Challenge Overhaul!

I tend to be really ambitious in life.  Over ambitious sometimes.  Like, for example, one day my to-do list will have 20 items on it.  Yeah right!  I can't possibly do 20 different projects or things around the house in one day!  Life gets in the way, right?  Dave wants to go out to eat, or we decide to go to the pool for 5 hours, or mom needs me to come help her, etc.  So at the end of the day I feel like, "I've got nothing done!!!" even though I probably did 10 of those things.  Its a viscous cycle!

So, what I am trying to say is that I think I have to revamp my reading goals!  I am finding that I can't possibly read 10 books a month anymore.  I'm not sure how I did it in Jan-Mar?  I think because it was winter, and I wasn't doing too much, I just had the time!  It's too hard!  I still love reading, and still have a reading list about a mile long!

So my NEW goal is to hit 5 books a month.  I think that's a fair sentence goal:)  If I read more, then good!  With how busy we have been this summer, and I don't anticipate that changing, and starting a new job in the end of August, I think 5 is perfect.  It'll still be challenge, don't worry!

So my June 2010 Book List ended up being:

1. Wicked by Macguire
2.  No Plot No Problem by Baty
3.  The Help by Stockett
4.  Water for Elephants by Gruen
5.  The Uglies by Westerfield

That last one I need to review:

Uglies is book one is a series by Scott Westerfield.  There are four of them



I plan on reading all of them, just not in a row.  It was a good book, but not like Hunger Games where I was desperate to read the next book right away!  It's about a dystopian world (again) where everyone in the "city" is ugly until they turn 16.  At 16 everyone gets an operation to become pretty.  The authorities say this way of life helps keep the peace, everyone ends up being beautiful so there is nothing to fight for or be jealous about.  The story follows Tally, who wants nothing more than to be beautiful.  Her best friend, a boy, had his operation a few months ago.  She meets a new friend, Shay, who tells her about a place where people have escaped to, and live like the "Rusties" (that's us).  Shay ends up running away before her operation to this civilization, and Tally gets interrogated by the government as to where she went.  They tell Tally she cant have her operation until she travels to, infiltrates, and leads them to the place.  So the whole book is about her doing, or not doing, that;)  It's pretty good!  However, I didn't have the need to finish it right away.  So, I give it a:

I do recommend it.  It's a great book for teens too - I think that in this case, it's a teen book that they will love but adults may not.  I do want to know what happens in the other books, but I think I'll wait on that:)

I have a very busy week.  I can't wait to upload all my pictures of everything that has been going on!  More on that later....

I'm off to tweek the bliggity blog a little!!!  Tell me what you are reading - I always need ideas!

Triple dog book review

That is right, folks!!  I have read three books, and need to catch up on my reviews!!!

The first book is




This book is the original story behind the musical.  Um....let me just say the musical is a lot more kid and Christian friendly!!  The book is graphic, sometimes gross, but it tells the story way more in depth then the musical.  So, if you loved Wicked the Musical, and you are an ADULT, read this book if you want the whole story!  If you are under 18, don't read it....just saying;)  I liked it, but it took me a while to read it, it wasnt a I-need-to-read-you-and-finish-you-right-now book.  I give it a:

It's not that I didnt like it...it just wasnt the best.  Sorry Mr. Maguire.  I'm sure there are a lot of other people that do like this writing though.  It is interesting to read a different take on a story we know so well.  It is about the birth of the Wicked Witch of the West, Fabala (which btw, is a spin of Frank L Baum's name...FLB, FaBaLa...cool, huh?  That info is something I read in the back of the book) and how she deals growing up "Green".  The book is very political.  I wish I was interested in politics - if you do, you may like this, you may find parallels to politics in our world...but I'm just not into that!  Fabala goes to college and meets Glinda and they try to understand the world together...and then grow apart.  Fabala has a very trying and twisted life, very sad.  Dorothy has a very small part in this book, but still, it's interesting to get a different view!  Thats enough about that one...

My second review is about

This is the book that is helping me write MY book.  I wanted to write my book in the month of June..but like I've said before - theres a little prep work that has to be done so I'll have to push the actual writing back a month or two.  This book teaches you and guides you through preparing to write a novel in one month.   Usually, National Write A Novel Month is in November but I dont want to wait that long;)  I'll probably read and re-read this book a million times while I write my book.  It's really great! Sweet, simple, and informative.  If you are interested in writing a book, I recommend it!  Its a HOW-TO sort of thing...worth it!!!  I give it a:

It gets that score since it has a lot of good info for me.  It was a very easy read too!

My third review is on:

This book was AWESOME!!  I can't wait for the movie in August!  Seriously....all my friends need to read it so we can go see it together!  This book is about a few different people.  One is Abileen, a black maid for a socialite snob.  One is Skeeter, a socialite who is questioning how "right" it is to treat African Americans so differently then white people.  One is Minny, another black maid for a socialite that speaks her mind on things, she is hilarious.  The setting is Jackson, Mississippi - which was one of the worse places for prejudice and racism in the 60's.  Skeeter wants to be a writer - and write about something that means something to her, so she starts writing a book about what it is like to be a black maid for white, well-off women.  She gets the stories of Aibleen & Minny, with some struggle, and other maids too.  It is such a sweet story about friendship across the races, breaking down the race barriers, and overcoming rich snobbishness.  I loved it.  I started it on Friday and finished it on Saturday.  I highly recommend it!!!  So...I give it a:

So those are my three reviews so far.  I'm not anywhere near my quota, but I still have 11 days to read:)

I hope everyone enjoyed their Father's Day!!  I have to post a pic of the present we made for Dave, its really cute.  I will get to that tomorrow!  We had dinner over at my parents, we always eat Teriayki on Father's Day.  Mom makes the meat and we put it on skewers and cook it on little grills out on the patio.  We had corn and crab dip and fun punch and mashed potatoes too.  Yum yum yum.  It's a good thing I skipped breakfast this am!!  It was such a nice evening with my parents, and with Jonathan and Krystal (the newlyweds!) over too.  We are truly blessed to have such a great family! 

Now, it's time to submit to the meat coma and sit on the couch and not move for an hour;)  Maybe read too!

Water for Elephants

I just finished a book!  WOOOooooo....I'm on a roll!



I finished Water for Elephants, it was really good!  Its about a boy named Jacob who loses his parents in an accident, and therefore everything the family owns.  It takes places during the depression, so its a time when money and banks and all that stuff is going crazy!  Anyways, poor Jacob loses everything and runs off to join a circus, where he is hired as the vet (just an exam shy of being an ivy league vet graduate).  There he meets Marlena, one of the beautiful performers, and falls head over heels for her.  Trouble is, she is married the the director of animals....who is schizophrenic.  WHOOPS!!!  Its a good book, really good.  Has a lot of adult material in it though, which I could deal without!  Hopefully the movie doesn't have all that craziness in it!  I give it a:

Which means I recommend it...but it wasn't that sorta book that I am desperate to finish in like...a day:)

I'm on to No Plot? No Problem for my next book, this is a book that teaches me how to write a 50,000 word novel in a month - which I am doing!  It's so crazy and weird and who knows if it'll come to anything - but I am doing it.  I am actually already 25 pages into it.  It's got some crazy advice for reading! 

More on that later!  It's been a busy day, a busy week...I'm ready for bed!  Night!

Honeymoon and such...

Well, no this is not about my Honeymoon!  LOL!!!  Actually, maybe I'll slip some honeymoon in here to brighten the post later!

Anyways, I finished Honeymoon by James Patterson:

Oh was this a chilllllller!!!  It's about dear Nora Sinclair.  Beautiful, rich, loving....murderer!!!  This lady has got it out for men, so beware!  When an FBI agent gets on her tail, he finds it hard to look past the good and see the...well...seriously evil!  Its a GOOD read, you'll want to finish it, maybe with a whole body shudder!



My next book will be Water for Elephants.  I know I know, the movie is out and I do intend to see it but only after I read it. I don't like seeing movies before reading books.  Some people say that it ruins the movie, I think the other way around lol!  It ruins the book!  Since the book usually always comes first, I like to read the story in it's entirety before seeing the dumbed down version in a movie.  Sorry, I really love movies - I really do, but when it's competition between book and movie, the book always wins in my book!!  Ok that was cheesy!

I've been working a lot for my mom this week, so I really have not done a lot in our house to boast of here on my bliggity blog - but I promise I have some really fun ideas brewing. Also more on the home decor front - I'm getting tons of inspiration from Pinterest!!  I'll be picking a paint soon for our kitchen, and redoing the cabinets.

I want to make fun things to put in our home and make it more..."us".  So more on that later!  In the mean time, I'll be helping my momma get their house redecorating and renovated.  I'll post pics of it soon, because it will be going up for sale if anyone is interested in buying a 4 bedroom single family home right in the middle of Bel Air:)

That's all for now.  Hope everyone is having a pleasant evening!!  Oh and as I promised...a happy photo to leave you with - taken last summer on our honeymoon in Punta Cana:)

Introducing....

The books of May!!!

So I didn't think I knew my May list yet, but after doing some inventory of the books I have here and books I want to read - I DO have an idea of my May 10 - I need two more but they will come to me as I do some looking.   Here is the list, so far,  in no certain order;)

1.  Bella Tuscany by Frances Meyers
2.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
3.  The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
4.  Honeymoon by James Patterson
5.  7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey
6.  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
7.  The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoners Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
8.  The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
9. TBA
10. TBA

Ok, that's all for now!  Night!