions of growing up in the projects.  I liked the supernatural elements.  They're subtle enough that the book felt more like realistic fiction or magical realism than outright fantasy.

I have to admit, I initially had a little trouble getting into it.  I think my problem was that 1) the experience of of living in the projects was very foreign to me (what can I say, no matter how open I am to hearing about ways of life different from my own, at the end of the day, it can be hard to escape my white, middle class assumptions about the world).  Most of my knowledge base for the tensions being explored was provided by one unwise and unplanned viewing of the movie Honey.  2)  And that I had some trouble with the slang.  (Of course, I didn't discover that there was a slang glossary until after I'd finished reading the graphic novel.)

As the book went on, I did get into it more and more.  And I was interested enough by the ending that I wanted to continue on with the second book.  Hunting it down may be a little difficult though.  The second volume came out in 2008, but Amazon doesn't seem to know how to get ahold of it (Amazon, why have you failed me?  I do nothing but give you my money!).

But at the very least, I can wander over to this website and watch some of the episodes that chronicle Blak's story of using "the power of hip-hop to conquer evil."

(A fun concept, right?)

Here's the first video.  It sets up the premise for the rest and for the graphic novel.



Dinner Conversation:

"You ready to do this, son?"

"You may not realize it, but your words have power."

"Bwoy yah know dah difference between fate and destiny?...Fate is ah predetermined outcome, but destiny, yah must live ah extraordinary life to fulfill yah destiny."


Any thoughts about this series, peeps?

Well, I'm still not certain I'm in the right mood to dive back into Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

I might hit up Dusssie by Nancy Springer.  I'm feeling the middle grade vibe.  Plus, this book may have a starring role in my dissertation.  But to find out, I'm going to have to read it.

Aaaaaand, AWAY!

Monica: Readathon Update 3

I decided not to finish Seeker right off the bat -- it's... it's pretty super long, and I felt like I wasn't making enough headway to keep up with the rest of y'all and your speedy readings.

So I've flung it to one side, with four chapters left, and now I'm whipping through Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, who I will forever picture as the surly fourteen-year-old on the back of In The Forests Of The Night, despite the fact that she's the same age I am. Sorry, Amelia. That's what you get for being an integral part of my early teen years--you're frozen in time.

Anyway, it's fairly epic so far. The Avians have massive sticks up their collective... self... but Danica looks like she's going to rock out despite her upbringing. I realize I'm probably the last person on earth to read this silly thing, but I'm hoping to have that remedied by dinner time. Then, of course, I'll have to read the other four, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Hooray!

In unrelated news, Quest for Camelot is on TV. Am I the only one who had a massive crush on the blind knight, back when that movie came out? Back me on this, someone....

Shel: #Readathon Update Four

How's it going, fellow readers?  Cheerleaders, you still peppy?


I'm about half-way through Will Grayson, Will Grayson.  And it's getting good.  The two Wills have met.  And sure one is still super-depressed because he realizes he's been fooled by someone that he cares about and the other has finally gotten a little bit of action, but I've also started to reach that point in which I'm getting super-twitchy to have to keep sitting in one spot, reading one book.


So, I've decided to switch it up.  This is now the view from where I'm sitting on my balcony:

(What a lovely day for sitting outside.  Am I right, or am I RIGHT?)


I've also decided to switch off the coffee for a while and go with some juice for a little while.



And now I'm going through Blokhedz:  Genesis.  The first book in a graphic novel series.


I chose it because it seemed like it would have a X-Men vibe.  I'm only a few pages in so far, so I can't really declare yet if my expectations have been met.


But, at this moment, I'm most excited about the fact that it's only about 110-ish pages.  I think a quick read will help stop my brain from deflating (a danger when it feels like I'm using it too much.  Silly rebellious brain).


Stay tuned!

Shel: #Readathon Update Three

I've had to pause my reading to have lunch.  %he three cups of coffee that I've consumed since 9 AM were making me kinda-sorta, a wee-bit, just a little, jumpy.

Mmm, lunch.

Now, I can return to downing my coffee with soy milk and Irish cream (non-alcoholic, I SWEAR!).

I'm still paging through Will Grayson, Will Grayson.  To finish this update, I thought I'd leave you with my favorite line of dialogue of the moment:

"I'm gay, not blind.  Her hair's all poofy and she's got a great nose.  I mean, a great nose.  And, what?  What do you [straight] people like?  Boobs?  She seems to have boobs.  They seem to be of approximately normal boob size.  What else could you want?" (p. 81)

      ~Tiny Cooper, Will Grapyson, Will Grayson, John Green