Where I Discuss the Fate of my Blog.

It isn't a surprise to anyone when I say that my home here on the internet has been neglected for a very long time. It also isn't a surprise to me to log in and see that my page views are dwindling to almost nothing, my rare posts garner only a couple of comments, and that my twitter presence has been almost zero. All of that seems rather obvious when I haven't consistently talked about books (or anything for that matter), in nearly a year.

I don't think I imagined that this place would become so blank during the school year. I underestimated the amount of work I need to do to prep, plan, and teach three new classes. I didn't take into account that I would be diagnosed with Lupus and would begin a lifelong war against crazy symptoms, weird side-effects, and my doctor (who I have since forgiven). I also didn't count on a few of my closest blogging friends disappearing from the book blogging world entirely (namely Amanda and Jillian).

In many ways, I have begun to seclude myself from my online presence. I'm so incredibly frustrated by the events of my everyday life, namely the Lupus, that trying to maintain a happier online presence is just too much. And balancing doctor's appointments, exhaustion, and a crazy first year of teaching leaves me little time to read. And when I do read, I feel guilty the entire time.

It was only when talking to my doctor last week that I realized how unhappy I have been...because I have stopped doing things for me. The last 6-8 months have been devoted to trying to keep my head above water at school and battling the ins and outs of my diagnosis. It was only when speaking with my doctor (and crying a bit after some bad news), that he suggested that I take more time for myself-that focusing too much on everything else has depleted me. He told me that when school ends, I need to relax, get healthy, and read.

It was what I needed to hear. I was thisclose to deleting my blog a week or so ago. But I'm going to give it one more try. By the end of the summer, if I'm not feeling it, I'll let go.

The simple truth is, I cannot handle one more piece of stress. But if I can rekindle my love and energy for this, I want to. Because I miss it.

In any case, I felt like I should share-to anyone who may still read this space. In only 3 more weeks I'll be done, and a summer of reading, relaxing, and focusing on myself will launch. I hope that some of you will be there.

The Classics Club Spin-Take 2.

I failed miserably the first time I participated in the Classics Club Spin. But with summer lingering a mere 4 weeks away (seriously, this school year has flown by), I'm going to have a LOT of reading time! I figured I should get back into the reading spirit by going along with the spin!

The rules are simple...I make a list of 20 books off my TBR as candidates for the spin. The Classics Club will "spin" for a number...whatever number is chosen will become the book I read as my spin book! I will have until July 1 to finish the book!

I'm dividing my list into categories to make things a bit more interesting.

Here we go!

4 Books I DON'T want to Read:
1. Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyon
2. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
3. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
4. Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov

4 Books from my TBR Challenge:
5.Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
7. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
8. Remains of the Day by Kazou Ishiguro

4 Chunksters:
9. Clarissa by Samuel Richardson (because this would be a good push to finish it)
10. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
11. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
12. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

4 Books I WANT to Read:
13. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
14. The Return of the Native by Thomas hardy
15. Billy Budd by Herman Melville
16. 1984 by George Orwell

4 Books Matt Chose (based on title):
17. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
18. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
19. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
20. Belinda by Maria Edgeworth

There you you have it! Let me know if you are participating, as well as what books you chose for your list!

Weekly Wrap-up for May 4/5, 2013: Chaotic.

It has been a busy and hellish couple of weeks, and quite honestly, I don't see an end to this until June.

I've been in the midst of a flare since early last week-swollen and achy joints, weird rashes, and some other oddities. My hip gave out on me one morning and I actually fell and conked my head (I was fine). But my joints have just been all kinds of angry at me. It's becoming quite noticeable (to the point where students are asking if I'm okay), and I'm not sure what to do about it. I don't feel like I need to tell my kids about it, but they're probably a little weirded out by a 27 year-old hobbling around. Anyway, it got so bad that I took Thursday off to relax my joints and take it easy. I just couldn't make it through the week.

But, we only have 28 school days left...that's CRAZY. Where has this year gone? And while I am excited to be nearing the end (spring is IN THE AIR), I'm also sad to be saying goodbye to my first official year. I'm not sure what I'll be doing next year, and looking back, I enjoyed my classes this year. Our school is growing (we're gaining a LOT of students next year) and there are no more spare classrooms. I actually get bumped out of my room for the last two hours of the day, and I think it's going to be worse next year. I really don't want to be teaching from a cart (and the idea of having to walk around the school is making my joints and achiness a bit nervous), but I am definitely low man on the totem pole. I also don't know what classes I am teaching. I think they're trying to get me more English, but we'll see what happens.

I'm also just looking forward to the summer. I'm not going back to the park this year, which was a huge and somewhat scary decision. Part of it is that I don't think I can physically do the job anymore (right now the idea of lugging trash around and chopping trees gets me all freaked out), but I also just need a break. I need some down time to take care of some things other than work! I already have plans to get back into some serious reading (I'm going to treat things as if I was in school-deadlines for books, blog posts, etc) as well as some writing. I'm also going to help out with our district's Summer Music Theatre program and do some curriculum planning for our American Literature course. I'll be busy enough without the park to worry about.

Nothing else has been going on. I'm still not reading a great deal. Be the time I usually get to bed and pull a book out, my eyes start closing by the second page. I've been devoting a lot of free time to planning and prepping (it seriously takes so much time), so I just keep pushing through. I know that next year won't be nearly as bad because I'll be starting with everything I'm doing this year. That's what I keep telling myself anyway. The only problem is that I don't leave enough time for grading and right now I am under a huge pile of projects and book reports that I have had for FAR TOO LONG. There are just not enough hours in the day.

So, bear with me. I'm itchy to dive into blogging, but life has gotten in the way. Sometimes I think it would just be easier to delete the blog and be done with it....but I do love it. I miss it. I miss you. Someday...

Readathon Post! *Update x4*

8:10 PM: I think I'm calling an to my readathoning...or lack thereof. I was really looking forward to today, but my body isn't too happy with me. After writing the last post, I passed out on the couch for another 3 hours and only woke up because Matt came home. My joints are aching and I feel like I could sleep for days...so while I will probably read for a few more hours, I don't think I'm going to update anymore.

I hope everyone had a very successful readathon!

3:49 PM: Well, I ended up taking a bit of nap, then I read for a little while before taking a shower and taking care of a few chores around the apartment. I'm ready to get settled back into Bitterblue and read until Matt gets home from work in another 3 hours or so.

I hope you're also getting a lot of reading done!

Readathon Nonsense Stats (3:52 PM):
# of Pages Read:211
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Beverages: 3 (all big bottles of water-no caffeine yet!)
# of Kitten Cuddles:3 (Lily cuddled this morning, and Sparty has been attacking me off and on for the last hour. Right now he is eying my lap...)
Random Thoughts: Really just want to dive back into Bitterblue!

10:52 AM: Breakfast had so much potential, but sadly let me down. Please note that you should check to make sure you have everything you need before cooking and eating. I mixed my pancake mix, got them all cooked, then when to grab my syrup, and it was ALL GONE. :( I ate them anyway, but they would have been better with syrup on top.

Nevertheless, I will soldier on now that I have food in my tummy. Bitterblue, here I come!

Readathon Nonsense Stats (10:54 AM):
# of Pages Read:156
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Beverages: 2 (finish a large bottle of water early this morning, and I am halfway through a bottle of grape enhanced water. YUM).
# of Kitten Cuddles:1 (Lily was very affectionate this morning, rubbing on the corner of my book and nudging my hands to be petted).
Random Thoughts: I think I have chocolate on my face...

9:54 AM: I decided to take a little break now, after settling in with Bitterblue for the first hour and a half. I made some great progress, and I am SO GLAD I decided to start with that book! It's amazing!

I'm getting pretty hungry, so I suppose I should eat breakfast. And I am definitely thinking of some pancakes...with chocolate chips. Yep, that sounds about right. :) I also need something to drink since I downed my bottle of water already (My Brita refillable water bottles are one of the best purchases I have ever made.

Anyway, breakfast time and more reading. I'll probably check the website since the next post should be up soon. :)

Readathon Nonsense Stats (9:58 AM):
# of Pages Read:156
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Beverages:1 (a very large bottle of ice water-yummy)
# of Kitten Cuddles:1 (Lily was very affectionate this morning, rubbing on the corner of my book and nudging my hands to be petted).
Random Thoughts: Really loving Bitterblue so far-wonder when Cashore's next book will be out!

7:46 AM: Hi everyone! I'm excited to be participated in the 24-hour readathon happening today. I wasn't sure if I was going to, but I really need the down time! I've been having a flare-up the last few days, so sitting and reading sounds FABULOUS.

I've participated in every readathon since I started blogging, so this has to be my 6th or 7th go! I've learned not to push myself too hard, and to just enjoy spending some time catching up on some great titles. Whenever I push myself too hard, I regret it later. I'm planning on my usual routine today. And to keep you up to speed, I will be updating this post all day so I won't bother you with numerous little tidbits all day!

I have a good mix of books on my pile:

• The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather: This is the only one I've actually started already (about 40 pages in), and I definitely want to make a dent. I think I might save this one for later on...
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: I've been really wanting to read this one, so I might begin it in a little while...
• Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore: I have been saving this title to read today, so this is the first book I'll be diving into!
• Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys: I adored Between Shades of Grey, so this one has been on my shelf since it came out.
• Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans: I love the bright colors and the premise sounds amazing. I might save this one for later tonight when I get tired.
• Every Day by David Levithan: This will be my second attempt at Levithan's writing, and I am looking forward to it. I've heard great things!

I'm sure that I'll end up reading a book not on my little list at some point today-as is the beauty and wonder of the readathon, but we'll have to see. 

And, before I start reading, the introductory meme:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Lovely Michigan. Thankfully, today it looks like Spring outside. In addition to having some 70* days this week, it also snowed on Wednesday. Ah, lovely Michigan. In my apartment, I'll be mainly reading from my couch. :)

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Definitely "Bitterblue." I've been saving it so I could read it in one big sitting, so hopefully it lives up to those expectations. I'm also looking forward to diving deeper in my Cather title. 

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

We have a little local diner about 2 minutes from our apartment, and I already know I'm ordering lunch from them. :) They make the BEST salads...and I have students who work there, so they always hook me up. :) I also have some apples in the fridge and peanut butter in the pantry, so I am sure that will be making an appearance.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I've been in a bit of a reading slump (after reading something like 7 books over my Spring Break), so I really need this downtime!

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?
I've learned how to pace myself. I always start with a fun title I am looking forward to-that way, when I finish it, I'm energized for the day. I've also learned that I can't do the full 24-hours. It leaves me cranky the next day, and since I have a LOT of grading to do, I definitely need to be alert tomorrow! I've also learned to drink lots of water, take breaks to chat on twitter, and to cheer others on! But most of all, READ. Spending too much time online or participating in complicated memes means less reading time!

And my readathon stats (I will add to this throughout the day and attach it under each update):

Readathon Nonsense Stats (8:02 AM):
# of Pages Read: 0
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Beverages: 0
# of Kitten Cuddles: 0
Random Thoughts: I'm ready to get this party started!

A Lot of Book Loot.

I wasn't game for editing a review for today, so I was looking for something different. Then, my husband obnoxiously said, "Why don't you show them all those new books you've been getting?" He's a smart man.

I used to be really good about showing new books, but I haven't done a book loot post or picture in a really long time! I don't even remember what I have/haven't posted about. But, I think I gathered a good chunk of titles to show off, and while they don't include everything I've gotten in the last six months (that would be embarrassing), this includes a LOT of what I have gotten.

I do want to note that I purchase almost all of my books. Once in awhile I get a book for review, but considering what I do review, that isn't very often. :) And I am aware that the amount of books I buy makes me seem ridiculous, but I'm perfectly okay with that. I like buying books. And generally speaking, I stick to my monthly book budget (which Matt (the husband) strictly enforces). In any case, here are books that are new to my shelves.

**All the pics were taken on my phone, so I apologize if they aren't perfect. I'm not a photographer by any means. :)**

(This and the next ____ pictures were taken in our office. The shelves I have in here are YA, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, and History type titles-you'll see some peeking around in some of the pics).

I've heard a lot of good things about Kristen Cashore and her books, and I finally picked up Graceling after Christmas with a gift card. It was an AMAZING book, so I ran out and picked up Fire and Bitterblue as soon as I finished. Fire was also pretty good, and Bitterblue has been sitting on my nightstand waiting for me to read it. I read both Graceling and Fire in long sittings, so I am saving Bitterblue for such an occasion. Most likely I will get to it during the readathon on Saturday.

Next up is a wide assortment of YA titles (from left to right):

• Requiem by Lauren Oliver: While I didn't love Delirium or Pandemonium a whole lot, I wanted to see how the series ended. It was a good series, but not my favorite. This one is coming up in a review soon.
• Sever by Lauren DeStefano: This is the third title in the "The Chemical Garden" series. I own the other two titles as well (Wither and Fever), but I haven't read them yet....Yeah, I know.
• Half-Brother by Kenneth Oppel: I got this one at our school book fair. I'm not entirely sure why I picked it up (I think a couple of my students were talking about it?), but it looks interesting enough.
• Blood Red Road by Moira Young: This is another title I picked up at the book fair. I remember reading really good things about this one, so I figured it was worth a shot!
• Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans: This one was a no-brainer since Lenore is a book blogger that I really love. I bought this when it debuted, and I've heard that it has a new title now (The 2 in the title confused buyers-thought it was second in a series). I'm looking forward to reading it!
• Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers: This was another book fair buy. I really liked the cover, and one of my students purchased it as well. She generally reads things that I've read in the past, so I figured I might as well.

 

This is another chunk of YA (from left to right):

• Seraphina by Rachel Hartman: I really love dragon fantasy, so when I saw this, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. I didn't know when I bought it that it was in a series, so I might wait till all of them are out before reading (I tend to do that with fantasy series-I like to read them ina  row).
• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick: I'm not sure why I picked this one up-I think from a blogger recommendation? It looks interesting enough, so perhaps a readathon title.
• The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow: I did a big unit on the Holocaust with my history classes, and I've been gathering titles to use as supplemental material in the future. This was at the book fair and won an award. I'm hoping to read this one, as well as a huge chunk of Holocaust lit, this summer (an event will be happening-look for it if you're interested!).
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: This was another Holocaust lit era title that I was going to save, but then our media specialist convinced me to read it, so I did. My thoughts on it will be going up soon.
• Every You, Every Me by David Leviathan: I really enjoyed Will Grayson, Will Grayson by Leviathan and Green when I read it last year, so I wanted to pick up something else by Leviathan. This was the first book I picked up and read...and I wasn't a big fan. I found out after the fact that it was a bit of an experimental book, so I'm going to read more by Leviathan soon (see below).

And more YA-sorry these are harder to see (from left to right):

• Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys: I adored Between Shades of Grey and count it as one of my favorite reads of 2012, so it was a no brainer that I would pick up her sophomore title. I still haven't read it (I KNOW), so perhaps another readathon contender?
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith: Yet another title I bought at the book fair. This is one I have definitely seen on a number of blogs. And it looked cute. So I bought it.
• The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson: Maureen Johnson is hilarious on twitter, but I didn't own anything by her! I've heard wonderful things about this, so when I saw it at the book fair, I snatched it up (it was the last copy). However, it's part of a series, so it'll probably sit for awhile until the rest are published.
• Just One Day by Gayle Forman: I really loved Forman's other two books (I read them in the fall), so I bought this on debut day. Again, it has a sequel coming out, so I'll probably wait to read it until that one is out too.
• Every Day by David Leviathan: This seems to be one of Leviathan's more popular titles, so after not really loving the other title (above) I decided to pick this one up as well. I already know this is going in the readathon pile, so hopefully I get to it soon.
• Shades of Earth by Beth Revis: I bought and read Across the Universe when it came out and enjoyed it. However, while I own A Million Suns, I haven't read it yet. I will say that I'm disappointed that couldn't wait to change the covers to these more "unisex" versions until they released in paperback (not lying about why they changed covers-boys weren't buying the others). And while I like THIS style of cover better than the cheesy star, couple covers, I'm one of those morons that likes books to match (see my PEL collection as evidence). 

This is actually the newest title being added to my collection-it arrived on Thursday! This is the new collection of Willa Cather letters (I pre-ordered), and I'm looking forward to reading it for my Willa Cather Project. I will say that this book is a lot bigger than I was expecting!

I switched locations, can you tell? The rest of the pictures were taken in our living room, which is where I keep my classics. Above are the two newest additions to my Penguin Clothbounds and Puffin Hardcovers. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is the newest clothbound (although, I just found out Vanity Fair has been released, so I will definitely be buying it soon). This is one of my favorite books of all time, so I'm excited to have it in such a lovely edition. I also found Matilda by Roald Dahl at Pottery Barn Kids when I went shopping with my mom and niece. My mom was semi-embarassed by my squealing when I saw it. I don't know if Puffin has released any others to go with their set, but I will continue to add on as they release (let me know if you've heard anything!).

(To my knowledge, I think I own all of the Penguin Clothbounds and Puffin Hardcovers with the exception of Vanity Fair and the 2 titles that only had one printing and were only available in the UK-Madame Bovary and Crime and Punishment).

New PELS!

I'm not going to give titles, because I am pretty sure I have bought more than what these three pictures will show you. I know that I finished collecting the Dickens titles (all 16 of his major works), as well as the Hardy titles and Trollope series (The Chronicles of Barsetshire). My shelves are filling up with these lovelies, and I think I only have about 28 to go? Not bad considering I started collecting about a year ago and there are 100 titles (or that could be considered sad...or pathetic...or obsessive-you pick).

I really like the difference in the covers for the Dickens titles (the 5 on the right). That's one thing I love about the series as a whole-each book has a very distinct cover. Another of my favorites is the title for Robinson Crusoe-the gorgeous green with the leaves near the left. 

I find it funny that some titles are really hard to find. I struggled to get a copy of Howard's End by Forster (the white title with the umbrellas). It was "sold out" on The Book Depository for a long time, so I finally went searching on Amazon and found a copy. The same recently happened for another of Forster's titles. Odd, right?

And I want to point out that I love that Hardy cover on the far right-Under the Greenwood Tree. It's beautiful in person.

And a few more-including some by Henry James, Trollope, and Irving. The white one on the far right is Ethan Frome by Wharton. This is my third copy of the book (I KNOW), but I can't help it. The other two editions I own are the old Dover Thrift version that I was given from my 12th grade English teacher (we all got a copy to keep when we read it together) as well as another Penguin edition. Wharton is a favorite of mine, so I don't feel bad hoarding her books.

And say hi to Lily down there. :)

And, from a couple weeks ago, Sparty on my bookshelf with all the PELS as a background.

Anyway, there you have it-a whole lot of books I've purchased in recent months. And, if you're looking for them, I've bought all of my PELS (with the exception of Howard's End and a couple others) through The Book Depository. I haven't found any of them in a physical bookstore around here, so I just order them in batches and have them sent. My only complaints are that it takes a bit of time to get them, and they always come packaged individually, even when I order a number of them together. I find that annoying and a waste of packing supplies! They're also pretty affordable-obviously the thicker titles cost most, but they cost the same as any other edition. The covers are beautiful (some more so than others), and they're well made.

And before anyone asks, I do read my copies (I also read my clothbounds). As I have purchased, I've gone through my shelves to pull any duplicates in other editions that I might own. I have a stack of dupes for an upcoming giveaway, so look for it. :)

Hope you enjoyed seeing some new books! Let me know what you've purchased recently!