Weekend Update for April 26, 2015: Readathon, Working Out, and School.

So, I participated in the readathon yesterday and while I didn't read as much as I intended, I still had a great time. I spent a lot of time cheering on blogs and on Instagram as an unofficial cheerleader, which was really fun and yes, time consuming. I've never signed up to be an official cheerleader, but for October, I certainly will. I had a blast. It was a great way to reconnect with the community!

I did read two full books-Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton and Anya's Ghostby Vera Brosgol. I also read 100+ pages in Mistborn and listened to 2 hours of Amy Poehler's Yes Please while I cleaned and did other things around the apartment (I have about an hour and a half left, so hopefully I finish it at the gym this afternoon). I'm really happy with what I accomplished yesterday, and while I feel guilty I didn't get a ton of grading done (actually...none), I have today to catch up. I needed the reading time!

And since I just mentioned the gym...

Matt and I are entering the third week of our "lifestyle change." Both of us are turning 30 this year (me in July, him in November), and we both need to make adjustments to how we eat, work out, etc. We made a game plan over Spring Break to join a gym, eat out less, and make smarter choices. For him, that mainly includes eating better. Matt isn't overweight, but he is diabetic and should be smarter about what he eats. His goals are just to eat better and gain some muscle. Oh, and to support me. :)

For me, I think I'm finally at the point where I want and need and understand the importance of shedding extra weight. I was also starting to reach a scary point on the scale. Coupled with a very "get it together" talk from my doctor, I'm finally emotionally and physically ready to make those changes. So, I finally set up my fitbit that I got as a present a couple of years ago, gave up diet pop and caffeine cold turkey, started making better choices about what I eat and when, and have been going to the gym a minimum of 3x a week. I already feel better about myself.

Giving up the pop has been difficult. I mean...I would stop on my way to work EVERY morning to get a large diet coke from McDonald's. And I would also drink pop all afternoon and evening. It was awful. But I was scared to stop drinking it because of the headaches, etc. Now, it hasn't been as bad as I thought, but I definitely have had some withdrawal symptoms. My headaches haven't been awful, but I did have quite a few the first week. I think that I will eventually pull caffeinated tea back into my diet, but for now, I'm still staying away. It's been about 2 weeks. Best decision I've ever made.

Coupled with giving up pop, I started drinking a mess of water. And now that I'm drinking what I SHOULD be drinking, I'm noticing some huge differences. First, my skin looks and feels much better. I still have dry skin, but it's much better than it used to be. Second, my lips are not as chapped. I think I'm finally giving my body the proper hydration. I've also noticed that while I don't have caffeine coursing through my body, water does enough to perk me up in the morning. I'll take it.

Going to the gym has also been great. I haven't tried to push myself too hard to start, but there have been a few times I have pushed a muscle group and felt sore after (my non-existent abs still hurt from Friday). I forgot how much I like going to the gym. It very much gives me "Me" time to relax and go over things I need to do. I also use the time to listen to audiobooks, which is another way to cram in some reading. And I find that all of the things I learned when I worked with a trainer have come right back to me (I worked with a trainer leading up to my wedding. That's the last time I lost a significant amount of weight).

I also have a few current students who work out at the same gym and we run into each other often. I love that they are supportive and have asked questions about what I'm doing. To be honest, the first time I saw them I was self-conscious, but I quickly got over it. I'm okay with them seeing their overweight teacher making better decisions. One of them will often walk by me on the treadmill or elliptical and give me a good high five when he comes in. I'll take it.

Since making all of these changes about 3 weeks ago, I've lost 12 pounds. I know a lot of that was just water weight and the chugging of copious amounts of water, but it's a great start.

I know this is going to be a very long journey as I have to lose 100 pounds to get into the "healthy" range for my age and height. But I'm okay with that. I doubt I'll talk about it often, but might update from time to time. Because here's the thing...for so long I have let my weight dictate who I am and what I do. I don't want to be bound to that anymore. So I'm working towards making that change permanent. And just being a healthier version of who I already am.

Switching gears, school is about to wind up for some crazy. While I have no intentions of stepping back from blogging or taking a break, I know it's going to get crazy once May gets here-that's when our seniors have all their events, plus my National Board Portfolio is due (and I still have a lot to do). I'm going to do my best to get as much done during the week as I can so I have time to read on weekends, and I'm going to try and get some posts prescheduled, but if there is radio silence for a bit, know I'll be back hard core starting near the end of May. I'm not working this summer either, so I have a lot of reading plans in store.

Speaking of those plans...a couple years ago I hosted a long Victorian Event in the summer. Would there be any interest in that again?

Have a happy reading week!

Classic Words of Wisdom Winners!

Hi everyone!

Had a small issue with my laptop booting, thus the delay in posting winners for my mini-challenge. First, a huge thank you to everyone who participated! I'm still trying to visit everyone to see your wonderful posts, but it'll take me a little bit.

There were 128 entries linked up, so I entered that into random.org.

Our winner is....number 59, Jessica Barnes! She chose a wonderful quote by C.S. Lewis. I will try and get in touch with you about getting you your Penguin Clothbound of choice!

I also decided to pick a second winner because I just can't help myself.

Congratulations to number 103, Amanda at Fig and Thistle! She chose a quote from To Kill a Mockingbird. :)

Thanks again to everyone who entered and participated. I hope you enjoyed the challenge and happy reading!

Readathon Mini-Challenge: Classic Words of Wisdom.

Welcome readathoners!

Hopefully by this early point in the readathon you're feeling inspired and full of love for your bookish pursuits today. I'm hopefully deep into my first book and chugging along right beside you. :)

For this mini-challenge, I'm challenging you to something I am super passionate about-the classics! I started my blog a number of years ago with the sole intention of reading as many of the classics as I could to better myself as a teacher. And while I certainly read an eclectic mix of books now, I'm always drawn back to the classics and their words of wisdom.

So, for this challenge, you need to create a post highlighting your favorite "Classic Words of Wisdom" and then explain their meaning to you.

The prize?

Here is my collection!

Your choice of any Penguin Clothbound Classic, shipped from BookDepository.com (please make sure they deliver to your country if you're international-they ship to most places!).

To enter, write your post, then return here and link it up on the MisterLinky. Also, please comment with an e-mail so I can get in touch with you easily! When my challenge closes after Hour 4, I will pick a random winner. :)

Thanks for playing, and as inspiration, I offer you my own "Words of Wisdom."

These words, from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, are words that have become incredibly important to me recently. As someone with big dreams, I always tell myself "I wish" when things are difficult or problems step in the way of what I'm trying to accomplish. It's good to tell myself "I will" and be a person of action. That's a philosophy I've adopted over the last few months, and I'm amazed at how much stronger I've become.

Dewey's Readathon Master Post: April 2015. Edit 4x.

Happy Readathon!

I haven't participated in a readathon in at least a year or two, so I'm excited that I can dive back in this year. I have fond memories of reading with bloggers a few years ago, and I even hosted back in 2011 (that doesn't seem so long ago in my head....but it was!).

I'm not planning on reading the full 24 hours, but I'm hoping for about 8. I have a lot of grading to do this weekend (Sunday), so I need to make sure I don't kill my poor eyeballs. :)

I'm also hosting a mini-challenge during Hour 2, so I hope you'll participate.

I'll be keeping track of all of my reading, etc in this post throughout the day (just to keep my blog clean and uncluttered), so stop by periodically to see what I'm up to.

Here are the books in my readathon stack:

From top to bottom:

1. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson: This is my current read, and I'm kind of addicted, so this will probably be my first book. I'm going to try and avoid jumping right into the sequel, but who knows.
2. The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather: This is the next read for my Willa Cather project. I started it a few years ago, but never finished it. I've been craving some Cather, so this is a good option.
3. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson: This is the last book I wanted to read prior to my 10th graders' book battle, since it has been a couple of years.
4. So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba: I mainly picked this because it's tiny, but I also remember quite a few bloggers reading it a number of years ago and really enjoying it!
5. Battle Royale by Koushun Takami: This is a new acquisition for me, but it's really long (and the text takes up a large chunk of each page), so I don't know if I'll start it or not.
6. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol: This is a new title to our media center, so I snatched it up On Thursday with hopes of reading it. I know it's gotten good reviews!
7. Yes, Please by Amy Poehler (not pictured): This is my current audiobook that I'm listening to at the gym, and since I plan on going to the gym, I'm sure I'll listen for an hour or so. 

Happy reading everyone! I'll check in periodically!

Hour 1:
Opening Meme:
1. What part of the world are you reading from today?
I'm going to be reading from my couch. ;) But really, I'm from Metro-Detroit. It's set to be about 60 today, so it's a little too chilly to be reading outside.

2. Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
I'm going to start with Mistborn since I've already started it and I'm excited to keep reading it. Truthfully, it's a reread. I read it a couple years ago and never read the sequels, so that's my intention is giving it another go. I'm also going to dive into Anya's Ghost pretty early on.

3. Which snack are you most looking forward to?
We bought a bunch of veggies and veggie dip last night, so truthfully, I'm pretty excited for that! Ha! I'm trying to eat a little better, so all of my snacks today will be pretty healthy.

4. Tell us a little something about yourself!
I've just jumped back into blogging after a couple years of random posting. It's been great to jump back into the community, and I'm excited that today I will be able to reconnect and find some new bloggers! I read a lot of the classics, but recently I've been branching way out from that. I'm a high school English and History teacher, so I like reading YA to help with suggestions for kids I'm teaching.

5. If you have participated before, what's one thing you'll do different today?
I have participated before, but not in a couple of years! I've never gone the full 24 hours, but the year I co-hosted I came pretty close. My goal for today is to read for about 8 hours, talk with members of the community, and have a good time. :) I'm trying not to stress too much about this whole thing! I am planning on cheering more than I have in the past, and I'm hosting a mini-challenge again! Huzzah!

Readathon Nonsense Stats (8:41 AM):
# of Pages Read: 0
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Ounces of Water Drank: I just woke up, so my water bottle is full!
# of Kitten Cuddles: 1 (Lily was cuddling on my feet this morning when I got up, so that totally counts)
# of times my Husband has annoyed me: 0 (He's still asleep)
Random Thoughts: I'm ready to start reading, but I'm going to hang out online until my mini-challenge launches. :) I'm excited!

Check-In 2:
Things are going pretty splendidly over here. I read for a bit, but took a break to cheer for people on Instagram. I also looked at quite a few entries for my mini-challenge, which has ended. I posted winners in a different post.

I read a good chunk of Mistborn, but I saw a photo on Instagram of someone's pile and noticed Ethan Frome by Wharton, and now I have to read it. So, that's what I'm settling in with now. :)

I'll probably read for another hour before eating some lunch and taking a social media break. Matt is still home (he goes to work at 4), so it's hard to stay focused with him bugging me all the time.  

Readathon Nonsense Stats (1:30 PM):
# of Pages Read:111
# of Books Finished: 0 (I was only about 50 pages into Mistborn and it is 600+ so I'm okay with that).
# of Ounces of Water Drank: 24. I'm slacking. I actually find it easier to drink lots of water when I'm at school.
# of Kitten Cuddles: -Lily joined me early this morning on the couch, then Hemi. Then Lily joined me again a little while ago, but Sparty kicked her out of her spot and is currently annoying me.
# of times my Husband has annoyed me: 2 I had to stop to go wake him up. And I had to make him breakfast because he's a whiner.
Random Thoughts: I'm ready to read Ethan Frome. Amazing how I never end up reading from my pile.....

Check-In 3:
I finally settled into reading for an hour or so, then had to shepherd Matt out the door to go to work (he's working part-time at a restaurant cooking). And now that he's gone, I thought I would take a few moments to pop in an update.

I didn't have the most productive few hours. I did eat a late lunch, then stopped to clean. Then I settled in with Ethan Frome, which was a random decision, but I read it in one long, delicious sitting. Ahhh, SUCH a good book. I think that was probably my 6th or 7th time reading it....

I think I'm going to tackle Anya's Ghost next, since it's a graphic novel and will be a fast read...How are you all doing?

Readathon Nonsense Stats (5:19 PM):
# of Pages Read: 210 (my copy of Ethan Frome was exactly 99....I find that amusing...)
#of Books Finished: 1! And a chunk read out of Mistborn this morning
# of Ounces of Water Drank: 72. I drank a full bottle (24 oz) with my lunch and have been sipping away ever since. 
# of Kitten Cuddles: Like....10? They seriously won't leave me alone. Currently Lily is perched on the back of my desk chair.
# of times my Husband has annoyed me: 4. The 2 new ones include him refusing to refill my water for me and the other was me trying to get him out the door so he would let me read! But now he's at work until 10, so I have the place to myself. Except for the cats.
Random Thoughts: Not sure what I'm going to make for dinner tonight. Also, I feel guilty not grading some essays....so I might try and read Anya's Ghost, then call it a night on the reading. :/ We'll see if the guilt continues...

Check-In 4:
Well, I finished another book in the last 2 hours! Truthfully, it didn't take that long to read, but I got sidetracked cleaning and just now decided to sit down and update (and do the mid-event survey). I'm still feeling a little guilty about reading when I have essays to grade, but I think after dinner I'm going to settle back in with Mistborn and try to get a little further. I knew going into today that I wasn't going to stay up through the night, but I do want to read more!

Readathon Nonsense Stats (7:39 PM):
# of Pages Read: 431 (Anya's Ghost is a graphic novel, thus the inflated # of pages)
# of Books Finished: 2! 
# of Ounces of Water: 80. I need to drink 20 more to hit my daily goal, so that's totally doable!
# of Kitten Cuddles: I've lost count. They seriously will not leave me alone today.
# of times my Husband has annoyed me: Not any new instances since he is at work. :)
Random Thoughts: I have no idea what I'm making for dinner. But I need something delicious.

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now?
As I just finished Anya's Ghost, nothing. Although, now that I'm staring at my pile...I have another REALLY short book that I could probably finish tonight........

2. How many books have you read so far? I finished 2-Anya's Ghost and Ethan Frome. I also read 100 pages of Mistborn. I also listened to a few minutes of Yes Please earlier when I was cleaning and will probably listen as I cook dinner and do a few cleaning things around the apartment. Saturdays are typically my cleaning days, so I can't avoid it!

3. What book are most looking forward to for the second half of the Readathon?
I really love Mistborn, even though it's technically a reread, so I am happy to get back into it. I left off at the beginning of "Part 2," so it should be easy to jump right in. And now that I looked at my pile....I might grab So Long a Letter to read this evening after dinner.....It's only 89 pages...

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Let's be honest....I interrupt myself. I keep finding chores to do or silly things around the house. But hey, I am glad to be participating and while I might not be reading as much as many other readathoners, I'm having a good time with the book blogging community today. :)

5. What surprises you most about the Readathon so far?
Hmmm, no surprises. Well, I guess I'm excited to see a large presence on Instagram. I spent about an hour this morning liking pictures and commenting and didn't even make a dent. I'm glad to see how big this readathon has gotten. The first one I did, way back in October 2009, was only semi-successful (I also didn't blog about it). My second attempt, in April 2010, was much better (I read A LOT). I know there were only a few hundred participants, so I'm happy to see the event growing and trending on twitter. :) Book nerds rock.

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver.

“That's what life is, pretty much: full of holes and tangles and ways to get stuck. Uncomfortable and itchy. A present you never asked for, never wanted, never chose. A present you're supposed to be excited to wear, day after day, even when you'd rather stay in bed and do nothing.” 

So, I had really high expectations for Vanishing Girls, and while it didn't meet all of them, I still really enjoyed it. There is something very...warm and familiar about Oliver's writing so that even though I may not love the story, I love the writing (the same happened when I read Panic and Requiem). 

I'm not saying that this is a bad book. By all means, it isn't. There are so many wonderful things here to love. First, Oliver has a very lyrical and musical style in her writing. It makes reading one of her books a joy because you get a bit sucked in by the language. Every once in awhile I stop to mull over her word choices, but I always enjoyed the way she strings things together.

Second, this book had, what I consider to be, the strongest sibling relationship I've seen in quite some time. And I'm not talking about siblings who love and support each other to the ends of the earth, but the real gritty kind of relationship-where there is jealousy and competition and comparison. I found myself totally absorbed in learning the relationship between Dara and Nicole. Both are resentful of the other, but will barely admit it to themselves, let alone each other. That competition and jealousy fuels a lot of the action in the novel.

As I was reading about Nick being jealous of Dara, or vice versa, I was reminded of my own relationship with my siblings. I have two older brothers and a younger sister. I'm closer in age to my brothers than my sister, so we were closer in school and other things that brought about a lot of silent competition in our house. Both of my brothers are incredibly intelligent, particularly in math and science. They were also very athletic growing up, where I struggled in team sports (I danced through the ninth grade, but I also played softball). Once the 3 of us were all in high school (as a senior, junior, and freshman), there WAS competition between us. They excelled in different areas than I did, so it did create a lot of resentment and jealousy on my part. Thankfully I grew out of that, but I could relate so well to Dara and Nicole.

With my own sister, who is 6 years younger than me, I never had to feel that jealousy. I don't know if she ever felt that towards me, but we were so far removed in age and experiences (I was in college by the time she was in high school) that it never became a problem like is does in Vanishing Girls.

Back to the novel, the story basically follows Nick and Dara through a summer after a horrific car accident. Both girls were injured and had been kept apart by their divorced parents. Most of the book is told from Nick's perspective, as she returns home and tries to rebuild a relationship with Dara, who ignores her sister and hides in her room. As the reader, we follow both girls around town and learn more about their relationship before the accident and after. Their rivalry is uncovered and we begin to piece together what happened.

But then a girl named Madeline Snow disappears, and a few days later, so does Dara. In a panic, Nick begins to search for Dara and pulls the pieces together. 

It really is a well done and steady piece of YA, but my one complaint....well, the ending. There is a twist that I won't talk too much about, but I didn't like it and felt like I was taken out of the narrative a bit too much by Oliver. I actually had to stop reading and go back to other passages in the book to verify what I had thought I read (and I was right in my interpretations). It just threw me in a way I didn't like. I am writing this right after finishing, so perhaps my opinion will changes as I let the book simmer for a bit, so I will edit if that happens.

In all, this was a good piece of YA that still makes me want to read more by Oliver (and this was way better than Panic). If you're looking for a bit of a thriller with a very dynamic sibling relationship, this is your book. 

“This is it: somehow, in these pictures, the mystery of the accident is contained, and the explanation for Dara's subsequent behavior, for the silences and disappearances. Don't ask me how. I just do. If you don't understand that, I guess you've never had a sister”