Planning for a 24-hour Read-a-thon

Okay, real talk: there's absolutely no way I'm going to be up for 24 hours, because the only thing I love more than books (and my family) is sleep. A few weeks ago, I saw a blog post about this phenomenon and decided to participate. I particularly love that there are no rules for being a part other than reading for some part of the 24 hours. That's it.

[It's nice that the plan is flexible, because I had cleared my schedule and planned to read all day, only breaking for minor things like food and personal hygiene. But now C has joined a basketball team and next Saturday will be a tournament. (They practice weekly and play in tournaments once a month or so.)

No biggie--I can still read on the drive up there and in between games as well as that evening. I won't get as many pages read, but it's really about quality and enjoyment over quantity.]

"Back up, Alison," I can hear you saying. "What exactly is this read-a-thon of which you speak?"

I'm glad you asked! According to the home page:

"For 24 hours, we read books, post to our blogs, Twitters, Tumblrs, Goodreads and MORE about our reading, and visit other readers’ homes online. We also participate in mini-challenges throughout the day. It happens twice a year, in April and in October.

It was created by the beloved Dewey (her blog is archived at the Wayback Machine). The first one was held in October 2007. Dewey died in late 2008. We’re still saddened by her absence, but the show must go on. The read-a-thon was renamed to honor its founder in 2009.

Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon is hosted by Heather and Andi of The Estella Society, with help from volunteers."


This is my first read-a-thon, and I'm very excited, especially because my 13-year-old daughter is willing to do it with me! She also loves to read, although she's all about reading one book at a time, whereas I need to have options, especially with so many hours in a row dedicated to reading. I tried to convince her to check out at least one alternative book besides her current read, but we'll see if she listens to me. She can always reread a favorite.

I have several books on my new 2016 read-a-thon list, although most of them are being requested through the library so it's not an actual pile yet. I wanted to have a variety of genres and tones. Here goes:

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante: because the rave reviews of so many readers can't be wrong. Also my first translated work to read this year.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson because I recently read Let Me Tell You and wanted more, and also, how have I not read this already?

 

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie King: this is the only one I'm not sure if I'll get in time, but I'll read it anyway because it looks like a good mystery series, and I don't have any mysteries currently in line.

Complications by Atul Gawande: because I've been a fan of his writing for a long time, and I wanted a nonfiction book that would keep me interested. His inquisitive yet scientific voice seems perfect to counteract a possible overdose of fiction.

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: I definitely wanted a graphic novel as a break from so many words. This one has been on my TBR for a long time.

I had My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok on the list but I think I'll wait on that one. I also have Dodger by Terry Pratchett for a reread on standby.

C just started Cress by Marissa Meyer (I'm congratulating myself on introducing her to the Lunar Chronicles). She will probably read in the car and all evening, too. Love my bookish girl! 

If you want to join in, let me know and sign up at the home page or on Goodreads! There are also fun mini-challenges throughout the day, and you can sign up for people to "visit" you online and cheer you on.

Hello...It's Me (Oh Crap, Now I Have That Already-Overplayed Adele Song Stuck In My Head)

Well, hey there. I feel a little awkward, expecting you to read this post like I didn't just jump ship and stop posting for...for however long it was. 

But then I remember that when a blogger I like reading stops posting for whatever reason, I'm not bothered by it. I think, "Awww, she's just too busy with real life right now." I wish her well and then when she posts again, I'm happy to see her pop up in my feed reader again. I don't require a tedious explanation. So I'm going to assume that anyone reading this doesn't need one either. At some point, I'll probably write about my weird relationship with social media, but not today. Today is a day for bullet points, to make it easier to catch up.

• It's basketball season, and both kids are playing at a whole 'nother level--my daughter in middle school, my son in "select." Both require some more time than in the past, but it's not insane. My daughter practices before school and has one game a week, usually on Thursday nights. My son has two evening practices (up from one last year) and a game on Saturdays. None of his games are before 11 am, praise the Lord. Still, it's made dinners at home challenging when this week we have something during our normal dinner hour for 4 days straight. I'm not gonna lie, I cooked an actual dinner Monday night, chopped up brisket for BBQ sandwiches last night, bought the good deli meat, and forced myself not to feel guilty about it. They are now capable of making their own sandwiches. Hallelujah.

•  Friday is C's 13th birthday. She invited her school friends and church friends, and of those, it looks like 9 or 10 are coming. Last week I called one of those friend's moms hyperventilating because I couldn't make a decision on how to organize things other than C had (finally) decided to go to a trampoline park. My friend is a school counselor, so she's very calm, and also happens to be very organized. She helped me decide to have pizza and cake here, determine the timetable, then offered to help drive. She is a lifesaver and now I am not even worried mostly. 

• I'm about to have a TEENAGER. Ack! How did that happen? Seriously, she is so much fun to talk to right now. No one is allowed to tell me it gets worse. I KNOW. (I taught high school for six years, remember?) Let me enjoy it now although it may be the calm before the storm. 

• Last night I couldn't sleep, so I got up and edited some writing for a friend, and then read Garner's Modern American Usage. It's a book on grammar. I am the nerdiest nerd ever. The thing is, he throws in some really funny (to a grammar nerd) comments. I'm just going to stop now.

• This week I pulled the trigger and ordered probably 90% of the Christmas presents. There are a couple that need to be bought in person, and some stocking stuffers. We'll be with my husband's sister and their family this year, so I just have the main things shipped there instead of filling up my car.

•  I WAS going to buy brown craft wrapping paper and use coordinating ribbon I got at Target and possibly make gift tags, but then I decided although that might be simplifying for some people, it would be a step UP for me and all the articles say to reduce your stress during the holidays, don't do anything unnecessary. So...dollar store gift bags it is again, with my husband wrapping a few boxes. Since he's a carpenter, his wrapping game is STRONG. I hand him the scissors and tape, put other gifts in bags, and write on the tags. We all have our strengths.

 And how are all of YOU?
 

 

7 Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal

Wow, I was surprised and humbled to see that several women commented on Facebook about yesterday's blog post that they felt inspired to start their own gratitude journal. I was thinking about that this morning while I ate breakfast and got the idea to share a few quick tips that have been helping me keep up with my gratitude journal. 

1. Write in something that makes you happy. That way, the first thing you can write down is your journal itself! I wrote about how a cute, but relatively inexpensive, notebook from Target is good for me. For you it might be a Moleskine notebook (rumored to be used by Hemingway himself and beloved by reporters) or a 1-subject spiral with an adorable kitten on it. You don't have to spend much money on it. Just make sure it's a dedicated notebook used only for these entries. The point I'm getting to: if your journal makes you happy, you're more likely to write in it! 

2. That being said, don't put off starting until you find the "perfect" notebook. The book doesn't matter nearly as much as your words do.

3. Keep a writing instrument with it at all times. I use a pencil because I'm a grammar freak who hates to cross out when I make corrections, but a pen is fine. Hide it if you need to, if the "pen fairies" visit your house and steal all your pens, the way they do at mine. I tend to write in my journal right before bedtime or if I get a minute during the day. If I have to spend ten minutes looking for something to write with and probably getting distracted while I'm looking, the moment may be lost. If you have a pen handy, you're more likely to write in your journal!

4. Don't be overly concerned with "correctness." This journal is for YOU. It doesn't matter if you spell every word correctly (just ignore what I said up there about making corrections. I'm a freak and you shouldn't follow my example. Plus it's quick and easy for me to make quick edits.) I don't even use complete sentences most of the time (gasp!) I use a bulleted list like this:

• I had more energy today & I felt so much happier. Thankful.
• Went through the school uniforms . Also decluttered closets, which inspired Justin to get a bunch of his clothes ready to donate.
• Fun conversations playing 94% [an iPhone trivia app] and just talking with L.

 5. I like my entries to be as specific as possible. In the example above, obviously the first entry was pretty general. The second two, though, named specific activities and help me remember exactly what went on that made me happy. The great part about this is that your gratitude journal helps capture little moments of this stage in your life that you might otherwise have missed! The third bullet reminds me that my son loved playing this game with me and how it started lots of fun conversations.

6. Try to write in it regularly. I usually don't do it every day, but I still make it a habit to jot something down every 2 or 3 days at least. If I don't, I'm pretty sure I'll stop doing it. 

7. Occasionally read back over your entries and smile!

Welcome; Mini Book Reviews

Wow, I was amazed at the huge (for me) spike in new readers that happens when several people share a post on their timelines. Welcome, if anyone has come back to visit! I don't normally make it a habit to write about controversial items in the news (I am a recovering people pleaser, if that's okay with everyone) so if that's what you're looking for on a daily basis, this won't be the blog for you. However, this experience has made me realize that if I care deeply about an issue, I should write about it since my words may ring true for others.

Today I'm going to write about something that no one ever cared about back in my glory days of up to 5 comments per post: books. Although now I have several avid readers who comment here, so there's that. I thought I'd do mini-reviews of what I've been reading lately, since I don't have enough to say about any particular book to make up a full post. After slogging through The Count of Monte Cristo, I've had better luck lately in my book choices.

First up was The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer. This was the first book by Georgette Heyer I have read, and (at the risk of beating a dead cliche) I must say it won't be my last. Heyer's slyly adept descriptions and dialogue brought new life to the over-familiar trope of the murder-in-a-country-house mystery novel. I checked this out as an e-book from my library. For some reason they have this and a few of her other other Golden-Age-era mysteries, but not the Regency romances she is best known for. No matter; I'll find the other books. I can hardly wait to read more of her work--her books will be the perfect light, frothy, but not idiotic summer reading. I might buy some of them in paperback, because I can see her novels being fun to reread, too. (This is high praise because I only buy books when a) I know I'll reread them OR b) they are so cheap I won't mind donating them to charity when I've finished with them, if I don't care to keep them.) Four stars (and a half, if Goodreads would let me give half stars).


Next is comedian Jim Gaffigan's Food: A Love Story. I listened to it as an audiobook while commuting, also borrowed from the library (I love the library!) I enjoyed it, and as other reviewers have said, listening to it on audio is the way to go. It made it seem like one of Gaffigan's comedy routines, and since he's one of my favorite comedians, that's a plus for me. Of course he recreated the Hot Pocket rant that made him famous, but I hadn't heard it in a long time, so that was okay. I do think he didn't have to make the book quite so comprehensive; it was like he felt compelled to include every kind of food to pad the length. By the end, I was like, "Okay, I get it: you like to eat." In fact, I started to wonder how Mr. Gaffigan doesn't weigh 800 pounds. But there were plenty of funny parts that made up for the parts that dragged. All in all, one of my most successful audiobook picks. Three stars.

I started As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust as another library audiobook, but quickly realized I had underestimated the amount of time and attention listening to a novel takes. I would never finish listening to the book in the amount of time I had left, and since it's a new book, someone would want it immediately after my time was up. I returned the audiobook and requested the hard copy. Lesson learned: for audiobooks, stick to nonfiction or short stories (easier to get back into) or older novels that I can recheck if needed. Here are my thoughts on the actual story:

Although I read this installment of the Flavia de Luce novels quickly and with enjoyment, I gave it a 3 instead of a 4 because it was not very believable (I mean, besides the fact that the series is about a very young girl, even one who is a chemistry prodigy, encountering dead bodies every few months and solving the case). In addition, the Canadian characters had some false notes (I doubt anyone ever actually talked like some of the boarders at Miss Bodycoates' school. They sound like Jimmy Cagney at times). I was relieved when [spoiler alert] Flavia is told she is being sent home to Buckshaw, and only partly because I was tired of reading about how she is startled by her own emotions every time she remembers it. I also missed the usual cast of characters, especially Dogger. I wonder if some of the shadowy members of the mysterious Nide league will feature in forthcoming novels. If not, the book left a lot of questions unanswered. I do think Bradley does a magnificent job of subtly portraying that Flavia, despite her keen perceptions and genius-level IQ, is still a child and can make childish mistakes...although many times her childish intuitions turn out to be exactly right. Three stars ( for comparison, I gave four stars to each of the previous books). 

Another audiobook, and this one was an unqualified success. It was the best audiobook I've listened to. I literally laughed out loud on average every two minutes. Even though I'm generally conservative in my beliefs, Stephen Colbert's parody of a right-wing pundit is so spot-on that it had me giggling helplessly at the absurdity of his statements on everything from marriage to pets to higher education. I read the book in hard copy a few years ago, but this was better. Besides Colbert's word-perfect delivery, there is stirring background music and a series of actors voicing little monologues titled "Stephen Speaks For Me" from such people as a confirmed Spinster and The Guy Sitting Next to You at a Sports Arena, I highly recommend it. Four and a half stars.

I'm going to stop now. I was going to include another novel I finished a week or so ago, but apparently I have too much to say about it for this post. 

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any recommendations, for audiobooks or "regular" books, as I think of them? Either way, happy reading! 

Homework, Part 1

I was in school for so long--both as a student and a teacher--that I find it hard to believe I don't have homework anymore.

Oh, I know what's coming. Miss Pink doesn't have homework yet--her school doesn't believe in giving the little ones homework, a stance with which I heartily agree, and not just because it makes my life easier. But at some point she and Mr. Blue will have homework on a regular basis, and although I refuse to do it for them, it will be my job to carve out time for them to finish it. Because apparently the role of Mom includes the job description of "keeps the family schedule," which I am not that great at but at least I know to write things on a calendar. So that is part of my homework, I guess: all the paperwork and scheduling. Field trip forms, money to school, doctor's appointments (didn't she JUST have her eyes checked?), class parties. Et cetera.

When the day is done and Justin and I sit down to stare lovingly in each other's eyes watch TV, the DVR has recorded our favorite shows which we only watch when the kids are asleep--mostly CSI-type or cop shows which are too graphic for kids. Plus can you imagine the nightmares Miss Pink would have if she watched a show about a kidnapping or a murder? This is a child who cried for two hours because the mama meerkat saved her babies by sacrificing herself to a cobra. (That WAS a sad episode. Justin should have KNOWN not to let her watch it.) Of course, you never know what will set Miss P off. For about two months she couldn't go to sleep right away because she was worried that an asteroid would hit the earth. (And I swear we hadn't let her watch the movie Armageddon.) Our conversations would go something like this.

MP: Mama, I'm worried that it's going to be the end of the world.

Me: Honey, that's not going to happen.

MP, beginning to realize that her mother is not in fact omniscient: But how do you know?

Me, realizing that I don't in fact know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the world won't end tonight: I just...don't believe God will end the world like that. But no matter what happens, we will be with Jesus in heaven.

MP, face crumpling up: I don't want to be in heaven. I want to be here on earth. And I'm afraid the world is going to explode...

Me: You know, if an asteroid was going to hit the earth the scientists would have already predicted it. If it ever looks like it's going to happen, they will know way in advance.

MP, brightening: And they will do something to stop it from hitting the earth. Like maybe make a rocket that can hit it.

Maybe she saw Deep Impact instead of Armageddon.

And I was going to tell you about TV homework, and I've run out of time. I'll finish later.

Battle of the Nerds

I may have to turn in my nerd card.

Because: my husband beat me at computer Scrabble last night.

People. This is HUGE. We both went into it thinking that I had a substantial advantage, since I am the English teacher, avid reader, and all around word nerd. So when he had sat there for fifteen minutes pondering the screen, I kindly pointed out to him the word "BENCH." Because otherwise the game would have taken seventeen hours, and I don't have that kind of time.

That put him up 16 points and he never looked back.

How did he win? Well, on the computer version we downloaded from Yahoo! Games, there is an official Scrabble dictionary that lets you test words to see if they are acceptable. My sweet darling would start typing random letters that didn't even sound like words, as long as they contained the most high-scoring letters. And lo and behold, some of them WERE words. In other languages.

That's how he came up with "QOPH." 26 points or something close to it.

It's a letter in the Hebrew alphabet, if you were wondering. (The one person who is still reading. I mean, Scrabble? Who freaking cares, right?)

I don't want to play that way, because I get bored typing all possible combinations of my tiles in AND because it should be against the rules. You couldn't do that with regular Scrabble!

Don't even get me started on the Hint feature. It gives you the letters you need to make crazy-high scores and all you have to do is figure out the word with the computer's help. (GAZABO was 41 points. GAZEBO I know, GAZABO just sounds WRONG.)

He's not allowed to use the Hint anymore. I almost caught up with him using only my amazing brain so next time I may have to play it his way just to keep my superior nerd status intact.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to play against the computer.