Cloudy With a Chance of Books

I have decided not to 48 hour challenge. I just had a fabulous time at my BIG weekend Scavenger hunt that lasted from getting up this morning until now (8:30 p.m.). I find I am exhausted and in need of some around the home time. My house is a mess. I missed a whole day with my toddler who stayed with the sitter during my scavenging. I need a lazy Sunday. And while reading sounds like a lazy Sunday, I need one where my house gets a little cleaner and I sleep adequately.

A big cheer out to all the 48 hour challenge readers. GO! READ! Next year I hope to be by right there with you. I plan to read your reviews, so write ‘em up good.

So, instead of the 48 hour challenge, I’ve decided to renew my commitment to do at least one book post a week every week starting this weekend.

The Fifth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge

I’ve participated in the last 2 of the challenges and while this weekend is busy with a Scavenger Hunt and action items that can only be accomplished on the weekend when 2 parents are home with the toddler – I still want to be part of the CHALLENGE.

Also, I hope to blog a few books that await reviews. . .

The CYBILS – Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards have been announced for 2009.
I worked on the judging panel for Easy Readers and Early Chapter books.

Go read my summaries of our picks and check out all the winners over at the cybils page

Somehow I did not manage to save a draft of my review of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater and will now need to start over. How frustrating.
I did post about what my baby girl is reading over on her blog.
Check it out at Ezri’s blog.
She gets so many books read that she will simply be highlighting a few.
Though, I too have read much more than I’ve blogged lately.
I’ve enjoyed Fire by Kristin Cashore, City of Glass by Cassandra Clare and Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce, but haven’t gotten to reviews of them.
My plan is a review every Thursday at least.  I’ll rewrite the review of Shiver for tomorrow. *sigh*
I am currently reading Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede and thinking it’s a great combo of frontier family life and awakening magical powers.  Wrede’s worldbuilding skills are grand and her heroine, Eff, has a classic appeal not unlike Laura in the Little House books or Anne of Green Gables.

I have such a long list of books to read that I usually don’t pick one just because I run across it and it has a pretty cover, but I am so glad I did just that with this book.

Beatrice (aka Bertie) Shakespeare Smith lives in a “The Theatre” a world of its own where players from classics of the stage are called into existence when they are needed for the Theatre’s productions. Bertie is constantly accompanied by a trio of mischievous fairies from a Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ariel from the Tempest alternatively charms her with his magic and drives her to curses with his trickery. And one of the pirates from Peter Pan is a love interest even though he has but one line in his production.

The magic of the Theatre was palpable even for those who might not be familiar with the plays of the bard. This book was unique in its vision, charming in its execution. A pleasure to read.

I am thinking with the “Cloudy with Chance. . . ” movie coming out that my blog needs a new name. Using my favorite picture book seemed so fitting a couple years ago . . . but now there’s a hyper-promoted movie with a cgi monkey involved and it doesn’t seem to fit as well.

1. I could go with another favorite childhood picture book.  I am not sure “The Grouchy Ladybug” fits.  It makes me sound grumpy which is not always inaccurate, but. . .
2. Or maybe a take-off on a picture book like “Amanda and the wonderful, marvelous, very- good, not-at-all-bad book”
3. Or maybe a quotation.  Though, when I find one I like it is usually something that doesn’t sound like a good blog name like  “A person who publishes a book appears willfully in public with his pants down.”  Edna St. Vincent Millay

I guess I will keep thinking and reading. . . Right now, I am reading three books and enjoying them all.  There’s one in the nursery, one by my bed, and one at work for breaks.

Unlike reading Care of Magical Creatures when what you want is the next Harry Potter book, these two books will satisfy fans of the series.  Though they aren’t full-fledged entries in the main series, both illuminate characters and have interesting plot-driven stories. 

The Spook’s Tale and Other Horrors

This collection of vignettes featuring characters from the Last Apprentice series is well done. With stories entitled The Blood Dish, The Dead Apprentice and The Witch Assassin there is plenty of the creepy darkness and truly nasty creatures the series is known for. The Witch Assassin was a particularly nice read as it takes one of Tom’s enemies and tells the story from her perspective.

Recommended to folks who enjoyed the Last Apprentice series. Those unfamiliar with the series would do better to begin at the beginning with Revenge of the Witch.

The Demigod Files

Percy is the protagonist in each of three stories.  These anecdotes feel like they might have been cut from the main books or just not quite fit into the main storyline.  I particularly enjoyed the first story – Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot which featured Clarisse – Ares’ daughter and a favorite character of mine.  These stories had all the action and humor that Percy Jackson fans crave.  Fans will definitely want to read The Demigod Files.

So, this year only
12 hours
1,234 pages (I like that it turned out to be 1-2-3-4 – neat!)
5 books (The Lab by Jack Heath, Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund, Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor, The Last Apprentice: The Spook’s Tale and Other Horrors by Joseph Delaney, and Fade by Lisa McMann).

I’ve decided to donate $10 for each hour I read to my local food bank (northern illinois food bank). As a new mom I think a lot about families who have to worry about the basics and know more families are turning to the food bank lately – so I decided to put a little money towards that.

Thanks Mother Reader and all you bloggers for a fun challenge! It is the most reading I’ve done in a stretch since my baby was born in February.

It turns out a 4 month old baby girl and reading don’t always mix.
So my reading for this challenge has been in little chunks between things.
7:40 p .m. Friday start challenge
read 7:40 – 8:20

Break because baby needs love and feeding.

read 9:00 – 10:40 p.m.

Break because baby needs food and Amanda needs sleep.

read 3:00 a.m. – 3:30 a.m. Reading after feeding the baby.

Break to go back to sleep

read 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Reading while feeding the baby.

Break to go to work.
During work (9-5) with a special permission from supervisor I get to read for about 2 and a half hours with many breaks to answer library patrons’ questions.

read 5:30 – 6:00 p.m.

Break to feed baby, have dinner, do dishes, go on a walk with the stroller and bounce the baby to sleep.

read 9:30 – 10 :40 p.m.

Break to sleep. Up in the night but no energy for reading.

Slow morning with waffles and a long walk with the baby and some baby playing and adoring.

read 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Break to find a new book and have snacks.

So, I’ve only read a little over 8 hours with a couple more to go unless the baby needs me.
I’ve read 3 books and 820 pages.

I had dreams of reading 2000 pages (I read over 1400 last year and then I was very drowsy due to first trimester pregnancy), but this is more than I’ve read in a weekend since having my baby so I think the challenge has been well worth it.

I am going to try to make more time for reading and will use the stack of books amassed for the challenge and as yet unread as motivation.

Okay – back to the books!

It is 7:40 p.m. CST and I’m going to start reading with The Lab by Jack Heath. I’m already 91 pages in, but I need to finish this spy action, dystopian sci-fi book.