Thursday, December 31, 2009

End of Year Book Count:2009

Number of books read: 78
Pages read: 19999
Average number of days to read a book: 5
Average number of pages read in a day: 55
Average number of books read in a month: 6
Average number of pages read in a month: 1667

A Book in Review: More Bones

More Bones: Scary Stories from Around the World by: Arielle North Olson and Howard Schwartz
fiction: children's, paranormal, fairy tales 157 pages
Book Count: 78

This is a collection of stories from all over the world, stories about magic, ghosts, witches and the things of the night. Most of the stories have a moral to the story, and/or a twist at the end. I like that it tells where each story is from, both in that at the start of each story it lists it's country or area of origin and that at the end is a listing of other books that the story is listed in. It would be a great book to read at a sleepover or camping trip for kids in upper elementary school.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Our New Year’s Resolutions:

As you can see (both online and in person) we have like 99% of you, failed in our resolutions this year. We were really close on the reading one, but have written only 1/2 a notebook and have gained a few pounds. So this year we will be more realistic in our goals.

1. We will work on our writing at least once a week. This is including writing, reading about writing, and typing out what I have been writing and saving it on one of the 3 thumb drives I got for Christmas. (as well as some where safer, I know to have multiple copies.)

2. Maintain my current weight or loose weight. Which, I know is the same as my unrealistic one from last year, but now I'm already at the top area of my normal range and am well on the way with weening which is always the worst for weight gain as not only do you need less calories, but as there are more snack times to make up for the nursing breaks you end up eating more too.

3. Not to have 3 resolutions this year. 2 should be enought this time.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

NYR- Note to Self

The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Wine, Whiskey & Song: A Spirited Look at Catholic Life & Lore from Apocalypse to Zinfandel By: Zmirak & Matychowiak
Non-Fiction: Theology, Food & Drink, Music, History etc. 401 pages 2007
Book Count: 77
NYR page count: 1617

We have already read this book so to read our review of it click here.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

A Book in Review: Dracula: Trapped in Transylvania

Cracked Classics #1: Dracula: Trapped in Transylvania By: TONY Abbott
Fiction, children's classics 130 pages
Book Count: 76

No, I wasn't spending my Christmas reading a book about vampires. I read this days ago but between illnesses and getting ready for the numerous Christmas parties, I wasn't able to spend much time on-line, while still being able to think. Now about the book.

I have only one issue with this book, it was written for kids WAY to young for reading the actual book. It even notes this in the back of the book. Which, is fine for teaching kids about classic lit; however, it made me want to reread the book and kids who read this may want to read the book to even thought it is was to hard of a book for them. Besides that it was a great intro to Dracula told in a fun to read way. It covers all of the most important events in the book and even helps kids learn about the elements of a story. As it is about 1/3 of the length of the story and has its own story about the kids that get trapped in the book "Dracula" it is missing much of the details of the story. It is much like a story based "Cliff Notes" on the book for kids age 7-8ish. Overall, I liked the book and want to read more. It seams like a great way to teach kids about the great books that they may not ever read about otherwise.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

A Book in Review: Teacher Haiku

Teacher Haiku by: Rady Howe
Non-fiction: poetry 166 pages
book count: 75

If my oldest child's teacher is reading this then you now know what you are getting from them, but in my defense I read it while waiting for her to get out of school. The book is a collection of 100 haikues for teachers that go from summer break to the end of the school year. There are also pictures. Many of the poems are funny, all are perfect for a minute of reading time.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A Book in Review: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies! A Book of Zombie Christmas Carols By: Michael P. Spradlin
Non-fiction: humor 81 pages
Book Count: 74

First, a note to the friends that got my husband this book. I really like all of the books that you got me, they are just a lot longer to read and so I finished this one first. Plus, it is a Christmas book, so I want to read it around now, while mine were not connected with any holiday from what I can tell.

Now, about the book. It is a book about Zombies and Christmas carols, carols about zombies, carols for zombies basically all the zombies you need to get threw the holidays. And there are pictures too.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

A Book in Review: Dreamdark: Blackbringer

Dreamdark: Blackbringer By: Laini Taylor
Fiction YA, Fantasy 437 pages
Book Count:73

This book is the type that starts right in the action. As it also takes place in a world much different then ours it takes a little time to get caught up. That being said by 100 pages into the book I was wondering if it was too late to put the second book on my Christmas list. This book is the story of Magpie Windwitch, a fairy unlike any other. First, her grandfather is the West Wind and because of that she likes to wander the world, while most fairies never leave the area that they were born in. Also, she can do complex magic on accident. She hunts down devils. And there are more things that she learns about herself and her place in the world as she goes threw the book. In this story she is hunting down a being called Blackbringer who is unlike any other thing that she had ever hunted. Also, the last time he was caught it was by a group of the greatest warriors in fairy history, from back when fairies knew more magic. She is the only one she knows that will fight them. And the Blackbringer was sealed in his jar by the Djinn King one of the creators of this world who hasn't been seen in thousands of years. So, she will need to find him too.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Happy Hannukah!!

A little late, we haven't been really busy with holiday things, no not at all. Now I must get ready for this week's Christmas party. See you in January. (I hope to post before that sometime, but I'm not promising, what's with 6 Christmases [parties/get togethers] in one month!)

Sunday, December 06, 2009

A Book in Review: Every Patient Tells a Story

Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis By Lisa Sanders, M.D.
Non-fiction, medical, science 251 pages
Book Count: 72

This book is written by a technical advisor for the show House, M.D. As such many of the stories she tells about the way that doctors find out about what is wrong with the patient deal with the same rare illnesses that they deal with on the show. But, you see how instead of a small team of doctors finding what is wrong with someone in a few days, many of these people had to wait months to years to find out what is wrong with them after seeing many different doctors and the doctor that finds out what is wrong often has to get help from many diverse people and places ranging from specialist to Google. It also deals with the history of medicine and how technology has changed how doctors diagnose illnesses both in good and bad ways. And, as always in every case it wasn't lupus.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Holidays in December

6 St. Nickolas Day
7 Pearl Harbor Day
8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception
11 Hanukkah Starts
12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
13 St. Lucia Day
16 First day of Las Posadas
21 Winter Solstice
23 Festivus
24 Christmas eve
25 Christmas
26 Kwanzaa starts
26 Boxing Day
26 St. Steven’s Day
31 New Year’s Eve