Books & Such

Monthly Mix Up Mania

2011-03-23T21:11:00.019-07:00

I must be crazy, but I'm joining another reading challenge. This one runs until March 31, 2013 so I should have plenty of time to read all the books necessary.

For the Monthly Mix Up Mania, I have to read a book for each letter of the year, which means 74 books.

The rules are:
-only one letter per book
-books can be moved around if it fits better somewhere else after you've read it
-the letter doesn't have to be the first word, just the first letter of a word in the title (a, an, and the do not count)

The challenge officially starts on April 1, 2011, but any books read since Jan 1 count.

J
A - Afterlife - Gray (6/23/11)
N - Now You See Her - Patterson (7/14/11)
U - Unbelieveable - Shepard (5/5/11)
A - 10th Anniversary - Patterson (7/9/11)
R - Keys to the Repository - de la Cruz (3/25/11)
Y - Now You See Her - Patterson (7/14/11)

F - Fallen - Slaughter (7/1/11)
E - Evernight - Gray (2/5/11)
B - For Better or Hearse - Durham (2/13/11)
R
U
A - 10th Anniversary - Patterson (7/9/11)
R - Thirteen Reasons Why - Asher (7/22/11)
Y - Kill Me if You Can - Patterson (9/23/11)

M - Mockingjay - Collins (3/22/11)
A - Kill Alex Cross - Patterson (11/29/11)
R
C - Hard Corps - Martinez (1/23/11)
H - Hourglass - Gray (5/12/11)

A
P - Perfect - Shepard (2/24/11)
R
I
L - Love You More - Gardner (4/9/11)

M - Misguided Angel - De La Cruz (4/15/11)
A
Y

J
U
N
E - Explosive Eighteen - Evanovich (12/4/11)

J
U
L - The Lincoln Lawyer - Connelly (11/3/11)
Y

A
U
G - Hunger Games - Collins (2/19/11)
U
S - Smokin Seventeen - Evanovich (7/6/11)
T - Tick Tock - Patterson (1/29/11)

S - Secrets to the Grave - Hoag (1/15/11)
E - Never Have I Ever - Shepard (12/30/11)
P - To Love and to Perish - Durham (4/2/11)
T - Shot Through Velvet - Byerrum (6/9/11)
E
M - Mystery - Kellerman (4/29/11)
B - Dead and Buried - Mitchell (12/13/11)
E
R - Down the Darkest Road - Hoag (1/20/12)

O
C - Catching Fire - Collins (3/5/11)
T - Lost in Time - de la Cruz (11/20/11)
O
B - Bloody Valentine - de la Cruz (6/24/11)
E
R

N
O
V - Vampire Academy - Mead (8/2/11)
E
M - Save Me - Scottoline (4/22/11)
B - A Great and Terrible Beauty - Bray (8/9/11)
E
R

D - Dial Me For Murder - Matetsky (1/7/11)
E
C - The Closers - Connelly (6/18/11)
E
M - Strawberry Shortcake Murder - Fluke (8/15/11)
B - Blueberry Muffin Murder - Fluke (9/16/11)
E
R

2011 E Book Challenge

2011-03-22T20:27:00.011-07:00

I finally got an e-reader so I decided to do the E Book Challenge. I'm going to aim high and pick the third level, Addicted and read 12 e-books. Hope I can get it done since I'm starting late. I've got so many other challenges going, but I think I found enough e-books that will count as crossovers.

1. Misguided Angel - Melissa de la Cruz finished April 15

2. Unbelievable - Sara Shepard finished May 5
3. Hourglass - Claudia Gray finished May 12
4. Wicked - Sara Shepard finished May 20
5. Grievous Sin - Faye Kellerman finished May 31
6. The Closers - Michael Connelly finished June 18
7. Killer - Sara Shepard finished July 17
8. Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher finished July 22

What an Animal Reading Challenge 2011 - Completed

2011-03-05T22:37:00.006-07:00

I did the What an Animal Reading Challenge last year and decided to do it again.

Read at least 6 books that have any of the following requirements:
a. there is an animal in the title of the book
b. there is an animal on the cover of the book
c. an animal plays a major role in the book 
d. a main character is (or turns into) an animal (define that however you'd like).

It's easy for me to do this challenge since vampires are considered animals for this one.

1. Stargazer - Claudia Gray (vampires) - finished Mar 4
2. Keys to the Repository - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires) - finished Mar 25
3. Misguided Angel - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires) - finished Apr 15
4. Hourglass - Claudia Gray (vampires) - finished May 12
5. Afterlife - Claudia Gray (vampires)- finished June 23

6. Bloody Valentine - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires/witches) - finished June 24

2011 Pub Challenge - Completed

2011-02-11T22:33:00.011-07:00

I participated in this challenge last year. For the 2011 Pub Challenge, I have to read 11 books published in 2011.

1. Tick Tock - James Patterson (published Jan 24) - finished Jan 29

2. Love You More - Lisa Gardner (published Mar 8) - finished Apr 9
3. Save Me - Lisa Scottoline (published Apr 12) - finished Apr 22
4. Mystery - Jonathan Kellerman (published Mar 29) - finished Apr 29
5. Shot Through Velvet - Ellen Byerrum (published Feb 1) - finished June 9
6. Fallen - Karin Slaughter (published June 21) - finished July 1
7. Smokin' Seventeen - Janet Evanovich (published June 21) - finished July 7
8. 10th Anniversary - James Patterson (published May 2) - finished July 9
9. Now You See Her - James Patterson (published June 27) - finished July 14
10. The Silent Girl - Tess Gerritsen (published July 5) - finished July 25
11. Hotwire - Alex Kava (published July 12) - finished July 28

Alphabet Challenge - Completed

2011-01-31T00:19:00.012-07:00

For each letter of the alphabet, you have to read a book that has a main or key supporting character whose name starts with that letter. I'm going to start with the first level and match 10 letters with characters' names. It shouldn't be too hard since I hope to read 51 books this year, but if I aim low, anything more will be gravy. The Alphabet Challenge doesn't say I have to go in any order so my names might be all over the place.

A - Annabelle Archer (For Better or Hearse)
C - Charity More (Stargazer)
D - DD Warren (Love You More)
E - Emily Parker (Tick Tock)
F - Finnick Odair (Catching Fire)
G - Gale Hawthorne (Mockingjay)
H - Hanna Marin (Perfect)
K - Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
L - Lucas Ross (Evernight)
M - Marco Martinez (Hard Corps)
O - Oliver Hazard-Perry (Misguided Angel)
P - Paige Turner (Dial Me for Murder)
R - Richard (To Love and to Perish)
V - Vince Navarre (Secrets From the Grave)

It's Not What You Read But Where You Read it Challenge

2011-01-30T10:39:00.006-07:00

So instead of focusing on a certain theme/kind of book, this challenge has to do with where you're reading the book. There are seven categories and the goal is to read at least an hour in each one of them. I already have an idea for where I can read in six of the categories. The only one I'm going to have a problem with is "Probably Shouldn't". Since the hour doesn't have to be consecutive, I can probably fit in 10 minutes in an inappropriate place to read, but I just need to come up with one.

The categories are:

Twist Your House
I moved to a different apartment last month so everywhere I read is new. I try to read every night before bed so I know I've read more than an hour in the bedroom and the living room

Place of Commerce
On the Move
1/31 - Read 20 minutes on the bus to and from the mall
2/7 - Read 20 minutes on light rail while running errands
2/12 - Read 10 minutes on bus
2/14 - Read 10 minutes on light rail

In Nature
2/16 - Read 20 minutes on grass
2/17 - Read 40 minutes on grass

A Place You Don't Call Home
3/17/11 - Read one hour on plane ride to San Francisco

Probably Shouldn't
In Pairs
6/18 - Read for 20 minutes at work while the student worker was also

Reading Challenge Addict

2011-01-07T15:00:00.002-07:00

2010 was the first year I've ever done reading challenges. I can't remember how exactly I stumbled upon the first one, but when I found a whole blog dedicated to all the different ones out there, I was hooked. I am proud to say I completed ten of them last year, with one more to go that ends in February (the blog it was hosted on has been deleted, but for my own edification and the fact that I signed up for a similar challenge this year, I'm going to finish it!). Doing these challenges really helped me break out of my comfort zone. I read books I normally wouldn't have and I actually crossed some off of my TBR list that I kept pushing aside for others.

This year, I'm not doing as many. That many change as the year goes on and more get posted, but right now I'm at six. That's not stopping me for joining the Reading Challenge Addict challenge. The level I fit in to is: On the Roof: 6-10 challenges (entered and completed).

Here are the challenges I've entered so far:

Paranormal YA Reading Challenge - Read at least 12 books (my challenge post)

Outdo Yourself Challenge - Try to read more books this year than I did last year. I read 50 books in 2010 so I'm going with the first level, Getting My Heart Rate Up: Read 1-5 more books (my challenge post)

Support Your Local Library Challenge - All of the books I read, I get from the library so this is the perfect challenge for me. Since my goal is to read at least 51 books, I chose highest level, Mega Size: Read 51+ books (my challenge post)

Crusin' Thru the Cozies Challenge - I'm a big mystery lover and I like a cozy mystery every so often. I picked the first level for this one, Snoop: Read 1-6 cozy mysteries. I'm aiming to read six (my challenge post)
Jan 7 - Finished my first cozy mystery!

YA Reading Challenge - I was going to start with the first level, Mini, and read 12 YA books. All 12 would be Paranormal books since it will crossover with the other YA challenge I'm doing. I guess to give myself more of a challenge, I'll go up a level and do the Fun Size level: Read 20 YA books (my challenge post)

Dewey Decimal Challenge: Try and read more nonfiction books. I chose the highest level, Master: Read four nonfiction books (my challenge post)

Mar 22 - Added more challenges!

It's Not What You Read But Where You Read it Challenge: Read in seven different places for an hour (my challenge post)

Alphabet Challenge: For each letter of the alphabet, you have to pick a character from each book you read. I started out with 10 (my challenge post) Finished on Mar 11

2011 Pub Challenge: Read 11 books published in 2011 (my challenge post)

What an Animal Reading Challenge: Read 6 books with an animal in it, on the cover, in the title, etc (my challenge post)

E-Book Challenge: I picked the third level, Addicted - Read 12 e-books (my challenge post)

Dewey Decimal Challenge

2011-01-02T10:21:00.001-07:00

The goal of the Dewey Decimal Challenge is to read more nonfiction books. The level I'm choosing is Master - to read four nonfiction books. I read five last year so it shouldn't be a problem.

1. Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero - Marco Martinez - finished Jan 23

2011 Young Adult Reading Challenge

2010-12-20T21:42:00.017-07:00

The Young Adult Reading Challenge is another one I did last year that I'm doing again. I'm going to do the second level, Fun Size, and read 20 YA books.

1. Evernight - Claudia Gray - finished Feb 6
2. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins - finished Feb 19
3. Pretty Little Liars #3: Perfect - Sara Shepard - finished Feb 24
4. Stargazer - Claudia Gray - finished Mar 4
5. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins - finished Mar 14
6. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins - finished Mar 22
7. Keys to the Repository - Melissa de la Cruz - finished Mar 25
8. Misguided Angel - Melissa de la Cruz - finished Apr 15
9. Pretty Little Liars #4: Unbelievable - Sara Shepard - finished May 5
10. Hourglass - Claudia Gray - finished May 12
11. Pretty Little Liars #5: Wicked - Sara Shepard - finished May 20
12. Afterlife - Claudia Gray - finished June 23

13. Bloody Valentine - Melissa de la Cruz - finished June 24

14. Pretty Little Liars #6: Killer - Sara Shepard - finished July 17
15. Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher - finished July 22

Crusin' Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge

2010-12-14T22:03:00.004-07:00

Mysteries are by far my favorite type of book to read. I usually like to read ones with darker themes, but I do enjoy a cozy mystery every once in awhile. For the Crusin' Thru the Cozies Challenge, I'm going to start at Level 1 - Snoop and read 1-6 cozy mysteries. Even though there's a range, I'm going to read six of them.

1. Dial Me for Murder - Amanda Matetsky - finished Jan 7

2. For Better or Hearse - Laura Durham - finished Feb 13
3. To Love and To Perish - Laura Durham - finished April 2
4. Shot Through Velvet - Ellen Byerrum - finished June 9

Outdo Yourself/Support Your Local Library Challenges

2010-12-13T21:46:00.036-07:00

I wanted to read 50 books in 2010. Right now I'm at 45 and there's still 18 days left, so theoretically, I can still reach my goal. The Outdo Yourself Challenge is pretty self explanatory. I need to try and read more books in 2011 than I did this year. I'm starting out easy with the first level, Getting My Heart Rate Up, to read 1-5 more books.

Update (1/2/11) - So I did it. I read 50 books in 2010. I finished the last book on New Years Eve and now I'm ready to challenge myself and read 51 books in 2011.

Since this is basically just a post to list all the books I've read this year, I'm going to combine it with the Support Your Local Library challenge. I get all my books from the library so it shouldn't be a problem. Since I'm trying to read 51 books, the Mega Size level fits.

1.  Dial Me for Murder - Amanda Matetsky - finished Jan 7
2. Secrets to the Grave - Tami Hoag- finished Jan 15
3. Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero - Marco Martinez - finished Jan 23
4. Tick Tock - James Patterson - finished Jan 29
5. Evernight - Claudia Gray -  finished Feb 6
6. For Better or Hearse - Laura Durham - finished Feb 13
7. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins - finished Feb 19
8. Pretty Little Liars #3: Perfect - Sara Shepard - finished Feb 24
9. Stargazer - Claudia Gray - finished Mar 4
10. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins -  finished Mar 14
11. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins - finished Mar 22
12. Keys to the Repository - Melissa de la Cruz - finished Mar 25
13. To Love and To Perish - Laura Durham - finished April 2
14. Love You More - Lisa Gardner - finished April
15. Misguided Angel - Melissa de la Cruz - finished Apr 15
16. Save Me - Lisa Scottoline - finished Apr 22
17. Mystery - Jonathan Kellerman - finished Apr 29
18. Pretty Little Liars #4: Unbelievable - Sara Shepard - finished May 5
19. Hourglass - Claudia Gray - finished May 12
20. Pretty Little Liars #5: Wicked - Sara Shepard - finished May 20
21. Grievous Sin - Faye Kellerman - finished May 31
22. Shot Through Velvet - Ellen Byerrum - finished June 9
23. The Closers - Michael Connelly - finished June 18
24. Afterlife - Claudia Gray - finished June 23
25. Bloody Valentine - Melissa de la Cruz - finished June 24
26. Fallen - Karin Slaughter - finished July 1
27. Smokin' Seventeen - Janet Evanovich - finished July 7

28. 10th Anniversary - James Patterson - finished July 9

29. Now You See Her - James Patterson - finished July 14
30. Pretty Little Liars #6: Killer - Sara Shepard - finished July 17
31. Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher - finished July 22
32. The Silent Girl - Tess Gerritsen - finished July 25

33. Hotwire - Alex Kava - finished July 28

2011 Paranormal YA Reading Challenge

2010-12-13T21:42:00.009-07:00

The goal of this reading challenge: To read at least 12 Paranormal YA books. This is perfect since I have a long list of books in this genre that I want to read.

1. Evernight - Claudia Gray (vampires) - finished Feb 6
2. Stargazer - Claudia Gray (vampires) - finished Mar 4
3. Keys to the Repository - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires) - finished Mar 25
4. Misguided Angel - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires) - finished Apr 15

5. Hourglass - Claudia Gray (vampires) - finished May 12

6. Afterlife - Claudia Gray (vampires) - finished June 23

7. Bloody Valentine - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires/witches) - finished June 24

Berry Cobbler

2010-07-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Nothing says the 4th of July like a dessert made with strawberries and blueberries. Everyone knows about the flag cake, but I went a different route. The recipe comes from Chef Chloe, whose blog I found after watching her win Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. She made these delicious looking vegan cupcakes and her whole blog is filled with vegan recipes. I want to try as many of them as I can.

Dough
1 1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil or margarine
1/2 cup non dairy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)

Filling
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups strawberries
2 cups blueberries

1/4 cup extra non dairy milk
1 tbsp sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Dough
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil and milk and add to the flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until thorough combined and dough like, but do not overmix.
Fruit
Whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon and then add to the berries. Toss until the berries are coated with the sugar mixture.

1. Pour berries into a 9in baking pan or distribute evenly into eight ramekins. Using a tablespoon, scoops lumps of dough on top of berries.
2. Brush the top of dough with extra almond milk and sprinkle sugar liberally.
3. Bake for 45min or until dough is cooked and lightly browned on top. Rotate after 20min so that it bakes evenly.
Get recipe here

fresh from the oven

I followed the recipe as written, using vanilla soy milk and Blue Bonnet. I forgot to rotate the cobbler, but I think it still came out the way it's supposed to. Chloe has a recipe for vanilla bean whipped creme, but I topped mine with Cool Whip. This would be perfect for a barbeque or any time you want a quick and easy dessert for a crowd or yourself. Definitely a keeper!

Reading Challenges Halfway Point

2010-07-02T09:18:00.002-07:00

2010 is already half done so I thought I would take the time to update the progress of my reading challenges.

Support your Local Library Challenge (goal: 50 books) - I just started reading my 25th book and I'm planning to finish it by the end of this week. I'm on pace to finish my goal by the end of the year.

Celebrate the Author Challenge (goal: 12 books) - I wanted to read birthday books in the month the author was born, but I found it was a little bit easier to read them out of order. So far, I've read six books. I have June and July books picked out and I already read the August birthday so now I just need Sept-Dec.

2010 Pub Challenge (goal: 10 books published in 2010) - I've read seven so far, started an 8th, and have three more waiting in the wings. This challenge will be done in the next few weeks.

Vampire Series Challenge (goal: six books) - I'm at five and have a sixth picked out, just need to find the time to read it.

Young Adult Challenge: (goal: 12 books) - Only one more to go. My last vampire book is a young adult one so they'll overlap.

Truth is Stranger than Fiction Challenge (goal: six books) - This challenge ends in Feb 2011, but I wanted to read at least four of them this year. I've only read one so I'm a little behind.

What an Animal Challenge (goal: six books) - This one also ends in Feb 2011, but it's been easier to meet the requirements because vampires count as animals and that works with the vampire series challenge. I've finished four books and I'll have read at least five by the end of year because of the overlap.

To reach my goal of reading 50 books, I have to read 25 more (not counting the one I'm currently reading since I haven't finished it yet). Without taking into account that some of the books will count for multiple challenges, I have to read 14 to fit a specific category. If I wanted to finish my 2011 challenges, it would go up to 17, but I can subtract one since the young adult and vampire series challenges overlap.

So the grand total would be either 13 or 16 specific books and then 12 or nine books of my choosing. The numbers could change because there might be some overlap, but that's not too bad!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2010-06-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

If you're a fan of chocolate chip cookies, but don't have the time to make individual ones, this is the recipe for you.

Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread into greased pan.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes in preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack, then cut into bars

I followed the recipe exactly except I used only a cup of chocolate chips. It was enough chocolate, but not too much to overpower the cookie. I also used a 13x10 pan instead for a thicker cookie and was able to get 24 servings. The chocolate was nice and melty and the cookie tasted delicious. This will be my go to recipe for making pan cookies and maybe next time, I'll experiment with a different chocolate or candy.

Trashtastic

2010-06-15T15:29:00.003-07:00

With my regular tv shows being on break until the fall, I decided to check out some of the new summer fare being offered. One of my guilty pleasures is trashy reality tv. I've seen all three seasons of Tool Academy and was disappointed when Megan Wants a Millionaire went off the air due to that tragic murder/suicide. Now I've discovered True Beauty, You're Cut Off, and Toddlers & Tiaras.

True Beauty is about ten beautiful people who think they're competing for the title "The Face of Vegas." They participate in challenges and the two with the lowest scores are in danger of elimination. What the contestants don't know is that they're being watched 24/7 and all their actions and catty behavior are being caught on tape. That also plays in to who gets kicked off because the show's trying to find someone with beauty both inside and out.

In You're Cut Off, nine pampered spoiled princesses, who have never paid for anything in their lives, are made to live together in a house in the suburbs and forced to sleep in bunk beds, share two bathrooms, and cook and clean for themselves. It's only been on for one episode, but it's been hilarious. They struggled to figure out how to pour boxed wine, how to downsize their five suitcases into one duffle bag, and marveled at the fact that ground beef came in tubes. Plus these girls are used to being the alpha female so egos are colliding. I'm looking forward to seeing if they're ever going to change and get jobs and learn how to make their own beds.

Toddlers & Tiaras is strangely fascinating in that train wreck sort of way. Little girls and boys compete in pageants for crowns, trophies, money, and puppies. Their parents spend so much money on outfits, spray tans, and manicures. They're as young as newborns and as old as nine (that's what I've seen so far). Watching little girls parade around in too much make up and costumes not appropriate for their age is a little weird, but add in the drama from bratty children and overbearing stage moms and you can't stop watching!

Moral of the story is: I wish I was super hot and had lots of money, but I wouldn't trade who I am for that. Of course, I still want to get in shape and maybe have a little more financial freedom, but at least I know how to keep house somewhat (it's a little more like organized chaos), cook my own food, pay my own bills, and be an independent person. That'll help out in the long run.

Bloggity Blog

2010-06-12T10:15:00.002-07:00

The reason I created this blog was to keep track of my reading challenges. Then I decided to expand it to include any random thoughts, recipes, comics, etc. Of course, I hardly ever post even when I do have something to write. Not like anyone reads this except for me, which is fine. I'm having fun nonetheless. Since it's the summer and I have more free time, I'm determined to post something new at least once a week. Ideally, I would like to do something more like every other day, but if I aim low and exceed my expectations, I'll feel that much better about myself, lol.

Tempeh Reubens

2010-05-06T12:41:00.002-07:00

Since I'm trying to eat at home as much as possible, I thought it would be a good idea to start trying out some new recipes so I don't get bored. I found a recipe for tempeh reubens a few months ago and bought some tempeh especially for it, but I didn't get around to making them until now.

Megan's Tempeh Reubens

I pretty much followed the recipe for the marinade except I didn't use the paprika, thyme, or chili flakes. I also didn't have garlic so I used garlic powder and regular soy sauce instead of tamari. For the dressing, I mixed together mayo, ketchup, and some Sweet and Spicy Relish This! from Sunshine Specialty Foods, a local company in Chandler, AZ.

I didn't have any cheese either so it was just tempeh, sauerkraut, and the dressing. I used my George Foreman grill to toast the sandwich up and it was delicious. It had a nice soy sauce and sesame oil flavor, which went surprising well with the sourness of the sauerkraut. I haven't had a chance to buy more tempeh, but when I do, it will be just for this recipe.

Get in Shape!

2010-04-30T17:41:00.003-07:00

Since 1983, May has been designated National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. In honor of this month and a little boost from Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger, I have decided to set some health goals for myself.

1. Limit eating out to only one day a week.
2. Do some kind of exercise 3-4 times a week.
3. Eat a fruit and/or vegetable at every meal.

Right now, these goals are attainable minus the week I'm supposed to be spending in Georgia on vacation. Since we'll be staying at a hotel and eating out at least twice a day, I'll have to be a little more selective in what I choose off the menu. Other than that, I'm going to try and stick to these goals for the whole month. They're not that hard and a small first step in getting a little healthier.

Say What?!

2010-04-05T18:12:00.002-07:00

Word came down yesterday from the Philadelphia Eagles that they traded QB Donovan McNabb to their NFC East rivals, the Washington Redskins. Rumors were floating around since the season ended that one of the Eagles' QBs would be traded/let go and all signs pointed to McNabb. It's still a shock, though, that would trade him within the division. I think it would have made more sense to trade him somewhere else, like the NFC West, where all the teams were interested. It would have been awesome for him to play for the Arizona Cardinals because he owns a house here and I maybe would have rooted for them.

McNabb is leaving behind a legacy in Philly even though he nvr won a Super Bowl. He has winning records against the other three NFC East teams and has started more games than any current QB besides Peyton Manning. He also leaves with a 86 QB rating. I just hope that McNabb will be able to turn the Redskins into a winning team and show the Eagles what they're losing, especially since they're starting Kevin Kolb, who sucks, and not Michael Vick.

I'm not the only one who thinks the Eagles are stupid for letting McNabb go. Ex-Eagle and current Broncos player, Brian Dawkins, thinks so too: NFL Blog: Eagles made mistake trading McNabb

Did you feel that?

2010-04-04T18:29:00.002-07:00

Sometime around 3:30 or so, I was lying down for my afternoon nap. All of a sudden, there was movement and I thought, "Why is the couch moving? Is there an earthquake?," which is ridiculous since we don't have those in AZ, but being from San Francisco, I know all about them. Cat Leia, who was already sleeping on the pillows, woke up like she had been disturbed and walked away. I thought maybe she had felt it too, but then chalked it up to coincidence.

A couple hours later (I take long naps, lol), I turned the tv on and it just happened to be tuned to the news. What were they talking about? An earthquake! I googled it and found out a 7.2 magnitude earthquake had hit Baja, Mexico and it was felt all over Southern California and in some parts of Arizona (I knew I wasn't imagining things). There was also a smaller one in the Bay Area ten minutes later, but it wasn't related.

Feeling earthquakes in AZ is weird since natural disasters are not common here. We did have a recent one, though, in January 2010. It was raining like crazy and Arizona was declared a state of emergency. Other than that, AZ is a pretty nice state to live in, if you don't count all the debt we have, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Bracketology

2010-04-01T20:37:00.002-07:00

At work, we have a pool for March Madness. Winner gets a drink and a snack from each of the losers. For the past three years I've lost, but that can all change. After making some bold choices, which included having West Virginia make it to the finals, I am one win away from becoming this year's champion.

It's down to two people now and the only thing standing in my way is Duke. If Duke wins, I lose. If they lose, I win. I was the only one who picked West Virginia to beat Kentucky and when they did, I was ecstatic. Even though we're only playing for food, I'm a huge competitor and I hate losing. I don't even play sports, but throw in some kind of fantasy competition and I become a machine, lol.

Truth is Stranger than Fiction Challenge - Completed

2010-03-18T16:44:00.012-07:00

Finally finished my first book for the Truth is Stranger than Fiction Challenge. I have until February 28, 2011 to read six nonfiction books.

1. One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer - Nathaniel Fick - finished March 18

2. WAR - Sebastian Junger - finished July 20
3. With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa - E.B. Sledge - finished Aug 18
4. Too Late to Say Goodbye - Ann Rule - finished Sept 27
5. unSweetined - Jodie Sweetin - finished Oct 26
6. Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero - Marco Martinez - finished Jan 23, 2011

Hogwarts Reading Challenge

2010-03-17T20:37:00.048-07:00

Who knew there were so many different reading challenges out there? The Hogwarts Reading Challenge overlaps with my other ones so I decided to do it too. You get a point for each book you read that fits into one of the categories based on classes given at Hogwarts. The points go towards your house and whichever one has the most wins the House Cup.

The Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor. It's nice to know that I am worthy of being in the same house as Harry Potter.

Defence Against the Dark Arts - read any book that has defence (defense), dark, and/or arts in the title; read any book about self defense, war, history of war/martial arts, murder mysteries

One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer - Nathaniel Fick (history of war - Iraq/Afghanistan) - finished March 18

Deception - Jonathan Kellerman (murder mystery) - finished April 17
The Burning Wire - Jeffery Deaver (murder mystery) - finished June 24
Broken - Karin Slaughter (murder mystery) - finished July 6
Private - James Patterson (murder mystery) - finished July 10
WAR - Sebastian Junger (history of war - Afghanistan) - finished July 20
Live to Tell - Lisa Gardner (murder mystery) - finished July 27
Caught - Harlan Coben (murder mystery) - finished August 2
With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa - E.B. Sledge (history of war - WWII) - finished Aug 18
Lost Light - Michael Connelly (murder mystery) - finished Aug 27
The Postcard Killers - James Patterson (murder mystery) - finished Aug 31
Too Late to Say Goodbye - Ann Rule (true crime murder mystery) - finished Sept 27
Don't Blink - James Patterson (murder mystery) - finished Oct 8
Cross Fire - James Patterson (murder mystery) - finished Dec 4
The Narrows - Michael Connelly (murder mystery) - finished Dec 12

Muggle Studies - nearly any book works here; what better way to understand Muggles than to read what they read

Living Dead Girl - Elizabeth Scott - finished March 22

Think Twice - Lisa Scottoline - finished April 2

Never Look Away - Linwood Barclay - finished April 23

Daughters of Eve - Lois Duncan - finished May 1
Exquisite Corpse - Poppy Z Brite - finished June 5
Pretty Little Liars - Sara Shepard - finished June 11
Princess Mia - Meg Cabot - finished June 30
Ice Cold - Tess Gerritsen - finished July 14
Damaged - Alex Kava - finished Aug 7
unSweetined - Jodie Sweetin - finished Oct 26
Edge - Jeffery Deaver - finished Nov 23

Care of Magical Creatures - read any book that has magical or creatures in the title or is about supernatural creatures

The Fury - LJ Smith (vampires) - finished March 25

Dark Reunion - LJ Smith (vampires) - finished March 29

Blue Bloods - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires) - finished May 11
Masquerade - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires) - finished September 10
Revelations - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires) - finished September 30
Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich (Unmentionables) - finished Oct 16
Fallen - Lauren Kate (angels) - finished Nov 14

Divination - read any book that has divine in the title; any book about psychics, psychic abilities, tarot reading, etc.

The Dark Divine - Bree Despain - finished April 12

Arithmancy - read any book that has arithmancy in the title, any book that has a number in the title or is about math/numbers

The 9th Judgement - James Patterson - finished May 17

Sizzling Sixteen - Janet Evanovich - finished July 3

2010-03-05T11:41:00.004-07:00

Courtesy of F Minus comics

Phenomenal Woman

2010-03-04T15:58:00.003-07:00

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them

They think I'm telling lies

I say

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips

The stride of my step

The curl of my lips

I'm a woman phenomenally

Phenomenal woman

That's me

-Maya Angelou

365 Project

2010-03-03T21:33:00.005-07:00

I'm not the world's greatest photographer and I don't have a cool camera (Sony Cybershot 6 megapixels), but I decided to do a 365 project. The point is to collect photos documenting one year of your life and posting one every day. To start off, I took a picture of the dinner I made tonight.

Picture courtesy of my 365 project

Best Picture Nominees

2010-03-02T10:20:00.006-07:00

Since 2006, I've seen at least three of the five Academy Award for Best Picture nominees. Since there's ten this year, there's a much bigger selection to choose from. After reading the descriptions, I want to see 4/5 of them. That's a little better ratio than earlier years.

2010

Avatar - my first ever 3D movie. It was pretty awesome and I watched it in great company :)

The Blind Side - somewhat sappy, but it was a cute movie

District 9

An Education - nvr heard of it before, but the description sounds good

The Hurt Locker - have this one at home .. I heart Jeremy Renner

Inglorious Basterds

Precious - read the book, just waiting for it be released March 10

A Serious Man - the description sold me on this one too

Up - this one's a maybe .. everyone says it's a cute movie

Up in the Air - this one was a maybe too, but who doesn't like George Clooney

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2010-03-01T21:20:00.005-07:00

On the third Thursday of every month, we have a birthday party at work. I decided to make peanut butter chocolate chip cupcakes since I already had all the ingredients. The first time I made these was in December for a welcome home/Christmas present for the Marine.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (makes 12)

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an extra mixer on medium speed, beat butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar until smooth and light in color, about one minute. Scrape down sides as needed. Mix in egg and vanilla. Beat for one minute or until smooth.

On low speed, add flour mixture in 3 parts and milk in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until flour is incorporated and batter is smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill each cup to about 1/3 inch below the top. Bake just until tops feel firm and are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on wire rack.

To top them off, I bought Pillsbury chocolate frosting. Apparently, that's not allowed in your carry on baggage and given the option, I did not want to frost the cupcakes in the middle of the airport. I think they tasted absolutely delicious without the frosting so I chose to serve them the same way at work.

Girl Scout Cookies

2010-02-26T17:45:00.002-07:00

On my way to the outside eating area at the union, I was stopped by a little girl, wearing a "I Love Thin Mints" shirt. She asked if I wanted to buy Girl Scout cookies and even though I gave up spending money on food outside of the grocery store, I gave in. She was so cute and I just couldn't say no. I'm sure she didn't need my help since there are more than enough people on this campus willing to buy cookies. My rationale is that I really did limit myself to eating out at fast food places or restaurants and it's not like I wouldn't have spent $4 on cookies at the grocery store....Actually, no, I take that back. Anyone who knows me knows I would nvr spend that much on a single food item. But Girl Scout cookies only come around once a year and they're so delicious.

I bought a box of Do-Si-Dos, which are the peanut butter sandwich cookies. I also like Samoas, with all their caramel and coconut goodness and Tagalongs, because I love the combo of peanut butter and chocolate. It's too bad they cost so much :(

What an Animal Reading Challenge - Completed

2010-02-24T13:15:00.013-07:00

I've decided to do another reading challenge for two reasons: It goes from March 1, 2010 - February 28, 2011 and it classifies vampires as animals. For the What an Animal Reading Challenge, I have to read six books that meet at least one of the following criteria:

-have an animal in the title

-have an animal on the cover

-an animal plays a major role, or

-the main character is/turns into an animal

1. The Fury - LJ Smith (vampires, who can also change into animals) - finished March 25

2. Dark Reunion - LJ Smith (vampires) - finished March 29

3. The Dark Divine - Bree Despain (werewolves) - finished April 12
4. Blue Bloods - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires) - finished May 11
5. Masquerade - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires) - finished September 10
6. Revelations - Melissa de la Cruz (vampires) - finished September 30

Young Adult Reading Challenge - Completed

2010-02-17T20:50:00.019-07:00

I love YA books and I never get around to reading them as much as I'd like because I'm too busy reading mysteries. This challenge will give me the excuse to fit them in. I'm doing Level 1 - The Mini YA challenge and reading 12 books.

1. The Awakening - LJ Smith - finished February 15

2. Princess on the Brink - Meg Cabot - finished February 18

3. The Struggle - LJ Smith - finished February 23

4. Living Dead Girl - Elizabeth Scott - finished March 22
5. The Fury - LJ Smith - finished March 25
6. Dark Reunion - LJ Smith - finished March 29
7. The Dark Divine - Bree Despain - finished April 12
8. Daughters of Eve - Lois Duncan - finished May 1
9. Blue Bloods - Melissa de la Cruz - finished May 11
10. Pretty Little Liars - Sara Shepard - finished June 11
11. Princess Mia - Meg Cabot - finished June 30
12. Masquerade - Melissa de la Cruz - finished September 10

13. Revelations - Melissa de la Cruz - finished Sept 30

Vampire Series Challenge - Completed

2010-02-17T20:39:00.011-07:00

I've decided to finally start reading some of the vampire books on my TBR list thanks to this challenge. I'm going to read six books, which is Level 3 - Vampire Enthusiast.

1. The Awakening - LJ Smith - finished February 15

2. The Struggle - LJ Smith - finished February 23

3. The Fury - LJ Smith - finished March 25
4. Dark Reunion - LJ Smith - finished March 29
5. Blue Bloods - Melissa de la Cruz - finished May 11
6. Masquerade - Melissa de la Cruz - finished September 10

7. Revelations - Melissa de la Cruz - finished Sept 30

Happy Mardi Gras!

2010-02-16T16:33:00.010-07:00

Since today is Fat Tuesday, I decided to treat myself to a nice lunch since I will be giving up paying for food outside of the grocery store. This is not only for my wallet, but to get myself back on track with somewhat healthy eating. I also want to get back into the gym, starting next week.

I went to Engrained, which prides itself on being sustainable. They use organic and locally grown produce, fair trade coffee, free range chickens and eggs, etc. The menu changes every two weeks so every visit is a new experience.

I decided to have the Engrained trio so that I could sample three of their dishes and a Philly roll. I wanted to try the Andouille sausage, ricotta cheese, eggplant, and arugula lasagna, but they were out so I had the vegetarian option instead, gratin acorn squash with pine nut ratatouille. The squash was resting in a pesto sauce, which really added to the flavor. The combination of the sweet squash, eggplant and yellow squash ratatouille topped with crushed pine nuts, and the pesto was excellent.

It also came with spinach crispy shallot salad, which was dressed perfectly with a balsamic vinegarette. The shallots had a great flavor and added crunch, but I wish there had been more. For dessert was poached pear d'anjou. In the middle of the pear slice was a mousse filled with candied pecans covered with just enough chocolate to satisfy my sweet tooth.

The Philly roll was good, but nothing to rave about. The rice was a little stiffer than what I'm used to, but the cream cheese and salmon were fresh. This visit to Engrained was much better than the last time when a fire alarm went off right as I received my food. I had time to take it all to go, but it just wasn't the same. I will visit Engrained again the next time I feel like something fancier than Papa Johns or Burger King.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

2010-02-14T10:12:00.012-07:00

Happy Chinese New Year! Today marks the start of the Year of the Tiger.

Tiger (1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010)
Strong, noble, aggressive, independent and courageous. Also tend to be selfish and short tempered.

Metal Tiger (1950, 2010)
Energetic, difficult to express their own opinion, ambitious and not a good diplomat. Relaxing and enjoying life will bring more enjoyment.

Tigers are most compatible with Horse, Dragon, and Dog.

When I was younger, my mom's coworkers would give my brother and I lai see (red envelopes) containing "lucky money." Red symbolizes good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits. I found some recently that I had saved and found crisp one dollar bills still inside.

Another memory I have is going to my grandmother's house for dinner and having traditional New Years dishes. My favorite is a noodle dish called Buddha's Delight. It contains tofu, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and other vegetables.

I also remember my dad taking us into the city to see the parade. It is the biggest one outside of China. Dancing dragons and lions, the Fortune Gods, and firecrackers are all big parts of the parade. They are meant to ward off evil spirits and welcome prosperity and good luck into the new year.

One of these days I will get myself back there for Chinese New Year. Until then, wishing you one filled with good luck.

North Carolina Snow

2010-02-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

I woke up to a text of this picture, the aftermath of a snow storm that had fallen on North Carolina last night. In this part of the state, there are reports of up to 8.5 inches of snow. I am somewhat jealous because I wouldn't mind playing in it, but one day is all I could probably handle. At least I would get some use out of the winter coat I bought on sale a couple of years ago. I've probably worn it twice.

I checked the Weather Channel just now and it's supposed to be 75 today and high 70s for the rest of the week. I'm super excited because I get to wear shorts again. I'm so tired of wearing jeans every day. But of course, that means the temperature will keep rising every month until we make it into the 100s and I'll be begging for cooler weather. If it was 70s-80s year round like in Hawaii, I'd be happy.

from my trip to Hawaii, August 2008

I have to read how many?

2010-02-11T13:12:00.001-07:00

Since I'm doing so many different challenges, I thought it would be a good idea to figure out if I can actually fit all of them in this year.

My goal is to read 50 books from the public library. The specifics:

-~~6 vampire series books~~

-6 non-fiction books

-10 published in 2010 books

-12 YA books (at least 6 vampire books)

-12 author birthday books

Since there are so many vampire series written for teens, I'm going to overlap my vampire book challenge with the YA challenge. That brings my total to 40 books that have to fit into categories and 10 that I can choose on my own. Since the non-fiction challenge ends at the end of February 2011, I'll save 2 for next year, which leaves 4. I already read one book for the 2010 challenge and one for the birthday challenge, so I'll subtract another 2 from the total, which leaves me with 36.

Thirty six books doesn't seem too bad. I've already read 3 "free" books so that leaves 11. I have a lot more than that in my TBR pile so I guess some of those will have to wait until next year.

2010 Pub Challenge - Completed

2010-02-11T10:30:00.019-07:00

The Pub Challenge should be a breeze. Read 10 books published in 2010. I already have a list :)

1. The Lock Artist - Steve Hamilton (published January 5) - finished February 10

2. Worst Case - James Patterson (published February 1) - finished March 4

3. Think Twice - Lisa Scottoline (published March 16) - finished April 2
4. Deception - Jonathan Kellerman (published March 30) - finished April 17
5. Never Look Away - Linwood Barclay (published March 9) - finished April 23
6. The 9th Judgement - James Patterson (published April 26) - finished May 17
7. The Burning Wire - Jeffery Deaver (published June 1) - finished June 24
8. Sizzling Sixteen - Janet Evanovich (published June 22) - finished July 3
9. Broken - Karin Slaughter (published June 22) - finished July 6
10. Private - James Patterson (published June 28) - finished July 10

11. Ice Cold - Tess Gerritsen (published June 29) - finished July 14
12. WAR - Sebastian Junger (published May 11) - finished July 20
13. Live to Tell - Lisa Gardner (published July 13) - finished July 27
14. Caught - Harlan Coben (published March 23) - finished August 2
15. Damaged - Alex Kava (published July 13) - finished Aug 7
16. The Postcard Killers - James Patterson (published Aug 16) - finished Aug 31
17. Don't Blink - James Patterson (published September 27) - finished October 8
18. Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich (published September 14) - finished October 16

Celebrate the Author Challenge - Completed

2010-02-10T12:00:00.013-07:00

The challenge: Read a book by an author born in each month. I was going to read them in the month the author was born, but according to the rules, I don't have to. As long as I read 12 books for every month of the year, it's good.

1. Deeper Than the Dead - Tami Hoag (born January 20) - finished January 11
2. Princess on the Brink - Meg Cabot (born February 1) - finished February 18

3. Worst Case - James Patterson (born March 22) - finished March 4

4. Deception - Jonathan Kellerman (born August 9) - finished April 17
5. Daughters of Eve - Lois Duncan (born April 28) - finished May 1
6. Exquisite Corpse - Poppy Z Brite (born May 25) - finished June 5
7. Ice Cold - Tess Gerritsen (born June 12) - finished July 14
8. Lost Light - Michael Connelly (born July 21) - finished Aug 27
9. Too Late to Say Goodbye - Ann Rule (born October 22) - finished Sept 27
10. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald (born September 24) -  finished Dec 15
11. Pussyfoot - Carole Nelson Douglas (born November 5) -  finished Dec 19
12. Where Are the Children? - Marry Higgins Clark (born December 24) -  finished Dec 25

Support Your Local Library/A Buck a Book/Reading for a Cure Challenges - Completed

2010-02-10T11:06:00.046-07:00

For the Support Your Local Library Challenge, I picked the second level, Just My Size, which is to check out and read 50 books.

I am also including the A Buck a Book and Reading for a Cure challenges in this post since there are no specific rules except to save $1 per book read and to donate a certain amount to finding a cure for pediatric cancer.

Here is my list so far (January doesn't have any finish dates because I wasn't keeping track until now):

January

1. Deeper than the Dead - Tami Hoag (intriguing mystery about four children who stumble across a serial killer's victim buried in a park, takes place in the 80s before profiling and all those crime databases) - finished January 11

2. Zombie - Joyce Carol Oates (slightly disturbing & not for the faint of heart)

3. Sugar & Spite - G.A. McKevett (cozy mystery staring Southern born ex-policewoman, Savannah Reid, 5th in the series)

4. Tough Cookie - Diane Mott Davidson (culinary mystery featuring caterer, Goldy (Baer) Schulz, 9th in the series)

February
5. The Lock Artist - Steve Hamilton (told from the POV of a teenage safecracker, alternates between two important parts of his life over a course of a year) - finished February 10

6. The Awakening - LJ Smith (excellent start to the Vampire Diaries series, much different than the tv show) - finished February 15

7. Princess on the Brink - Meg Cabot (what's a princess to do when her boyfriend is about to leave for Japan for a year, eighth in the Princess Diaries series) - finished February 18

8. The Struggle - LJ Smith (What's a girl to do when she's torn between two brothers, 2nd in the Vampire Diaries series) - finished February 23

March

9. Worst Case - James Patterson (someone is kidnapping the children of New York's wealthiest families, but he's not asking for ransom .. what is going on?) - finished March 4

10. One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer - Nathaniel Fick (a Marine's journey through OCS/TBS, a deployment to Afghanistan right after 9/11 and a deployment to Iraq as one of the first troops in) - finished March 18

11. Living Dead Girl - Elizabeth Scott - finished March 22

12. The Fury - LJ Smith (Evil lurks in Fell's Creek, but it's not what you'd expect, 3rd in the Vampire Diaries series - finished March 25
13. Dark Reunion - LJ Smith (Who is holding Elena captive?, 4th and final book in the Vampire Diaries series - finished March 29

April
14. Think Twice - Lisa Scottoline (Bennie Rosato's twin sister, Alice Connolly, is back in her life and up to no good) - finished April 2

15. The Dark Divine - Bree Despain (Daniel Kalbi disappeared the night Grace's brother came home covered in his own blood. Now he's come back, but what's his secret?) - finished April 12
16. Deception - Jonathan Kellerman - finished April 17
17. Never Look Away - Linwood Barclay - finished April 23

May
18. Daughters of Eve - Lois Duncan - finished May 1
19. Blue Bloods - Melissa de la Cruz - finished May 11
20. The 9th Judgement - James Patterson - finished May 17

June

21. Exquisite Corpse - Poppy Z Brite - finished June 5

22. Pretty Little Liars - Sara Shepard - finished June 11
23. The Burning Wire - Jeffery Deaver - finished June 24
24. Princess Mia - Meg Cabot - finished June 30

July
25. Sizzling Sixteen - Janet Evanovich - finished July 3
26. Broken - Karin Slaughter - finished July 6
27. Private - James Patterson - finished July 10
28. Ice Cold - Tess Gerritsen - finished July 14
29. WAR - Sebastian Junger - finished July 20
30. Live to Tell - Lisa Gardner - finished July 27

August
31. Caught - Harlan Coben - finished August 2
32. Damaged - Alex Kava - finished Aug 7
33. With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa - E.B. Sledge - finished Aug 18
34. Lost Light - Michael Connelly - finished Aug 27
35. The Postcard Killers - James Patterson - finished Aug 31

September
36. Masquerade - Melissa de la Cruz - finished September 10
37. Too Late to Say Goodbye - Ann Rule - finished Sept 27
38. Revelations - Melissa de la Cruz - finished Sept 30

October
39. Don't Blink - James Patterson - finished October 8
40. Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich - finished October 16
41. unSweetined - Jodie Sweetin - finished October 26

November
42. Fallen - Lauren Kate - finished Nov 14
43. Edge - Jeffery Deaver - finished Nov 23

December
44. Cross Fire - James Patterson - finished Dec 4
45. The Narrows - Michael Connelly - finished Dec 12
46. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald - finished Dec 15
47. Pussyfoot - Carole Nelson Douglas - finished Dec 19
48. Flawless - Sara Shepard - finished Dec 24
49. Where Are the Children? - Mary Higgins Clark - finished Dec 25
50. The Van Alen Legacy - Melissa de la Cruz - finished Dec 31

Reading Challenges

2010-02-09T10:42:00.005-07:00

Seeing as how I read a lot anyway, I thought I would join a few reading challenges and see how many books I can read in each. Since this is my first time doing it, I'm starting with ones that overlap each other. I also don't want to limit myself to book choices either so I'm doing ones that don't have too much of a theme. I guess that totally defeats the purpose of actually doing a reading challenge, but eh ... I'll try again next year :)

First Challenge: The Young Adult Reading Challenge. I love reading teen books because they're sometimes shorter than your average adult novel, but just as good or even better. I'm an avid mystery reader and tend to stick to that genre, but YA books give me that chance to branch out since I don't really like to read regular adult novels. I'm going to start small with this challenge and pick the lowest level, the Mini YA Reading Challenge and read at least 12 books.

Second Challenge: The Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge. I get all my books from the library so this one's not a problem.

For this challenge, I'm going with the second level, Just My Size, and read 50 books. I average about one book a week and with 52 weeks in a year, I should definitely meet this goal. We're going into the second week of February and I'll finish my ~~sixth~~ fifth book so I'm almost on track

Third Challenge: Truth is Stranger than Fiction. This one goes until February 28, 2011 so I have a little more time to fit in the non-fiction books. Lately I've been interested in books about Marines and their experiences in OIF and OEF. The two I read last year, Joker One and Generation Kill, were excellent.

For this challenge, I think I'm going to aim a little high and go with the third level, The Whole Story, and read six non-fiction books.

Fourth Challenge: A Buck a Book Challenge. For every book you read, you're supposed to put away a dollar and at the end of the year, spend it on something fun for yourself. I could buy myself a new video game or a new outfit or maybe even a massage. I'd really like a Blu-Ray player, but could I really wait another 10.5 months for it?

Fifth Challenge: 2010 Pub Challenge. The rules are read at least 10 books published in 2010. I already have a list of 10 books being published this year and am currently reading one so this is definitely one challenge I will finish.

Sixth Challenge: Vampire Series Challenge. Yes, I have become somewhat interested in all the vampire series that are gaining popularity. No, I am not ever going to read Twilight. So far I'm interested in reading the following series: Sookie Stackhouse, Vampire Academy, Vampire Diaries (love love this show), and Blue Bloods. I'm going with Level 3 for this challenge, to read six vampire books.

Seventh Challenge: Celebrate the Author. Each month, read a book by an author who was born in that month. Even though I'm starting late, I just happened to read a book by an author with a January birthday in January. I hope some of my favorite authors have birthdays in each of the 11 remaining months or I'll have to find some new ones.

Eighth and final Challenge: Reading for a Cure. This challenge is about raising money and awareness to find a cure for childhood cancer. I really wanted to do ten challenges and donate $1 for every one I completed, with the hope that I would be able to give $10. With only eight, I will still donate $1 for every challenge completed and $10 if I finish them all. This is definitely an incentive to finish strong since anything to do with cancer means a lot to me. The blog hosting this challenge is donating to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, but I have decided to give to St Jude Children's Research Hospital. Since there's no specific challenge for this one, I'm moving it to the finish column and there's already $1 waiting to be donated.

Wish me luck as I try to tackle these challenges!