Booking Through Thursday - School Books

This week, Booking Through Thursday asks:

We all had to read things in school that we didn’t like … but whatabout something you read for a class that you ended up liking (orloving)? An author you discovered that you might not have found? A genre you hadn’t thought about?

I remember my Grade 11 English teacher chose A Tale of Two Cities for the final book of the year.  I had only really read A Christmas Carol (okay, watch the Alastir Sim version of the movie), but hadn't really been exposed to anything significant of Dickens' work up until that book.  I ended up loving the book and has ended up as being one of my favourite books.  I actually read it a few years later and still enjoyed reading it and probably a little more so.

Top Ten Books on my Fall TBR list

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and Bookish, where book bloggers share their Top Ten lists on everything bookish.  This week its the top ten books that are going to make it on my Fall TBR list, even though Fall is still about a few weeks away, but whatever.

1) A Farewell to Arms - book for my bookclub meeting this coming September.

2) Mansfield Park - another bookclub meeting book for this coming fall.

3) Wuthering Heights - readalong selection for Unputdownables

4) Les Miserables - need to read more of the book so I can get it done by the end of the year

5) The last three books in the Harry Potter series - I have somewhat stalled on the Order of the Phoenix and would like to get the series completed by the end of the year.

6) Anna Karenina - would like to get this book done before the movie comes out this coming fall

7) Bleak House - same reason as Les Miserables

8) The Sweet Far Thing - I have been wanting to read the final book in the Gemma Doyle series and would like to get it done before the end of the year.

9) Mockingjay - I read the first two books this past spring and would like to get the third book in The Hunger Games series completed.

10) A Race to Splendor - I have been trying to get this book completed during this past summer and just  was unable to complete it during the summer months.

#ldrat wrap-up post

Overall, there were a couple of days that were great and considering everything, I did okay.  I started reading Wuthering Heights on Saturday afternoon and haven't picked it up since, but I should be able to pick it up tomorrow and read what I need to before Friday morning.

I did get about a quarter of A Farewell to Arms completed and that I am happy with.  Also I got a huge portion of The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau completed.  I also got Fire by Kristen Cashore completed; now I just have write the review.  And I also started a book that I picked up on Friday afternoon, At the Mercy of the Queen.

Considering that I just found out about the readathon the day before it was to start, I did okay and should set me up well for the rest of the week.

Musing Mondays (Sept. 3)

This week, Miz B at Should be Reading asks:

Have your ever considered writing a book before?  What genre would you write?

I have considered writing a book a few times, but they never got beyond the idea stage.  If I did write, it probably would be literary.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Sept. 3)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey, in which we share what we've read and reviewed and what we plan on reading in the coming week.

That was a much more stressful week than I anticipated.  Well, I guess without kids you can't feel much stress, but I suppose anxiousness is more like it.

I managed to get one book completed this week (still have to write that review), along with some reviews that needed to be put up from some books that I completed the week before.

What I reviewed this week:
1) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (review)
2) Lady of Milkweed by Julie Klassen (review)

What I am planning on reading this coming week:
1) The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau
2) Wuthering Heights
3) Les Miserables
4) A Farewell to Arms
5) Anna Karenina
 and probably some others; just don't know what I will want to pick up...

Sunday Salon - August Review

August was a bit wacky, to say the least.  I didn't read/review much this month and honestly I don't feel great about the month either.

Part of it had to do with the fact that I felt a lack of motivation to read, especially reading so much during July that I wanted to just take a bit of a break and before I knew it half the month had passed me by.  A part of it also had to do with the fact that with the London Olympics going on, I didn't feel much motivation either to read; that and my days that I watched a lot of coverage didn't exactly start until about 2 p.m. Pacific, when live coverage had basically finished and there was nothing but repeats on.

My lack of reading was also partly the result of the weather, which for some strange reason couldn't decide whether it wanted to be really cruddy or really hot and couldn't for some reason be in the middle.   Also included in this factor was that I was doing quite a bit of traveling and spending time in the car.  While I can read while traveling in various modes of transportation, sometimes I can't help myself from looking out the window as the scenery changes between my hometown and where my parents live (hi mom & dad, if you are reading this), which is about 3 and a half hours.

But despite all these factors, I did manage to get a number of books done and almost hit my goal of reading 50 books within the calendar year (I have since upped it to 60 and it looks like I may make that as well).  I also hit my target of reading 15, 000 pages and am now aiming to read 20, 000 pages.

Even though it wasn't August, this week I decided to join the Wuthering Heights readalong on Unputdownables and plan on reading the Sparknotes on the book while I read so that I know what is going on (last time I read it, I couldn't make sense of the book and felt I was reading through a fog).

Hope everybody is having a relaxing weekend.

Review:
1) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (review)
2) Lady of Milkweed (review)

Wuthering Heights Readalong

I am doing a readalong for September and October through Unputdownables.  Its actually pretty an easy reading schedule, which I am going to post below.  If you wish to join, you can click the cover and sign up.  Be sure to read through the ENTIRE post, as they mention some things about the readalong that you will want to take note of. I hope that you will join me.

Schedule:

Beginning Friday, September 1st and ending Friday, October 26th. 

READING SCHEDULE:

Week #/ Where to Stop (For example, in week one STOP and place your bookmark at Chapter V.)

Week One/ Chapter V
Week Two/ Chapter X
Week Three/ Chapter XII
Week Four/ Chapter XVI
Week Five/ Chapter XX
Week Six/ Chapter XXIV
Week Seven/ Chapter XXX
Week Eight/ The End

Post #/ date post should be up on blog:

Start up Post/ Today!
Week One/ September 7th
Week Two/ September 14th
Week Three/ September 21st
Week Four/ September 28th
Week Five/ October 5th
Week Six/ October 12th
Week Seven/ October 19th
Week Eight/ October 26th (Final Review)