Welcome to 2017! Recap, Reading, and a Challenge.

Welcome to 2017!

I know that many of us had a craptastic 2016, and I was no exception. To put it bluntly, there were far too many upheavals last year, and too many dramatics for me to consider it a good year. But. I learned a lot about myself over the past year, and while there were a lot of horrible moments, I am a much stronger, driven person than I was last year. I think I have finally found my voice, and in 2017, you're going to hear it.

One of the biggest disappointments for me last year was my total disengagement with the online communities I have come to love so much. I became too consumed by things outside of my control, that I let go of the things that make me who I am. And a huge part of that is reading. At the beginning of 2016, I went 4 months without picking up a book other than the titles I was teaching. And I did it again in November and December. All told, I spent well over 5 months not reading. That's sad.

So, on this side of 2017, I'm making it a goal to read more regularly and more diversely than I have the last few years. I have gone far away from the original purpose of this blog, which was reading the classics, and while I'm happy to be reading more YA, science-fiction, and fantasy, I need my classics back. I'm hoping I can incorporate more into my reading diet this year. My goal is 1 per month, but I think I can do more.

One of the biggest things that I am continuing to work on is balance. Between home, work, personal goals, and adulting. I know that sounds silly, but I still struggle to manage it all. Quite frankly, there are too many things that I enjoy and not enough hours in the day to do everything. So balance is something I am continuing to work for this year.

In terms of blogging, I've been saying it for what...3, 4 years now? But I would like to blog regularly. As part of that whole balance piece. Even if it is only 1 or 2 posts a week, I'll be happy. I know I will never return to the crazy blogger life I had prior to being a teacher, but I can do better. I will be better at it.

So, with all that in mind, I am joining one challenge for this year, which is Adam's Classic Book-a-Month Club. It's right in line with my goals-reading more classics. It will also include some rereads, which I am really excited for getting to this year. I love rereading, and like Adam, I include many books on my "Favorites" list that I haven't read in a long time.

If you're interested in joining in on the fun, you can find the information on Adam's blog, linked above. And here are the books we're reading over the course of the year (*s denote something that will be a reread for me):

• January: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott*
• February: The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles*
• March: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton*
• April: Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald* (I think I read half of this....)
• May: A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry*
• June: The Confidence-Man by Herman Melville
• July: Paradise Lost by John Milton
• August: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen*
• September: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
• October: Angels in America by Tony Kushner 
• November: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky*
• December: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë*

That's all for now. Happy New Year!

The Harry Potter Readalong.

YEEESSSSSSS.

I'm so excited to say that I'll be joining the Harry Potter Readalong hosted at the Estella Society. I have reread the Harry Potter series multiple times since they first came out, with my most recent reread in 2013...so...totally time for a reread. :)

The readalong is very loose-read as much or as little Potter as you want. Post about it. And enjoy.

For myself, I'm planning on rereading all 7 titles, as well as the 2 schoolbooks, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli (which has been sitting on my shelf for a long time). I'm pretty sure I read the 3 small books the last time I #potterbinged, but I'm not positive. In any case, they're great little reads in between the massive books at the end of the series. I'm sure I'll also watch a few of the movies (just my favorites), but I doubt I'll have an HP movie marathon like I did once before (we made themed drinks. It was fabulous).

In any case, I hope you'll consider joining in as well! It's a great event, and who doesn't love Harry Potter?

#15in31 Challenge: SUCCESS!

So, October has come to an end and with it, the #15in31 challenge. I had posted about this challenge back in September, and at the time, I knew it would be a difficult month.

However, I ended up completing the challenge yesterday morning....nothing like ending a challenge on the last possible day!

Truthfully, I wouldn't have succeeded if it wasn't for being home sick one day from work (I had a horrible cold/respiratory thing going on, and read a few books while bed-bound), and the readathon. I also read a few more volumes of Fables, the graphic novel series I've been reading all year, so...

Why am I trying to discredit myself? I did it! HOORAY!

Here is the final list of books I read this past month (I linked to posts if they've been published, some are forthcoming):

1. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck-POST
2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins-POST
3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins-POST
4. A Lost Lady by Willa Cather-POST
5. Teacher Man by Frank McCourt-POST
6. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
7. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon-POST
8. Fables Volume 15-Rose Red by Bill Willingham
9. Fables Volume 16-Super Team by Bill Willingham
10. Fables Volume 17-Inherit the Wind by Bill Willingham
11. Fables Volume 18-Cubs in Toyland by Bill Willingham
12. Fables Volume 19-Snow White by Bill Willingham
13. Fables Volume 20-Camelot by Bill Willingham
14. The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
15. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my list. While 6 are graphic novels, I also read 3 classics, some non-fiction, and a few "fun" reads. I got to a couple books I've been meaning to read for a while (McCourt), and some newer titles that caught my fancy (Yoon).

It was a really successful reading month. I'm not sure what November has in store for me. I'm signed up for NaNoWrioMo, which I haven't participated in for a few years, but I think 5 books would be a success for the month, especially as I have 2 more volumes of Fables to read to finish the series. I'm also joining in on that HP readalong, so I'm sure I'll read a few volumes in November-they're always fast reads. :)

If I plan on doing a #15in31 in December, does anyone want to join? I always have more to time to read that month with 2 weeks off and lighter workloads (I'm usually in the middle of a novel in my American lit class, and I'll be reading another play in Shakespeare, so....less grading). Let me know if you're interested! 

My Official 2015 October Readathon Post.

Saturday Night (11:31 pm):

This is officially my last post of the night. My eyes and body are tired, so I'm heading to bed for whatever sleep I can get.

I had a very successful and relaxing day. In addition to just relaxing here at home, I spent the whole day with Matt, watched a fabulous football game, and read...a lot. It was what I needed to feel a bit like myself again, if even just for a day.

But I'm pooped now, and while I want to continue reading, I know I need the sleep more because this week is going to be busy and draining.

I ended up reading 5 full books today, and count 6 as being finished. Huzzah for that. I'm catching back up for my #15in31 challenge, and with more volumes of Fables sitting on my shelves, I might be able to complete the challenge.

Anyway, here are my final stats for the night. Let me know how you did.

Stats:

Number of Pages Read: 1,476 (that's a pretty awesome number, even though 400 or so of those pages are from graphic novels).
Books Finished: 6 (I read 180 pages last night in Teacher Man to finish it, and read Everything Everything, Volumes 15, 16, and 17 in Fables, and The Impossible Knife of Memory today)
Cups of Tea: 5 (English Breakfast, Chai, and a couple glasses of iced green tea)
Instagram posts: 4? 5? I lost track. 
Snacks: We didn't really eat a formal dinner, but Matt made a big batch of nachos to snack on while we finished watching the game, and peanut butter cookies to end the evening. :)
Cat Snuggles: 6
Husband Distractions: Oh, too many to count. I took a long break this evening to watch the game (MSU WON), and he tried to get me  to clean or watch a movie, but my book was just too good.

Saturday Afternoon (5:25 pm):

I really didn't intend to be away that long! But here I am! After a late breakfast, I ended up falling asleep on the couch for a little while. I didn't sleep long, and while I would love to go back and sleep some more, I know I need to keep myself awake to get a good night's sleep tonight.

I did get some reading done-2 more volumes of Fables. I'm enjoying the series so much! I think I'm going to read one more volume while the game is on (MSU v. Michigan), and then switch over to an actual novel to end my evening. I'd be perfectly happy with reading a total of 5 books today, even if 3 of them are graphic novels. :)

Anyway, I want to get settled back in to the couch since the game just came back on. I hope your reading is going well. I know that I'm enjoying this quieter participation this time around.

Stats:

Number of Pages Read: 916
Books Finished: 4 (Everything Everything, Teacher Man, and Volumes 15 and 16 of Fables)
Cups of Tea: 3 (English Breakfast, Chai, and now a class of iced green tea, which will probably be my drink for the rest of the night)
Instagram posts: 3 so far. I'm going to post again in a moment with my 4th book of the day. :)
Snacks: We ate breakfast at around noon...so brunch. ;) I also made some mini-hot dogs as a game-day snack, and we stuffed ourselves on those. I'm not in a snacking mood today.
Cat Snuggles: 4-mostly Sparty. I'm snuggled under an afghan my grandmother made me, and he happens to like the blanket. I'll take it
Husband Distractions: 3. Making a list for the grocery store, making him a snack, and then the game. But I'm not complaining. He's gotten me a couple drink refills. :)

Saturday Morning (11:21 am):

Hi guys. I just finished reading Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. Just as I suspected, it was the perfect book to start with for a readathon. :) I love engrossing YA books on days like this. I can fly through them and get in the mood for a lot of reading.

I think I'm going to settle in with a few volumes of Fables next, as Matt is now awake and making me a very late breakfast/brunch. Something short is just what I need to get through the afternoon.

I haven't entered any mini-challenges, and I don't think I'm going to. Honestly, my body is so exhausted from this week and all the Lupus flaring that's been going on that I am perfectly content to have a quiet kind of readathon. :) I'm sure I'll update in a few hours. Happy reading.

Stats:

Number of Pages Read: 500 (All of Everything Everything and the 180 pages I read in Teacher Man last night. That totally counts)
Books Finished: 2 (Everything Everything and Teacher Man)
Cups of Tea: 1 (English Breakfast, my favorite)
Instagram posts: 2 so far. I'm about to make my third. But I posted my reading stack last night and a pic of my reading this morning
Snacks: None so far
Cat Snuggles: 2 (Sparty and Lily both snuggled with me this morning as I read)
Husband Distractions: 1. I had to make him a grocery list this morning so he could go buy snacks, etc for the day. :) He's amazing

Saturday Morning (8:53 am):

Good morning! I'm finally up and ready to read. I actually woke up at 5:30 this morning, but forced myself to go back to sleep because of how absolutely exhausted I knew I'd be without a few more hours of sleep. I'm glad I did so. But I'm finally ready to start reading and joining in on all the fun.

My goal for today is just to relax, so I'm going to try and pop on whenever I finish reading or just need a break. Again, let me know if you're participating so I can come cheer you on!

Since I finished Teacher Man last night (I read about 180 pages!), I'm going to dive into one of the YA titles in my stack-Everything Everything. I saved it specifically for today, so I'm excited to read it.

I'm also including my beginning of event survey here-HAPPY READING! I'll check back in later!

Intro Survey:
1. Where are you reading from today?
I'm reading from the lovely Rochester, Michigan (35-40 minutes north of Detroit). It's pretty cold outside today, so I'll be snuggled up on our couch.

2. Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
All of them? I think I have a great stack of books (seen below), so I'm craving a bit of everything. I am excited to read a few volumes of the Fables series, but Rowell's new book is also a big contender.

3. Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Today is also the big MSU v. Michigan football game, so my husband has a lot of game-day snacks in the house for us to munch on while we cheer for the Spartans (GO GREEN!). Out of those...probably our chips and salsa. YUM.

4. Tell us a little about yourself!
I'm a 30 year-old English and History teacher. I'm married to my high school sweetheart and we have three cats, and all 4 of them will likely bother me today while I'm reading. :) I love reading the classics, which is why I started my blog in the first place, but I'm a big YA reader as well.

5. If you participated in the last readathon, what's one thing you'll do differently today?
This is probably my 8th or 9th readathon, so I consider myself a pro at this point. My main goal is to read. I might do a couple mini-challenges here or there, but I really just want to relax and enjoy some books that have been sitting on my shelves.

Friday Evening:

Hi everyone! It's Friday, October 16, and I am settling in for a night of relaxation before the readathon tomorrow. Truthfully, I was really excited for this readathon when they announced the date, as I knew it was a weekend when I had nothing going on. And then life happened and while I'm not going anywhere tomorrow, my mind is definitely in a different place. I'm also in the midst of a pretty bad Lupus flare-I haven't had one in months, but I've been so stressed and overwhelmed by everything for the last month, I know that I triggered it myself.

Anyway, I'm still planning on reading a ton tonight and tomorrow, so I thought I would pop in and post my stack for tomorrow, as well as my plans.

I'm hoping I an get through a couple of things, not only to get caught up on my #15in31 challenge, but also to relax. I'm so in need of some relaxation.

My stack:

• Fables Volumes 15-22 by Bill Willingham: I just purchased the rest of the series last week because I really want to finish it by the end of the year. In some ways, I feel like I'm cheating by reading these for #15in31, but I know they'll make great readathon material. I can generally fly through them in an hour or so. And I have 8 volumes left. That sounds like an epic readathon.
• Teacher Man by Frank McCourt: I'm just under halfway through this one, and I really want to finish it. Truthfully, I'm pretty sure this book is why I stalled in my #15in31. I like it, but it isn't something I want to race through to find out what happens, if that makes sense. I already told myself I can ignore it for the weekend if something else grabs me.
• Carry On by Rainbow Rowell: I've loved all of Rowell's books thus far, so I was really excited to snatch this one up at the bookstore the other day. I'm pretty sure I'll dig into this one soon, but we'll see what kind of mood I'm in tomorrow!
• The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson: I was on a BIG Anderson kick earlier in the year and read a good chunk of her work, but missed this one. And since a student is reading it, I thought I would give it a try. 
• Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather: I've been craving more Cather, and while I read this one not that long ago (2013), I kind of want to reread it. So...that might happen. It's also a short little book!
• Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon: This is one of those books everyone's been talking about and I saved it specifically for the readathon. I know it'll be a fast read and pretty engrossing, so perhaps I'll get to it tomorrow night. 
• The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith: I have two Smith titles on my #15in31 challenge list, but this one shouted out to me when I was pulling books. I'm not sure if I'll end up reading it because there are some others I want to read more, but it's a contender. Smith's books always grab me.
• Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster: I thought I needed another classic option, and this was another title on my #15in31 challenge list. I loved the other Forster book I read, and like the Cather title, this one is short-perfectly doable in readathon time.
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: I've been savoring this one slowly over the last month, so I imagine I'll read a little bit of it tomorrow. I'm loving this reread of it, so I'm not in any hurry to finish it.

Super ambitious, right? Yep. But I know that plans always change and I inevitably grab a different book off the shelf anyway. I don't know why I even bother. I just like stacking books. ;)

I'm going to update this post throughout the day tomorrow, and I will also be super active on Instagram (alliedanielson) and on twitter (@alliedanielson). I would love to cheer you on, so if you're participating, please let me know!

In any case, I'm starting a little early and diving into Teacher Man. Happy Reading tomorrow!

#15in31: Reading Challenge October 2015!

A few days ago, Andi at Estella's Revenge posted about a reading challenge she was undertaking in the month of October. After looking at it and mulling it over...for about 20 minutes, I decided to jump in and join the fun.

The #15in31 challenge is basically to read 15 titles in the month of October. Since that's rare for me even in a fabulous month of reading, it truly is a challenge. However, I think I can do it.

School is finally getting a calm point (it always seems crazy at the beginning of the year). I also have a couple free weekends, and the 24 hour readathon later this month. What better time to challenge myself?

And even if I fail to hit 15 books, at least I'll make some progress and hopefully put a dent in the piles of books I've been meaning to get to.

In choosing my books, I decided to go completely random and snatch things that I've been meaning to get to for awhile, some slim classics, and some fun reads. I think I have a good eclectic pile to pick from for the month, so hopefully I don't get bored. I also picked more than 15 books to give myself some variety. Let's take a look!

From left to right and top to bottom:

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: I might be cheating by adding this to my list since I've already started it, but I do plan on finishing it this month, so....it'll count. 
2. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells: I haven't read anything by Wells in quite some time, so I thought this would be a good short read (perhaps the day of the readathon). 
3. Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather: This is another shorter read that I thought we be good for a one-sit read. I also keep meaning to get back into Cather, so this might be a good starting point. 
4. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards: I've had this title sitting on my shelf for a long time, so perhaps it might be time for me to get to it!
5. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier: I've read this once before-a long time ago-and I've been wanting to reread it at some point. I know it'll be a fast read, thus why I picked it. 
6. March by Geraldine Brooks: This is another book that has been sitting on my shelf for far too long. I love Little Women, so I know I'll like this one. It's also pretty slim. :)
7. The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith: It's Smith. I'm not sure if it needs more explanation....but I did just get this in a book swap, and I've been holding onto it until I could devote an evening to it. 
8. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon: This is a newer release that I've been hearing a lot about. I have a hunch it'll be another fast read.
9. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: This is a title that has also been sitting on my shelf for a really long time. I bought it shortly after it came out, but I just haven't gotten around to it! I think it is also perfect for the season, so I'm looking forward to reading it on a gross evening. 
10. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: I might be the last person alive to read this. But based on what I know, I know it'll be another fast read.
11. Teacher Man by Frank McCourt: I've been meaning to read this for ages. My copy is old, and it needs to be loved, I think.
12. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: As soon as this book debuted I marked it as a title I needed to read. But I haven't gotten to it (are we sensing a trend?). It's a bit longer, but I think it'll be perfect for this month.
13. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck: I wanted another short classic to read, and this was probably one of the shortest on my bookshelves. It's also been awhile since I've read any Steinbeck.
14. Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster: I loved the other Forster I read a few years ago-A Room with a View- so I have high hopes for this one.
15. A Lost Lady by Willa Cather: Another Cather. I'm pretty sure this one is well loved, and after reading the back, it's close to the top of the pile.
16. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: Fitting for this time of year? I think? It's also been some time since reading Gaiman (I think the last Gaiman I read was The Ocean at the End of the Lane), and that was a couple years ago...if I remember correctly.
17. Stand-Off by Andrew Smith: Not going to lie, I'm probably going to read this one this weekend. Winger might be my favorite Smith title, so the sequel? Yes please.
18. Gwendolen by Diana Souhami: This is an old ARC that I've held onto because it sounded so darn interesting.
19. Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Wells: I've never gotten around to this one, even though I've meant to. I love The Glass Castle, so high hopes!
20. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez: Yet another title I've been meaning to read for years. I also thought I owned a copy, but in my book culling this summer I couldn't find it. Thankfully our media center had it!
21. Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson: This was an impulse grab from a media center display. It looked interesting and different from some of the other things I grabbed.
22. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: I've heard a lot of positives about this, and I need a sappy YA story. I do.
23. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: I'm also sure I'm one of the last people to read this...a student keeps harassing me to read it, so I feel like I owe it to her (I convinced her to read The Martian and she loved it, so I need to return the favor).
24. The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty: I really liked What Alice Forgot, and this is the only other Moriarty title our media center had. 
25. Not pictured, but probably more Fables....I'm really into the series, so I'm sure I'll read a couple volumes. I only have one more here that I haven't gotten to, but I'm hoping to pick up a few more.

There you have it. My super ambitious list of titles to read this month. I'll be updating my progress as much as possible and posting on instagram (@alliedanielson) as I get to each title. Let me know if you have any other fast reads to recommend!