Mom's Small Victories

The Great Gatsby Audiobook Discussion

Tanya M — Sun, 26 May 2013 00:21:35 +0000

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published by Blackstone Audio Genres: Classical, Fiction
Source: Library
Goodreads

A captivating story about the fabulously deceptive Jazz Age with a unique ensemble of characters.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Fitzgerald’s elegantly simple work captures the spirit of the Jazz Age and embodies America’s obsessions with wealth, power, and the promise of new beginnings. – - Jay Gatsby is still in love with Daisy, whom he met during the war when he was penniless. Having made himself wealthy through illegal means, he now lives in a mansion across the bay from the home of Daisy Buchanan, who has since married for money. Holding on to his illusion of Daisy as perfect, he seeks to impress her with his wealth, and uses his new neighbor, Nick Carraway, (our narrator), to reach her. Daisy’s wealthy but boring husband is cheating on her. When his mistress is killed in an accident caused by Daisy, Gatsby covers for her and takes the blame. The result is a murder and an ending which reveals the failure of money to buy love or happiness.

My Thoughts:
I picked up Gatsby to try and satisfy a couple reading challenges and it’s come highly recommended to me from several people. Low and behold, then I see that the movie is coming out and I have to read it before I see it so my mind’s eye can paint it’s own untainted picture.

I loved the story, I liked that Jay Gatsby had a bit of a shady, mysterious past. How did he become a millionaire at such a young age and why is he still single? He harbors some secrets and a pining for another rich man’s wife, Daisy Buchanan. I enjoyed hearing about Gatsby’s lavish lifestyle and the elaborate parties he threw and when Gatsby and Daisy meet again for the first time, the scene is touching and poignant. Daisy is stuck married to an arrogant and adultering husband, Tom, the kind of character that makes my skin crawl (and not in a good way).

From seeing the movie trailer, the actress that plays Daisy is well cast. Her mesmerizing voice charms the men around her in the book, although the audiobook narrator’s voice does not do the character justice. Nick, the book’s narrator, did not seem very deep and his relationships with the other characters are rather superficial. Gatsby seems to use Nick as a pawn just to get closer to Nick’s cousin, Daisy.

While most of the time my enjoyment of a book really depends on my emotional attachment to the characters, for the Great Gatsby my enjoyment really stemmed from losing myself in a different lavish time with their fancy cars, fancy parties and fancy people with dark, mysterious secrets. I certainly see why this book is so popular, worth reading and I can’t wait to check out the movie too.

Fitzgerald’s style is eloquent and intriguing. I would definitely like to read more of his novels and the nonfiction and historical fiction accounts of his tumultous relationship with his wife Zelda.

Favorite Quotes:

?I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.? (Daisy talking about her daughter)

?He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced–or seemed to face–the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.?

?There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.?

?I was within and without. Simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.?

?There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams — not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.?

Challenges Satisfied:

1. Back to the Classics Challenge
2. Classics Club

Have you read or seen Gatsby? Have you read any of Fitzgerald’s other novels or historical fiction about F. Scott and Zelda? Any other Jazz Age novels that you enjoyed or recommend? I’d love to hear your thoughts, just leave me a comment! As always, happy reading!

About F. Scott Fitzgerald

From Goodreads: Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American writer of novels and short stories, whose works have been seen as evocative of the Jazz Age, a term he himself allegedly coined. He is regarded as one of the greatest twentieth century writers. Fitzgerald was of the self-styled “Lost Generation,” Americans born in the 1890s who came of age during World War I. He finished four novels, left a fifth unfinished, and wrote dozens of short stories that treat themes of youth, despair, and age. He was married to Zelda Fitzgerald.

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? May 20, 2013

Tanya M — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:51:02 +0000

It’s Monday, What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey to recap what I finished reading last week, what I am currently reading and other book-related news. Bloggers link up their lists and it’s a great way to get new book recommendations, discuss our thoughts on the books we’ve read and meet new bloggers. It’s a great start to the week.

www.bookjourney.wordpress.com

Last week I Finished Reading

I participated for the first time in the Bout of Books Read-a-thon hosted by Amanda from On a Book Bender and Kelly from Reading the Paranormal and I was able to finish up 3 books. See my Goals and Updates post to read about everything I attempted and accomplished. I participated in Twitter chats and found LOTS of new-to-me book bloggers, with over 100 participants!

I was able to finish Interview with a Vampire (surprisinlgy loved it!) The Great Gatsby (knew I would and loved it!), I Just Want to Pee Alone (which was lol funny!).

I also posted my Classics Club Spin list, and found out this morning that #6 was chosen. That means I will be reading Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

I finally posted my review of Wicked by Gregory Maguire and see why I empathized with the Wicked Witch.

This week I’m Reading

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. Paperback for my in-person book club, a fictional account of the woman that inspired a painting. Only 30 pages left and enjoying it.

Listening to The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World on mp3 Audiobook. Very interesting analysis of different cultures and their religious and philosophical view on what makes them happy. Results are surprising and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you.

On Kindle, reading Across Eternity by Aris Whittier which I received from the author. Read 4 chapters so far and interesting story about crossing time dimension, reminiscent of The Time Traveler’s Wife.

Other book-related events and news:

I purchased the Ultimate Book Blogger plugin so slowly but surely you may see some design changes to my site. Hoping to get that done before Armchair BEA starts next week. Armchair BEA is the online version of the big Book Expo America (BEA) that takes place in NYC where bloggers, fans and authors converge in an amazing conference. I am going to take advantage of Armchair BEA and be a commenting cheerleader, cause you know me, I probably spend more time visiting/stalking other great blogs than writing on my own! See my Blogging Events Calendar to find a link to Armchair BEA and my resource to help keep track of these great free events coming up around the blogosphere.

Well, enough about me, what about you? What are you reading this week? Are you participating in the Classics Club Spin or Armchair BEA? Any tips if you have the Ultimate Book Blogger Plugin? Happy reading and thanks for visiting!

Wicked by Gregory Maguire Book Review

Tanya M — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:15:47 +0000

Title: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Author: Gregory Maguire
Genre: Fiction, Fairy Tale Retelling, Fantasy
Format: Paperback
Source: Library

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
In a Nutshell: I empathized with misunderstood Elphaba and enjoyed her personal connections with the characters we’ve come to love from the traditional story and new ones we never knew.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

My Thoughts:
I love fairy tale retellings or books that explore a twist on the conventional and Wicked certainly fit the bill. The book centers around Elphaba’s life who is misunderstood from the moment of her birth and her green skin turns her family’s world topsy-turvy. Her parents are already an unlikely pair -her father a fanatical, ranting religious minister and her mother a promiscuous, lonely and uncaring person. Elphaba’s birth only complicates the discord in her parent’s relationship. The fanatical rantings of Elphaba’s father and strange ceremonies involving a Clock Tower and Unnamed God were tough for me to digest and set a dark and sour tone for the beginning of the book. I found some scenes in this part of the book very disturbing and I really disliked Elphaba’s parents. I was glad when she grew up and moved on to college and escaped her parents’ strange hold. Throughout the book, the author describes the different cultures in Oz, how their people and societies differ and how the Wizard treats the different sects.

I really enjoyed the story when Elphaba goes to college, makes new acquaintances and learns to fit into society despite her “color.” She develops her own identity and interests and I came to care for and empathize with her. She fights for Animal equality (these are the Animals that can speak) and becomes empassioned for the cause. We are also introduced to Elpahaba’s sister, Nessarose, who is quite unique in her own right, and the owner of the magical red shoes which have a unique twist in the story. Elphaba leaves college and the story turns more political as war wages throughout Oz. The war bored me a bit but what pulled me through to the end was watching Elpahaba develop throughout the story ever so slowly into the “Wicked Witch of the West” and how others perceived her as Wicked.

I totally related to Elphaba and slowly found her endearing. I often feel misunderstood as wicked because of the nature of my job even though that’s not who I am, just what I do for a living. I could relate to her ostracism as a young child because of her color as in elementary school I was teased because of my dark skin. Elphaba learns from her experiences and turns into a woman with strong convictions and passion for what is important to her. This book was definitely a roller coaster for me, some parts I sailed through easily and others just dragged. I haven’t seen the Broadway show but this book certainly has me curious how they turned it into a musical! I am also curious to read Maguire’s other fairy tale retellings about Snow White and the other Oz characters.

I found very interesting how the author uses the book as his commentary on the sources of evil, how men and women differ, how religion pays its role and how racial inequality and suppression fuels evil. Overall it was worth the read, if only to remember that we shouldn’t judge people to be Wicked, until we’ve walked a mile in their shoes and seen where they come from.

Favorite Quotes

“Glinda didn’t see the verdant world through the glass of the carriage; she saw her own reflection instead. She had the nearsightedness of youth. She reasoned that because she was beautiful, she was significant, though what she signified, and to whom, was not clear to her yet.”

“When goodness removes itself, the space it occupies corrodes and becomes evil, and maybe splits apart and multiplies. So every evil thing is a sign of the absence of deity.”

“That’s what misbehavior is all about, just a little extra loving being asked for.” (I gotta remember this when my kids misbehave!)

“I never use the words humanist or humanitarian, as it seems to me that to be human is to be capable of the most heinous crimes in nature.”

“I shall pray for your soul,” promised Nessarose. “I shall wait for your shoes,” Elphie answered.

Challenges Satisfied

1. Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge

Have you read Wicked or any of the other Gregory Maguire books? Have you seen the show? How did they compare? I’d love to hear your thoughts and as always happy reading!

Classics Club Spin 2 Book List

Tanya M — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:53:22 +0000

The Classics Club is hosting another Classics Club Spin and this time I’m going to participate. What’s a Classics Club Spin you ask? Well here’s the info from their site:

Go to your blog.
Pick twenty books that you?ve got left to read from your Classics Club List.
Try to challenge yourself: list five you are dreading/hesitant to read, five you can?t WAIT to read, five you are neutral about, and five free choice (favorite author, rereads, ancients ? whatever you choose.)
Post that list, numbered 1-20, on your blog by next Monday.
Monday morning, we?ll announce a number from 1-20. Go to the list of twenty books you posted, and select the book that corresponds to the number we announce.
The challenge is to read that book by July 1, even if it?s an icky one you dread reading! (No fair not listing any scary ones!)

I’ve got a lot left to choose from my original Classics Club goals list so here’s my Spin list:

1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Doal
4. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
5. Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
6. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
7. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
8. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
10. Rebecca by Daphne deMaurnier
11. Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
12. Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
13. The Inferno by Dante Aligheri
14. Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
15. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
16. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
17. Emma by Jane Austen
18. King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table by Thomas Malory
19. The Iliad by Homer
20. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde

There you have it, I’ll reveal which book is selected when we learn on Monday, May 20th what the Spin number is. Wish me luck!

Have you read any of the books on my spin list? What did you think of them? Can you guess which ones I’m dreading or excited to read? Let me know what classics are your favorites or you dread reading and as always, happy reading!

It’s Monday, What are You Reading? May 13, 2013

Tanya M — Mon, 13 May 2013 00:15:54 +0000

www.bookjourney.wordpress.com

Last week I Finished Reading

Interview with The Vampire by Anne Rice. My first Anne Rice novel and I’d been warned that she’s dark and dramatic. I actually really loved this story. The narrating vampire, Louis, is not a vampire by choice and struggles between his vampire and human identities. Louis is up against the vampire who turns him, LeStat, who seems to be his polar opposite, a violent vampire who enjoys the kill. Full review coming soon.

3rd Generation and Beyond by Danna Pycher. Ms. Pycher’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors and throughout their most devastating experiences, came to appreciate life as beautiful. Ms. Pycher writes about valuable life lessons learned inspired by her grandparents. A fast, easy and powerfully uplifting read. Full review coming soon.

This Week I’m Reading

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. Paperback for my in-person book club, a fictional account of the woman that inspired a painting.

Great Gastby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Audiobook for my Classics Club, the story of the love lorn millionaire Gatsby and an interesting cast of characters. The book immerses the reader in a different, specatular age and Gatsby sure knows how to love it up. I love Fitzgerald’s portrayal of Daisy (the woman Gatsby longs for) and her mesmerizing voice. The book certainly makes me want to watch the movie.

I Just Want to Pee Alone by Some Kick Ass Mom Bloggers (yep, that’s what the cover says). Kindle version. In honor of Mother’s Day and because every mom has probably thought “I just want to pee alone” at some point in their motherhood. Hilarious and relatable essays by various mom bloggers covering all kinds of embarassing situations.

Other book-related events and news:

The Bout of Books Read-a-Thon starts at 12:01 am and is yet another chance to catch up on reading as much as we can, fun challenges and networking with other book bloggers. I’ve already started my read-a-thon personally and finished one of the books on my Bout of Books Goals and Updates post.

Well, enough about me, what about you? What are you reading this week? Are you participating in the Bout of Books? Leave me a link with your goals! I’d love to hear from you! As always, happy reading!

Little Women Audiobook Review

Tanya M — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:15:54 +0000

Title: Little Women
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Classic Literature
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library

Rating: 5 of 5 stars
In a Nutshell: Emotionally beautiful story with a charming, close-knit family who focus on appreciating the simpler things in life

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In picturesque nineteenth-century New England, tomboyish Jo, beautiful Meg, fragile Beth, and romantic Amy come of age while their father is off to war.

My Thoughts:

I attempted to read this book as a child, found it boring and did not finish. As an adult, I decided to give it another chance and made it part of my books to read for the Classics Club. I absolutely loved the book and what surprised me most is the lessons it taught about being a mother. I admired the patience and love that exuded from the girls’ mother, whom they call Marmee. She was very relatable and admitted in the story that she did not always have patience, but worked hard on it for years to achieve. Marmee allowed the girls to learn their lessons themselves rather than preaching to them how to act. She helped her daughters develop into caring, thoughtful young ladies who were not obsessed with status and marrying well as their peers did. Although they lived poorly and simply, the little women valued their lives and each other. If I could be like any mother in fiction, Marmee would be it.

The “little women” themselves are charming and as different as kids could be. I face the same looking at my 3 sons and marvel at how their individual personalities shine. The closeness of the sisters was beautifully touching and poignantly written. The kind of closeness we hope our kids have with their siblings. The author drew me into this family and I felt as close to them as if I was their aunt.

The narrator of this audiobook was wonderful. Her soothing voice fit perfectly with the patient and loving Marmee and she handled the male voices with equal ease and drama.

This is a wonderful coming of age story and the trials and tribulations of a family fighting their poverty to learn the valuable lessons in life. While it’s considered a young adult book, I think it’s timeless and I certainly appreciated its value more as a mother myself. One of my favorite classics, it’s heartwarming, emotional, charming and happy. When I need a pick me up or a reminder of the finer things in life, I will be re-reading this one!

Favorite Quotes

?I’ve got the key to my castle in the air, but whether I can unlock the door remains to be seen.?

?…the love, respect, and confidence of my children was the sweetest reward I could receive for my efforts to be the woman I would have them copy.?

?I’d rather take coffee than compliments just now.?

?Beth ceased to fear him from that moment, and sat there talking to him as cozily as if she had known him all her life, for love casts out fear, and gratitude can conquer pride.”

“My dear, don’t let the sun go down upon your anger. Forgive each other, help each other, and begin again tomorrow.”

“…we all have our temptations, some far greater than yours, and it often takes us all our lives to conquer them.”

Challenges Satisfied
1. Young Adult/Children’s selection for the Back to the Classics Reading Challenge
2. April monthly keyword “Little” for the Monthly Keyword Challenge
3. Young Adult/Children’s selection for the the Classics Club

Have you read Little Women? Did you read it as a child or an adult? How did your age impact your enjoyment of the book? What did you read as a child that stuck with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and as always happy reading!

Bout of Books 7.0 Readathon Goals and Updates

Tanya M — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:14:34 +0000

“The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team”

Well my Week in Read-a-thons did not quite go as planned since I was battling some work issues. Now that things are hopefully settling back into a routine, I’m hoping to get back into reading and sharing my book thoughts with you. Up next, another read-a-thon of course!
Goals

(Cover Photos Source: www.goodreads.com)

Original Goals: ~~1. Finish Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice on Kindle~~ Done!

~~2. Finish Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald on audiobook~~ Done!

3. The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

and if I’m really ambitious…4. Make Today Count by John Maxwell

Additional Goals: ~~I Just Want to Pee Alone by Some Kick Ass Mom Bloggers~~ Done!

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest People in the World on audiobook by Eric Weiner

Across Eternity by Aris Whittier

Most of all, I like to meet new bloggers so I hope to participate in challenges, Twitter chats and comment on at least 10 new-to-me bloggers while visiting my book blogging friends who are participating too.

Updates:

Sunday, 5/12/13: Ok, the official read-a-thon does not start until 12:01am, but I was in a read-a-thoning mood and got a head start. I already finished Interview with the Vampire and also started reading I Just Want to Pee Alone by “Some Kiss Ass Mom Bloggers”, which is not on my list but hope to finish this week. It’s a lighthearted, easy, hilarious read. I have also already commented on 30 other Bout of Book-ers goals and there are some great books on these lists.

Monday, 5/13/13: Listened to Gatsby for 30 minutes during commute to work…got to really good part and had to get out of the car! Eeek! Read I Just Want to Pee Alone for 1.5 hours, on page 138 of 185 (75% complete).

Tuesday, 5/14/13: Listened to Gatsby for a couple of hours (about 5 chapters) and commented on at least 17 blog participants from the Day 1 update post. Finished I Want to Pee Alone (about 50 pages) and read 16 pages of The Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Wednesday, 5/15/13: Visited 30 blogs from Day 2 Update post. Purchased the Ultimate Book Blogger Plugin from Ashley at Nose Graze. I like that it automatically updates your book review archive, easier navigation by genre, author and rating, and provides info on book and author automatically. Right now you can try a demo on her site and the plugin is 50% off. I couldn’t resist and can’t wait to try it out. I finished listening to The Great Gatsby, what a fantastic story and see why it’s so popular. I downloaded The Geography of Bliss so I have an audiobook ready for my work commute tomorrow. I participated in the Twitter Chat and read 20 pages in The Girl With a Pearl Earring.

Thursday, 5/16/13: Listened to 2 chapters of The Geography of Bliss. I love this book so far, just the right combination of science, philosophy and interesting facts about different cultures and their perspectives on life and happiness. Read a few pages of The Girl With a Pearl Earring. I played with the new plugin, trying to get one of my posts updated, almost ready to publish but not quite yet. Not my best reading day.

Friday, 5/17/13: Didn’t get much done, commented on a few blogs and was trying to visit Classics Club members who are participating in the Classics Club Spin with me on Monday. Also updated my Blogging events page for this and upcoming Bout of Books dates, updated read-a-thon info for TBR, Seasons Reading, Fairy Tales, Monster and Austen events coming up in the rest of 2013. There are a whole lot of read-a-thons, review-a-thons and blog-a-thons so check it out and let me know if you have a current or past recurring event that I can add to my page. Read 100 pages in The Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Saturday, 5/18/13: Got through the 3rd chapter in The Geography of Bliss. Read about 30 pages in The Girl with a Pearl Earring. Participated in the Twitter chat a litte bit from my phone while playing outside with the kids, which did not go so well, hard to do. So I gave up and had a water gun fight with them instead. :) At night, read 3 chapters of Across Eternity by Aris Whittier, Kindle copy recieved from the author.

Sunday, 5/19/13: Visited, commented and followed 20 different blogs. Read The Girl with a Pearl Earring and have about 30 pages left. Participated in the If You Like This, Then Recommend That mini-challenge. I am pretty pleased with my Bout of Books progress, how did you do?

Thanks for visiting me! Are you participating in the Bout of Books 7.0? What are you reading? Do you have a favorite read-a-thon or blogging event that you participate in or host? Please share the info with me! As always, happy reading!

Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon

Tanya M — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 02:16:58 +0000

Yep, you read that right…Dewey’s is a 24 hour read-a-thon where book lovers converge to read as much as they can, network with other book bloggers and participate in hourly challenges. This is my first time participating in Dewey’s and though I initially wanted to be a reader, with a family of young, active boys, I’m better suited to cheering on other diligent readers throughout the day. My favorite part of big events like these is finding new-to-me bloggers anyway so cheerleading is perfect for me.

When I have time, I will continue to read Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice for the Spring into Horror Read-a-thon which has been going on this week and ends on Sunday.

I just finished listening to Little Women on audiobook and will be starting to listen to The Great Gatsby for both my Classics Club and Back to the Classics Reading Challenge. I have really been enjoying listening to classics on audiobook since I want to read so many of them but don’t have as much time to read at night. Audiobooks are perfect to download to my phone and take and listen on the go, I even listened to my audiobook while out shopping the other night.

For more on the various challenges I’ve signed up for, visit my Classics Club page and Reading Challenges 2013 page.

Update: To start, we need to complete an Introductory Questionnaire so here are the questions and my answers:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what?s one thing you?ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

My answers:

1) North Carolina in the US.
2) Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
3) Chocolate Ice cream sundae, yea it’s been a long week, I deserve it!
4) It’s my first time participating and I will be sneaking reading time in as much as I can.
5) As I said above, I’m most looking forward to meeting other book lovers! and why I’m so glad to be a cheerleader for this event!

Update #2: I’ve cheered, commented and followed 31 blogs during my son’s naptime, participated in the Best and Worst Cover mini-challenge, won a random prize (yay, what a nice surprise!) and I’ve listened to the first chapter of The Great Gatsby. Now while the family watches Wreck It Ralph, I’ll be catching up on some vampire reading. I had my chocolate ice cream and time to enjoy the sugar rush.

Final Update: I read about 60 pages in Interview with the Vampire before falling asleep. I need my sleep if I don’t want to deal with joint pain this morning and gotta cook breakfast, French toast and hash brown casserole. I’ll be visiting a few more blogs before 8 am. It was a joy meeting everyone and hopefully next time I can get more reading done! What a fantastic read-a-thon, I loved the hourly guest posts to keep motivated to read and have fun. I’ll be certainly signing up again.

Are you participating in Dewey’s Read-a-thon? What are you reading? Happy reading no matter what’s on your reading list!

Blogaversary Winner Announced and It’s Monday what are You Reading? April 22, 2013

Tanya M — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:24:21 +0000

First and foremost, thanks to everyone who entered my first blogaversary giveaway for the $20 Amazon Gift Card. My small way to say thanks to new and old subscribers who support my blog. And with, no further ado, the winner is…Angela L.!!

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