projects progress...2013 update 6...

*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:

Wandering Son Volume 3 by Takako Shimura fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 219 pages (12/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (6/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (10/20),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Asia (1/10)

Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Arni and Moyna Chitrakar fills holes for:
the Genre Variety Challenge--mythology (7/18),
the Telling Tales Reading Challenge (1/5),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 152 pages (13/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (7/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (11/20),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Asia (2/10)

Tyranny by Lesley Fairfield fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 114 pages (14/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (8/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (12/20),
and the Mental Illness Advocacy Reading Challenge (2/4)

A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return by Zeina Abirached fills holes for:
the What an Animal 2013 (5/6),
the Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge--memoir category (2/15+),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 188 pages (15/20+),
the Middle East 2013 Reading Challenge (1/1-5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (9/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (13/20),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Middle East (3/10)

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley fills holes for:
the Telling Tales Reading Challenge (2/5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (10/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (14/20)

The Lindbergh Child: America's Hero and the Crime of the Century by Rick Geary fills holes for:
the Genre Variety Challenge--true crime (8/18),
the Nerdy Non-fiction Challenge--law and crime category (3/15+),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 80 pages (16/20+),
and the Graphic Novels Challenge (11/24)

The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti by Rick Geary fills holes for:
the Nerdy Non-fiction Challenge--law and crime category (4/15+),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 80 pages (17/20+),
and the Graphic Novels Challenge (12/24)

Castle Waiting Volume II by Linda Medley fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (11/60),
the Telling Tales Reading Challenge (3/5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (13/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (15/20)

Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda by J.P. Stassen fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 79 pages (18/20+),
and the Graphics Novels 2013 (14/24)

Americus by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 216 pages (19/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (15/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (16/20)

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 192 pages (20/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (16/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (17/20)

Retrovirus by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Norberto Fernandez fills holes for:
the Genre Variety Challenge--sci-fi (9/18),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 64 pages (21/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (17/24)

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise Part Three by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 76 pages (22/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (18/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (18/20)

Lola: A Ghost Story by J. Torres and Elbert Or fills in holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 103 pages (23/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (19/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (19/20)

Revival Volume One: You're Among Friends by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 128 pages (24/20+),
and the Graphics Novels 2013 (20/24)

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (12/60),
the Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge--memoir category (5/15+),
the Middle East 2013 Reading Challenge (2/1-5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (21/24),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Middle East (4/10)

A Killing Frost by John Marsden fills slots for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 270 pages (25/20+),
and the Young Adult Challenge (20/20)

WooHoo!!! I've actually unofficially completed two of these challenges now (the Quick Fix and the Young Adult).


*Non-fiction Adventure (unofficial for me):

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is one of the books on my list.


*Personal read-the-world challenge:

Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Anri and Moyna Chitrakar fills the slot for Indian author.

A Game for Swallows by Zeina Abirached fills the slot for Lebanese author.

Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda by J.P. Stassen fills the slot for a Rwandan setting in a fictional work.

Lola: A Ghost Story by J. Torres and Elbert Or fills the slot for a Filipino setting in a fictional work.

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi fills the slot for an Iranian setting in a non-fiction work.


*Read the top 10 lists from The Ultimate Teen Book Guide:

The Complete Persepolis is on both the Biography/Memoir Top Ten and the Graphic Novel Top Ten.


*50x50:

#33. Make 50 meaningful layouts for Gray's albums. (1/50)

#37. Read 50 books I never heard of before buying/borrowing from the library. Sita's Ramayana, Tryanny, A Game for Swallows, Americus, Retrovirus, and Revival Volume One: You're Among Friends all fit here. (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12/50)

#40. Read a book set in each of the 50 states. The Lindbergh Child was set in New Jersey and Revival Volume One: You're Among Friends was set in Wisconsin. (17 and 18/50)

#41. Read 50 non-fiction books, each about a different country. The Complete Persepolis is a memoir, but it is also largely about Iran. (7/50)

#42. Read 50 memoirs, autobiographies, biographies, etc. A Game for Swallows and The Complete Persepolis (7 and 8/50)

#43. Read 50 award-winning books. Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda--the 2000 Rene Goscinny Award and The Complete Persepolis--2004 Alex Award. (10 and 11/50)


*My happiness project:

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi was one of my picks from my dear friend Kara. :)

projects progress...2013 update 5...

Run. Run away fast.

Lots of "progress" this past week.

*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:

Anya's Ghost fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (6/60),
the Genre Variety Reading Challenge--fantasy (4/18),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--coming in at 224 pages (5/20+),
the Graphic Novels 2013 Reading Challenge (1/24),
and the Young Adult Reading Challenge (4/20)

Chiggers fills holes for:
the What an Animal 6 (2/6),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--coming in at 176 pages (6/20+),
the Graphic Novels 2013 Reading Challenge (2/24),
and the Young Adult Reading Challenge (5/20)

The Pigman fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (7/60),
the What an Animal 6 (3/6),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--coming in at 166 pages (7/20+),
and the Young Adult Reading Challenge (6/20)

French Milk fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (8/60),
the Genre Variety Reading Challenge--memoir (5/18),
the Foodies Read Challenge (1/3),
the What's in a Name 6 Reading Challenge--something you'd find in your kitchen category (1/6),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--coming in at 208 pages (8/20+),
and the Graphic Novels 2013 Reading Challenge (3/24)

The Night Watch fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (9/60),
the Genre Variety Reading Challenge--historical fiction ((6/18),
and the Mammoth Book Challenge--coming in at 524 pages (1/3)

Same Difference fills holes for:
the What an Animal 6--fish on cover (4/6),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--coming in at 90 pages (9/20+),
the Graphic Novels 2013 Reading Challenge (4/24),
and the Young Adult Reading Challenge (7/20)

The Dead of the Night fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (10/60),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--coming in at 271 pages (10/20+),
and the Young Adult Reading Challenge (8/20)

Friends With Boys fills in holes for:
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--coming in at 224 pages (11/20+),
the Graphic Novels 2013 Reading Challenge (5/24),
and the Young Adult Reading Challenge (9/20)


*Personal read-the-world challenge:

French Milk is filling the slot for a French setting in a non-fiction work.

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters is filling the slot for a Welsh author.

Friend With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks is filling the slot for a Canadian author.


*50x50:

#23. Give 50 "happy unexpected gifts." I made the gang February love notes. Each day Rich, Gray, Annie, and Max each get a new personal little note giving one thing I love about him/her, along with a little treat (usually a piece of candy). Of course, this was only "unexpected" on the first day. :P (5/50)

#29. Upcycle 50 things. One day Gray decided to make himself a sheath for his plastic sword. He made it out of newprint, so yeah, it didn't last long. So I asked him if he wanted to make one out of fabric instead. We went to the fabric stash, which includes clothes that have outlived their usefulness as clothes. He chose a pair of his old pjs, which worked out rather nicely. One of the legs was hole-less, so we just chopped it off, sewed the bottom closed, hemmed the top and sewed in a couple large buttonholes through which he could slide his belt. (10/50)

#37. Read 50 books I never heard of before buying/borrowing from the library. Same Difference by Derek Kirk Kim fills this slot, though I have a feeling I really should have heard of it before. (6/50)

#40. Read a book set in each of the 50 states. Chiggers by Hope Larson is set in North Carolina. (16/50)

#42. Read 50 memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, etc. French Milk by Lucy Knisley. (6/50)

#43. Read 50 award-winning books. The Night Watch by Sarah Waters won the 2006 Lambda Literary Award for lesbian fiction. (9/50)

My "progress" seems to be feast or famine (usually famine)...but I sure ate well this week. :)

projects progress...2013 update 4

No update last week because I didn't manage to do even one piddly little thing. And I don't suspect this will exactly be a long update either. Yeah, not being all that productive. *shrug*

*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:

Finished up Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. Awesome book! And it helps me on these lists:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (5/60),
the Genre Variety Challenge--for nonfiction science (3/18),
and the Nerdy Non-fiction Challenge--first for the science category (1/15+)

*The Non-Fiction Adventure (which is also unofficial for me):

Bad Science is one of the books I had on my list for this. (1/50)

*50x50:

#22. Make 50 one-of-a-kind gifts. Finished up a blanket for Annie's birthday (yay for getting things done early!). (8/50)

(The picture does not do it justice--it is so soft and cozy!)












#44. Read 50 science/nature books. Bad Science obviously counts for this. (6/50)

*My happiness project:
Bad Science came from Ana's list of books. Have I said lately how freakin' much I love this project?!!! 'Cause I do! Thanks again, dear friend--you make my life so much richer!!! (5/50)

And that concludes another week's progress (or really I suppose I should say 2 week's worth). Not high in quantity, but definitely high in quality. :)

projects progress...2013 update 3

Yep, here we go again. :P

*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:

I finished up Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden. It fills holes for...
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (4/60),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--it comes in at 276 pages (4/20+),
and the 2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge (3/20)

*Personal read-the-world project:
Tomorrow, When the War Began fills in the slot for an Australian setting in a fictional work.

*50x50:
#47. Watch 50 different seasons of TV shows on DVD. I watched the first season of The Fabulous Beekman Boys (more about this in a sec). (16/50)

*My happiness project:
Chris's List of Movies/TV Shows: The Fabulous Beekman Boys, season 1. (2/51)
I know I've said it before, but I just can't stop myself from saying it again--I LOVE THIS PROJECT!!! And I'm so very grateful to all my friends who so generously spent their time making these lists for me. Every single time I do/read/watch one of the things from these lists, I feel I've been given a special gift. Thus far I've absolutely loved every item I've tackled. Absolutely loved. And I would have loved them even if I'd discovered them on my own. But that added bonus of having them all wrapped up with people I love, well, that just makes them beyond wonderful. So yep, The Fabulous Beekman Boys, which I adored, will always be associated with Chris in my mind. And I really did adore it--every episode made me laugh out loud. And a few of them made me cry, too. And I'm just so disappointed that Netflix doesn't have season 2 available...maybe someday. Thank you, Chris!!!

projects progress...2013 update 2...

I have a feeling this shall be quite the short list this week...

*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:

First, I finished up Nick Hornby's More Baths Less Talking. It fills holes for...
the Mount TBR Challenge (2/60),
the 2013 Essay Challenge--six more essays (10/30),
and the Quick Fix Challenge--it comes in at 135 pages (2/20+),

And then I read The 10 p.m. Question by Kate De Goldi. It fills holes for...
the Mount TBR Challenge (3/60),
the Genre Variety Challenge--realistic fiction (2/18),
the What an Animal 2013--there's two birds on the cover and birds definitely play a part in the story (1/6),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--it has 245 pages (3/20+),
the 2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge (2/20),
and the Mental Illness Advocacy Reading Challenge (1/4)

*Personal Read-the-World Project:
The 10 p.m. Question fills in the slot for a New Zealand setting in a work of fiction.

*50x50:
#11. Watch 50 documentaries. Annie and I watched American Experience: My Lai for school. Obviously very disturbing. (26/50)

*Happiness Project
The 10 p.m. Question came from the wonderful list of books that my dear friend Ana made me, and you better believe in my mind she was right there reading along with me. It's one more precious gift I will cherish forever. Thank you, Ana!

projects progress...2013 update 1...

Yeah, I know these posts must be excruciatingly boring for anyone else to read, but I find they're a good way to keep me from slipping behind in tracking my progress. The good news is that I made a loose schedule for myself for posting, and as "projects progress" is set for Fridays, you'll know what day to skip reading.

*The Unofficial-for-Me Reading Challenges:

I finished my first book of the year--The Wave by Todd Strasser (school reading). It fills in holes for...
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (1/60),
the Genre Variety Reading Challenge--I'm counting it as "based on real events" genre, which probably isn't a "real" genre but I wasn't really sure how else to categorize it (1/18),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--as it comes in at only 138 pages (1/20+),
and the 2013 YA Reading Challenge (1/20)

I've also been reading Nick Hornby's More Baths Less Talking, which I started on New Year's Eve. Being as it's a collection of his essays from the Believer, any I've read since the New Year began count for...
the 2013 Essay Challenge
--"Stuff I've Been Reading-November/December 2010" by Nick Hornby
--"Stuff I've Been Reading-January 2011" by Nick Hornby
--"Stuff I've Been Reading-February 2011" by Nick Hornby
--"Stuff I've Been Reading-March/April 2011" by Nick Hornby
(4/30)

*50x50:

#37. Read 50 books I never heard of before buying/borrowing from library. (5/50)
The Wave also counts for this. I picked it up one time off one of those tables B&N has set up for the local school's assigned reading. I'd never heard of it before, but I thought it sounding intriguing and that Gray and I might enjoy it.

-----
Sadly, that is all my progress from these first few days of the new year. I did, however, notice that I've got at least 6 or 7 items going from my happiness project, so hopefully I'll complete at least a few of them before too terribly long. I also noticed that I really need to get in there and revamp my home projects list and my crafty-ish projects lists.

Have His Carcase...thoughts along the way...

...ridiculously rambling and possibly incoherent thoughts at that...

Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers.

*Why this book? Well, Ana sold me completely on the Harriet Vane/Peter Wimsey books. Anything she loves as much as she loves these, just has to be awesome. I enjoyed the first, Strong Poison immensely, and Ana assures me they only get better. Secondly, I've been wanting to focus a little more on my happiness project, and Ana actually put this on my list of books to read. And finally, it's still RIP time, and I've been focusing my reading on almost exclusively RIP-ish books and wanted to continue with that. Not sure I'll finish it before RIP ends, as my reading-purely-for-fun time is a bit slim at the moment, but that's okay as I always have a hard time saying goodbye to all the RIP-goodness at the end of October anyway.

*And we're off to a wonderful start, this book and I. Don't you just love it when you are completely charmed with a book right from the very first paragraph?!!

*New-to-me word alert: scabious (p. 3). Context told me it was some sort of plant, but I had never heard of it.
Scabious--a plant of the teasel family, with pink, white, or (most commonly) blue pincushion-shaped flowers

*I remember being surprised and delighted by the humor in Strong Poison. But still the humor in this book caught me off-guard. And yes, it still delights me.

*"Acid drops"--what the heck are they? Not the same as dropping acid, that much I can tell. Maybe antacids? Google, here I come...

Ah, sour balls! Hmmm, acid drops is a far cooler name...I do think I shall have to adopt it.

*Page 103: Inspector Umpelty is telling Vane and Wimsey that the folks who live along the shore simply aren't talking.

...They're a surly lot, those Pollocks and Moggeridges, and up to no good, in my opinion....

Okay, that just made me bust out laughing. Pollock is my Mom's family name. I've never thought them to be overly surly myself. :P

*Page 153: Yeah, so here I am enjoying the hell out of this book for all its wit and humor and whatnot...and then bam! I'm blindsided and left all teary-eyed. And no, it's not that anything overtly sad happened. It's just that I was totally caught up in the rawness and honesty Sayers poured onto these pages in this conversation between Harriet and Peter. These characters who are so aware and disheartened by the strictures that society places on people. Characters that refuse to buy into these strictures but are forced to accept the realities of how they will be/are viewed for it.

*New-to-me word: tarradiddle (p. 232). A petty lie; fib. Or silly pretentious speech or writing.

I am infatuated with this word!

*Oh, Ms. Sayers, I love the way you can make a book feel like a total comfort read, and yet bring up really important social matters. I'm sure that's not a combination that is easy to achieve, but you seem to do it so effortlessly, so flawlessly.

*New-to-me word: purlieus (p. 278). The area near or surrounding a place. Or person's usual haunts.

Another useful word for the arsenal.

*Ummmm...is it just me of are things getting a wee tad far-fetched here???

*LOL. Thank you, Harriet. She, too, thought things getting a bit stretched for the imagination. :) (p. 297)

*Okay, we're no longer "along the way"...our internet went out and stayed out for over a week, during which time I finally finished this book. Yes, it took me over two months(!!!) to read this book. Now you might be tempted to think that means I didn't like it all the much since it took me that long to read it, but you would be wrong. In fact, the exact opposite it true. The fact that I stuck with a book when I was only managing to fit in a few pages a day is actually testament to how much I did enjoy it!

*I'm going to have to say that the mystery itself wasn't my favorite part of this book, which is not the same as saying that I didn't like it. But oh my gosh, what really makes me love this book is the dynamic, the banter, the honesty between Harriet and Peter. It makes me sad to think that I've only got two more books with them to go. (Though I know, thanks to my implicit trust of Ana's opinions, that the best is yet to come.) Seriously, is there a more fun couple? Real question, actually--do you know of any other couples that I really need to read???

*****
Reading this also completed an item for my happiness project--from Ana's list of books. Of course, even if she hadn't put this on my list, I would have thought of her the entire time I read it anyway. :D

a happiness project update...

Have I said lately how very much I love this project? 'Cause I do. I really, really do. I only wish that I had more time to focus on it. I need to *make* more time to focus on it! But here's a couple of things I have managed to accomplish (sort of) recently.

First up, from Pat's List of Old Movies, I watched Arsenic and Old Lace. A handful of the movies she put on my list were ones I'd seen before, and this was one of them. Even though Pat generously offered to replace the ones I'd already seen with different ones, I wanted to go with her first thoughts. Plus every one of the ones she'd chosen were movies I loved, so what a wonderful excuse to rewatch them, right? And RIP seemed the perfect time to rewatch Arsenic and Old Lace. To be honest, I've seen this movie many a time. But that doesn't seem to matter, it delights me every. single. time. It is so quirkishly silly and amusing. And to be watching this time with Pat in my thoughts, well that just made it all the more special. Thank you, dear friend!

Next, a movie from Chris's List of Movies/TV Shows. Again RIP helped me narrow down my choices...and Chris told me this was definitely RIP-appropriate. Rich, Annie, and I watched this movie together, and of course, in my heart and mind, Chris watched with us too. Which is what I love so very much about the happiness project. We all enjoyed the movie quite a lot...though none of us were quite sure how to interpret the whole thing. In case you haven't watched it, I won't really explain that statement. But the "sort of" conclusion we reached turned out to be the conclusion that Chris and Megan had reached in their many viewings of the movie. Rich and I also thought that it had a David Lynch-like feel to it. And then when I was talking to Chris about it afterward, he said the same thing. Anyway, it's not really a movie that one can discuss much without spoiling things. But it was suspenseful, confusing in a delicious sort of way, and thought-provoking. Yep, another winner in my book. Thank you once again, Chris!

And finally, from Heather's List of Fun/Challenging/Interesting Things To Do. "14. Preserve five things for winter." I have to admit that this one feels a wee bit like cheating, because I do this anyway. But I would have read some of the books and watched some of the movies and listened to some of the songs, etc. from my lists anyway, too. And the point for me is to do these things with my dear friends in mind...which makes all these fun things just all that much better. And so it was with this one. And let me tell you, there were some days when canning when I was mighty grateful to imagine Heather there cheering me on. :P

So, what five things did I preserve? Well, I canned (and canned and canned and frickin' canned) tomatoes from our garden. Lots of spaghetti sauce and chili and soups and... in our future. And I canned (and canned and canned and frickin' canned) salsa made from our homegrown tomatoes and jalapenos. And I canned green beans from our garden. (I didn't need to can applesauce or apple butter or jam this year because we have loads left from last summer/fall.) Then, there was freezing. I froze oodles and oodles of blueberries (picked at a local organic you-pick farm). And I made blueberry syrup to freeze. And I froze local organic strawberries (whole and sliced and coulee). Oh, and I froze several pints of kohlrabi from our garden. And finally, drying--I dried a pile of the blueberries we picked. And also dried basil from my wee herb garden. I had hoped to can peaches and pears and freeze cherries, but those crops were pretty much lost up here in upstate New York thanks to the freakish March/April weather we had. Anyway, I got my five things done. And I have Heather to thank for cheering me on in my imagination. :)

I have a few other happiness projects on the go as well (a couple of books, a crochet project, and a photography project), but it may be a while before I finish them. I am, however, enjoying the hell out of every second I spend at them. Thanks again, guys!

a few words on my September reads...

*When I Knew edited by Robert Trachtenberg.

A collection of personal stories from gays and lesbians. As the author's mini preface says, the stories fall roughly into the categories of "When I Knew, When My Parents Knew, When Everyone Else Knew, and the occasional (bonus!) coming-out story." None of these stories is long (I think the longest was four pages), and many consist of nothing more than a single sentence. There is much humor in the book, often playing with and subverting stereotypes. But there are also a smattering of stories that just go right to the heart. One, a story of young man coming out to his grandmother, touched me so deeply that I think I will remember it forever. (There was a mention of an incident in one story that left me with an distinctly uncomfortable feeling, but it did not seem to upset the man telling the story.) The book was also loaded with photos. And with illustrations by Tom Bachtell. All the art added a playful feel to the book.

*Locke and Key, Volumes 1-5 by Joe Hill and Grabriel Rodriguez. Talked about them here. Bottom line: Absolutely loved them!

*Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales edited by Deborah Noyes. Talked about it here. Bottom line: Enjoyed greatly.

*Shadow Prey by John Sandford.

There was a day when I read every book that came out in this series as soon as it was published. That was in my pre-blogging days...before book blogs opened my eyes to all that I was missing out on by reading in my psychological/crime thriller rut. Several months back, I decided to reread this series and eventually get myself caught back up. So here I am, having finished rereading the second in the series, wondering if I really want to go on with this or not. I can't quite abandon the idea, because I'm enjoying the experience...I find it hard to leave them alone once I start reading one. Compelling. But at the same time, I'm finding many more problems with them than I did all those years ago. I used to love the very flawed hero of these books, Lucas Davenport. I never thought he was perfect, but flawed characters are obviously more believable, and generally more likeable. But this time around...well, his flaws are ever-so-much more glaring to me. His charm simply isn't working its magic on me. There are moments when I nearly despise him. Perhaps I'll just have to reevaluate after book 3.

*****
I didn't knock many books of the TBR pile in September, nor did I knock many miles off walking journey. Yeah, I really let things slide. :( There were a total of five days when I didn't even clip on the old pedometer. I knew it would be a slow month, for various reasons, but I didn't expect it would be this bad--->39.41 miles. Yep, pretty sad. And while I'm not going to beat myself up over it (the fibro has been beating me up enough), I am going to try harder this month. As I still have 122.97 miles to get to Lu's, it's pretty unlikely I'll make by Halloween but hopefully I'll get there before Thanksgiving.

*****
Project progress (for the books without separate posts):

When I Knew: 50x50 (#42-Read 50 memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, etc.)

Shadow Prey: Unofficial-for-me reading challenges--Color-Coded Reading Challenge (Category: Implies a color)

Gothic!: Ten Original Dark Tales...thoughts along the way...

Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales edited by Deborah Noyes.

*"Lungewater" by Joan Aiken. I don't believe I've read anything by Joan Aiken before this story, but I shall be searching out her books now. A girl meets a stranger while traveling to visit her elderly great-aunt on Christmas Eve. The stranger tells her the sad story of a mean-spirited count and an enslaved orphan. I enjoyed this story within a story quite a lot. A very gothic feel. Atmospheric. It was by no means a happy tale, but nonetheless the end made me smile a wry little smile.

*"Morgan Roehmar's Boys" by Vivian Vande Velde. Annie's read many of Vivian Vande Velde's books, and in fact met her on a couple of occasions as she's a local author. But this is my first dip into her work. Completely different feel from the previous story. This felt more like the type of story you might tell around the campfire at night. Definitely a fun little story. It takes place on the grounds of a farm that stages haunted hayrides to make a little extra money each fall season. But the farm is located on property that once belonged to a serial killer...

*"Watch and Wake" by M.T. Anderson (retold from a story by Lucius Apuleius). And this story was so very completely different from the first two. This had an almost surreal feel to it. A boy traveling home by bus, stops in a small town to hopefully make a little money to get him further down the road. He's offered $100 to watch a dead body to make sure nothing happens to it during the night. "Nothing" being witches in the form of animals coming to eat the body's face. Hey, and there's a necromancer, too. This book is now three for three, as I also really enjoyed this one!

*"Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Nameless House of the Night of Dread Desire" by Neil Gaiman. And yes, yet another completely new direction. Humor. This story is so delightfully clever. Don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of gothic atmosphere and dark creepy moments. But still, this story is so quirkily unique.

*"The Dead and the Moonstruck" by Caitlin R. Kiernan. And yes, yet another new direction. We've run smack into paranormal territory with this one. Paranormal--another one of those reading realms that my inner voice tells me I don't really enjoy. But my inner voice is pretty much an idiot. I enjoyed this story quite a lot, actually. It centers on Starling Jane during the week she approaches her final test as a changeling. Her fear, her doubts, her insecurities. And just what happens...

*"Have No Fear, Crumpot is Here!" by Barry Yourgrau. As I began reading this story, I thought I had finally hit my first dud. It has a tinge of that stereotypical juvenile male humor to it. But as the story progressed, I actually found myself enjoying it. Not my favorite story in the book, but I by no means feel it was a waste of my time either. It begins:

How a boy named Walter came to be all alone in a strange dark house out by a lake on a dark and stormy night, under a full moon, screaming in terror at a very creepy pale little kid also named Walter...perhaps this requires some explaining.

And explain, he does.

*"Stone Tower" by Janni Lee Simner. While I've only previously read a few of the authors in this collection, all of them were at least on my radar except for Janni Lee Simner. But she's on my radar now--I loved this story! It starts off quite mysteriously. Tara, a teenage girl, seems somehow to be a prisoner. She is mostly confined to her bedroom in the stone tower of her home. I say mostly, because a voice she cannot seem to disobey does tell her to go to school each day. However, when there, she seems incapable of connecting with anyone. It's evident that something horrible has happened from the way people are treating her, but Tara doesn't know what...

*"The Prank" by Gregory Maguire. *sigh* This story is an example of why I'm too afraid to actually read Wicked, a book that so many people whose opinions I respect really love. I just don't seem to have any luck with his short stories. It's one of those cases where I can appreciate the story, but not really like it. As shallow as it seems, I just couldn't get past the fact that I didn't much like Melanie, from whose point of view this story is told. I could care about her and feel sadness for her, but I just could not bring myself to like her. Melanie has been accused of committing a horrid hate crime, and because her mother is currently in custody, Melanie is sent (court-ordered) to stay with an elderly relative she's never met before. It's the story of their weekend spent together...and the secret in the attic.

*"Writing on the Wall" by Celia Rees. Enjoyed this one a lot. Another story with turret. A haunted house sort of story. Maybe a wee tad predictable, but delightful nonetheless.

*"Endings" by Garth Nix. Short little tale. So short, in fact, that I fear saying anything about it for fear of spoiling it. I did like, didn't love it. Though I think I might just read it again...

So, I've now reached the end of this collection. And overall, I'd say it was a mighty fine collection indeed. And a very nice addition to my RIP reading. If I had to choose a favorite, I think it might be the very first selection, "Lungewater" but it's not an easy choice to make because I thoroughly enjoyed many of these tales.

*****
Projects Progress:
50x50--#45-Read 50 short story or essay collections.

The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling...random thoughts (and believe me, they went far afield)...

The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling by Quinn Cummings.

I wasn't going to write an entire post on this book; I was going to just write a short blurb about it on my "September reads" post. But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't keep it brief. I guess I just loved this book too much. Because well, it hit so close to home.

Most of the time I read about experiences, both in fiction and non-fiction, that are different from my own because, well, I'm nosy--I want to know about other people's lives and experiences. But every once in a while it's nice to read a book where you feel understood. Especially in an area that so many people seem to misunderstand. There are in the neighborhood of 2 million homeschooled kids in the U.S. now, and there are literally thousands of different reasons why various families have chosen that route. FACT: All homeschooling families are not the same! And yet stereotypes persist. But Quinn Cummings, oh my, how I can relate to her story. You know that feeling you occasionally get about a character in a book, the "I wish that person could be my friend" feeling? Well, I've got it bad with the author of this book!

Quinn Cummings is hilarious. No way I ever could have kept track of how many times I laughed out loud. Some of the time, it might have been the "oh, how I can relate" factor, but mostly it's just that she's pretty dang funny. Btw, though the title is probably pretty self-explanatory, this book is a memoir about their family's decision to bring their daughter home from public school and their adventures in their first homeschooling year. (She does include a brief history of homeschooling in the U.S., a bit about how different the regulations are from state to state, etc. as well, but mostly this is a personal story.)

Probably my favorite chapter (though I loved it all!) was the one titled "Tribes." It's about the most oft asked question any homeschooling parent will hear. If you're a homeschooling parent I don't even have to tell you what it is, do I? The "But what about socialization?" question. I seriously want to have copies made of this chapter and just hand them out every time someone asks that question! That question is asked by family, by friends, by mere acquaintances and by complete strangers who discover you're homeschooling. Often it's asked in a straight-forward manner, but other times it's "snuck" in there in comments such as "But all homeschooled kids turn out so weird!" Yes, that was actually said to me by my sister-in-law back when we were agonizing over our decision about pulling Annie out of public school. Of course, when I asked, she admitted that she didn't actually know any homeschooled kids. And she was the same woman who once asked me if we were coming home for Thanksgiving, that she thought it was "on a Thursday this year." You think I made that up--I didn't. Further vindication--she now homeschools one of her kids.

But really, you have only to look at my kids to answer that question (a.k.a. accusation). Anyone who knows Annie can testify to the fact that she gets along quite well in society. She's loved by young kids (heck, they argue over who gets to sit on her lap during story hour when she volunteers at the library), she has a variety of friends her own age, she has always gotten along just fine with the students in the college classes she takes despite the fact that they're older than she is, and she is in general quite adored by adults. Yes, her natural inclination is to be a bit on the shy side but there is no crime in that, and I ask anyone who knows her if they think she is not "properly socialized"? And then there is Gray, who was literally the *happiest* baby/toddler/preschooler I've ever known. (We used to take pictures of him every time he cried because it happened so rarely.) Kindergarten went okay, but after that things started going downhill in public school. To the point that by fourth grade, this once cheerful child had become sad beyond words. He developed selective mutism and social anxiety. He literally couldn't talk in situations outside his places of refuge (home or with his best friend). It boils down to the fact that he's different, he's quirky, he's creative as opposed to athletic, he's clumsy in part because he has sensory integration disorder, he marches to the beat of his own drummer. And well kids like this aren't always well-received. Bullying can start awfully young. So is this the socialization being so highly-touted in schools? A quote from the book that just struck home:

Homeschooling will certainly produce some socially awkward adults, but the odds are good they would have been just as quirky had they spent twelve years raising their hand for permission to go to the bathroom. In fact, quite a few kids are being homeschooled precisely because an offbeat personality tends to attract hostility... At home you can be eccentric and survive lunch.

And then to the argument, "how will these kids learn to deal with bullies and jerks?":

As luck would have it, there are bullies at the Scout meeting, in the mall, on the playground and even at family reunions. There are jerks everywhere you look. Children who homeschool do get to negotiate with socially toxic people. What they don't get to do is grimly endure an entire year sitting two feet away from a person who makes their lives miserable on a regular and predictable basis.

Gray's now been homeschooled for a year. Has he now become a social butterfly? Hell no. And I don't suspect he ever will be. But he is again able to speak to people, he can now give his own food order to a waitress, he can answer someone when they ask him what game he's playing or what the book is that he's drawing, etc.

But don't get me wrong. I don't say these things because I hate public schools. I most definitely do not! And that is another thing I love so much about Quinn Cummings. She's another homeschooling parent who does not condemn public schools. She seems to have that very same deep respect for public school teachers that I do. And believe me, I do. I don't think every single teacher is wonderful at their job...but find me a profession where that's true. But I do believe that vast majority of teachers are in their profession because they love teaching and they love kids. And the job they have to do is incredibly difficult, so multi-faceted, and so often under-appreciated. I could never do it--I know that. But here's the thing, kids are all different. Why do so many people seem to forget that?

Some people thrive in school; they become the best version of themselves they could possibly be. Other people wither in school; we've all seen that tragedy unfold. Most people land somewhere in the middle.

Annie and Gray were witherers. Max, on the other hand, appears to be a thriver. I find it odd just how many people have judged us, have acted as if we can't make up our minds about whether public schooling or homeschooling is the better choice because we have kids in both. All I can think is, "Do you really not see children as individuals? Do you really think children are one big homogenous entity?" My kids are so incredibly different from one another. So I don't find it surprising that different modes of education seem to be a better fit for each of them.

Another thing I really related to was Ms. Cummings' doubts. Both of us seem to question continually the paths being taken by our families. Nothing is ever set in stone. We both seem aware that we could be screwing up here. But we continue tweaking and learning and adjusting as we go. She, however, has infinitely more courage and daring than I. She visits a handful of homeschooling conventions whose belief systems vary greatly from her own. She goes because she wants to learn, because she wants to see what it is that makes some groups of homeschoolers so very passionate and assured that they are doing everything right. Now obviously, she doesn't come away with a new worldview or anything, but it seems as if she brings something away from every experience. And in case you missed it above, she tells all these stories with massive amounts of humor.

Okay, I suppose I should just shut up already. But first let me add one more thing. As I said, this is Ms. Cummings' story of her family's experiences. And she admits straight out how very lucky she is to be able to make some of the choices she gets to make. And while we don't quite have the money that they do, I think it's important to stress how very lucky our family is in this way as well. Many of the choices we get to make come because of our privilege.

*****
Projects progress:

Unofficial-for-me reading challenges--Memorable Memoirs Challenge and
50x50 (#42-Read 50 memoirs, autobiographies, biographies, etc.)

a few words on my August reads...

Atlas by Katrina Vandenberg.

Oh my, how I love this little volume of poetry. Love. Not every poem, mind you. But loving every poem in a collection just seems a tad unlikely. There were four ("Tulipomania," "I Meet My Grandmother in Italy," "The Green Rivers Over Their Faces," and "Jack O'Lantern") that moved right to my favorite poems of all time list though--that's pretty impressive in my book. (I'd love to share one of them with you, but I must admit I'm just not sure of the etiquette, ethics, what-have-you of such things.) Another admission: I don't know squat about the technicals, vocabulary, etc. of talking about poetry, so you'll just have to forgive me my ignorance. To me this felt like such an incredibly cohesive collection, which makes it seem odd just how different from one another I find the four poems which completely won my heart. Btw, I really adored many more poems in this collection, it's just that these four particularly have taken up residence in my being.

Wandering Son, Volumes 1 and 2 by Shimura Takako.

I wish that I felt I could adequately describe these books, because I really feel they are something special. As usual, Ana does a perfectly wonderful job in talking about them. In fact, it is her I have to thank for picking up these books at the library.

This series tells the story of two preteen children, Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki. Two transgendered preteen children. Part of what makes these books so lovely is that while the fact that Shuichi and Yoshino are transgendered is certainly a big part of their stories, it's not their entire story. They are children entering that often intimidating land of puberty. They have parents and siblings and friends. They have inner struggles and outward struggles. These books are not all cupcakes and puppy dogs, but neither are they bleak and harsh.

I also wanted to mention the short articles at the end of each volume. They were written by Matt Thorn, the translator. The one in the first volume dealt with linguistics, especially relating to gender, and the second to GLBT people in Japan. I found both fascinating and believe they added to my reading experience.

As soon as I finished these two lovely, gentle volumes, I went right to the computer to see if the next volume was available yet. It turns out that it came out here just last month, but our library system doesn't have it. I'm so eager to see where Shuichi's and Yoshino's stories are going that I might just have to go ahead and order it. :)

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.

Okay, so I always pretty much believed that I'd eventually get the hang of audiobooks, that it was just going to take the right one to get me over the walls I seem to have erected. But Jane Austen--I *never* thought we were going to hit it off. Yeah, so imagine my surprise to find that it was one of her books that got me over that audiobook hump.

I honestly have no words to describe this shock. Because it's not like I just found that I could actually stomach a Jane Austen book. NO--I found myself completely and utterly in love this novel! I swear I walked around with a smile of charmed amusement adorning my face nearly every minute I listened.

So was my bad experience trying (and trying and trying) to read Sense and Sensibility just a matter of bad timing? Or is it that when it comes to her books I'm really better off listening? Or is it as simple as I'm going to like some of her books but not others? So, all you Jane Austen aficionados (Eva, you know I'm looking at you, right?), since I fell so head over heals in love with Northanger Abbey, what one do you think I ought to try next?

The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Read this one for school. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. (Did rather enjoy the very end, however.) I do think that Gray will enjoy it more than I did. And it shall hopefully lead to some good discussions about various -isms, about science and science fiction, etc. We read The Hound of the Baskervilles last year for school--I definitely enjoyed it far more, and I'll be interested to hear if Gray feels the same.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.

Ahhh. A reread of one of my favorite books. And yes, it still made me swoon with utter delight. Which seems an odd thing to say considering just how sinister and creepy it is. This will be Gray's second lit selection for the school year...and I'm so eager to see if he will love it as much as I hope he will. I suspect the playful, lyrical language that I so adore in Bradbury's writing will catch him a bit off-guard, but I'm hoping he'll give it a chance before just deciding he hates it.

Hers³: Brilliant New Fiction by Lesbian Writers edited by Terry Wolverton with Robert Blake.

As is often the case with anthologies, I enjoyed some of the stories in this book more than others. But really the extremes were extreme, particularly on the negative end. I really adored a few of the stories, enough so that they made it worth my while to read the book. And then, I positively despised two of the stories...and I rarely despise anything I read. So yep, like I said--extremes. But I guess that's not terribly surprising, because the stories collected here are so incredibly varied--in subject, in style, in length, in genre. Some stories felt raw, others comforting, others lyrical. With the exception of Emma Donoghue, all the authors were completely new to me. And there are a few I will be searching out more of their works to read, such as Ellen Hawley, Gwendolyn Bikis, K.E. Munro, and Jane Thurmond. So yes, it was an uneven experience for me, but one I'm glad for nonetheless.

Emma, Volumes 1-10 by Kaoru Mori

Already talked about them here.

*****
Projects Progress for books mentioned:

Wandering Son (volumes 1 and 2)--Unofficial-for-me reading challenges: Graphic Novels 2012
and Mission: Read the World (setting-Japan)

Northanger Abbey--Unofficial-for-me reading challenges: What's in a Name 5 (type of house)
and Mission: Read the World (setting-England)
and 50x50 (#39-Read 50 classics)

The Lost World--Mission: Read the World (author-Scotland)
and 50x50 (#39-Read 50 classics)

Something Wicked This Way Comes--50x50 (#40-Read a book set in each of the 50 states-Illinois)

Hers³--50x50 (#45-Read 50 short story or essay collections)

I'm walking...a quick update...

I said as August began that I was aiming for 100 miles this month. And I'm happy to say I made it. Yay me! I'm now 103.88 miles closer to Lu! Just 162.38 miles to go so if I continue at this rate, I'll make it to her door before the trick-or-treaters. :)

Wasn't sure I was going to make my goal...I had a five-day stretch, as well as a couple of scattered days, where the fibro felt the need to make life utterly miserable. Those days I only managed between 1 1/2 and 2 miles--and I'll admit I was proud of myself for clipping on the pedometer those days, let alone actually walking. But those overwhelming pain days really meant I had to walk extra on the manageable days.

Anyway, September has a day less, and things are going to be crazy around here getting every one of us back into the swing of school with our disparate schedules, and I know ahead of time that this will *not* be a good month for the fibro since I'm entering heavy canning season and I learned last year how truly horrible that is on my body...so I'm just going to stick with a goal of 100 miles for September as well.

Emma...thoughts along the way...a happiness project update

*Ana, Ana, Ana, how am I ever going to thank you enough for putting this series on my happiness project list?!! Volume One alone has completely won me over. I am charmed through and through. I love the setting (yes, me who is intimidated by all things Victorian England :P ). The art has this simple beauty to it that just makes me smile inside. And Emma--oh, how I already adore Emma!

*Volume 2. Okay, so I should have known things would get rough--after all, when is life ever innocence and happy hearts all the time, right? Oh but there's a scene in chapter 9 that truly cuts. This series is quite timely for my reading. I hate to admit the breath of my ignorance when it comes to issues of class, and these issues have been occupying my mind recently. (This would probably be a good time to mention for those who have never heard of this series--William is the oldest son of gentry-class family and Emma is a maid, though not for William's family. They begin falling in love. You can see where this is going, no doubt.)

*Still in Volume 2. Oh my. Friendships come in all shapes and sizes, and I truly love reading about ones that somehow fall outside the norm. In this instance, Emma and her boss Mrs. Kelly Stownar. *tears welling up*

*Loved finding out Emma's backstory in this volume.

*Volume 3. Sadness. Yet not hopeless. Hmmmm...and now some intrigue...

*I love Hakim. Seriously.

*Volume 4. Oh William. No no no no no...

*Mrs. Trollop--love.

*Love how this one ended. But of course, am very worried about what is to come. I know it is the way life goes, but it's so sad to see hearts broken...

*Volume 5. Snobbery abounds!

*Love Mrs. Trollop (Aurelia) even more.

*Eleanor seems like a sweet person. I really worry about her. Her father, however, what a frickin' douchebag!!! (Sorry, I really don't like saying that, but I can't think of a better way to put it.)

*Volume 6. Oh my, oh my, oh my...I'm not liking how this is going. The douchebag proclamation above--well, multiply it by a hundred. Why do people think it's okay to play with their children's lives? How is trickery and deceit ever going to lead to real happiness?

*Whew. And wowza. Wasn't this the action-packed episode?!! Things aren't looking good, no matter where you look at the moment. Ahh, but I have faith...

*Volume 7. Okay, here is where I confess confusion. Not with the book, but with the series. There were 10 volumes of Emma at the library, and after reading the first two and falling in love, I just went ahead and checked out all the rest on my next trip to the library. And I just assumed (bad me!) that all 10 volumes followed one major story arc. Hence my bewilderment upon discovering that Volume 7 is actually "the end" of the main story. The next three volumes apparently contain short stories that fill in gaps, tell tales of some of the minor characters from the main arc, fill in more backstory, etc. It's not that I mind this so much as I was just caught off guard. Here I was, thinking I had four more volumes of Emma's and William's story, and finding out that this was actually the last.

*All that said, I actually liked how the story ended. I don't want to spoil anything, thus the vagueness, but I love that it didn't overreach, didn't try to miraculously make everything "happily ever after."

*Volume 8-10. At first, I was going to talk about the stories in these volumes separately, but well, that just didn't feel right. Some of the stories could spoil things in the earlier volumes. What I can say is that I enjoyed these volumes, but not nearly as much as the main story arc of the first seven. They were quite an eclectic bunch of stories, some more engaging than others.

*By the way, the panels above do not necessarily match up to the volume being discussed. I just wanted to share some of the art from this series so you could see how lovely it is. It was a very big part of what brought me to love these books so much. They really are just so visually stunning and expressive.

*A few other personal notes: 1.) I tend to be intimidated by historical fiction. (Yeah, don't ask me why, when I love to read non-fiction history.) But this year, I've been reading just a bit more, and really haven't had a bad experience yet. The Emma series will be another tally in the historical fiction win column. 2.) I have this notion in my head that I don't like romance. This notion is blatantly false. Honestly, why I put this wall up every time someone mentions romance is completely beyond me...guess I've just told myself this for so long that my brain just automatically screams it. In trying to be observant lately about what I honestly do and do not enjoy, I've learned that I'm often very drawn to romantic relationships in stories, just as I am to other types of relationships. So...while I'd like to call this two lessons learned, I know how prone I am to setbacks, so I'll just call them two lessons I'm working on learning.

*****
Projects progress:

Happiness Project: Ana's list of books

Unofficial-for-me reading challenges: Graphic Novels 2012 Reading Challenge and Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

slow going...

Just thought I ought to update my walking project. I have to say, it's much slower going than I'd hoped it was going to be. I had some really poor days in there, one where I didn't even make a mile. If I keep up this rate, I'll be lucky to get to Lu's by Christmas. :(

But instead of beat myself up about it, I'm just going to try harder this month! *thinking positive*

July wasn't quite a full month, as I started on the afternoon of the fifth. But it was close enough to give me an idea how I'm progressing. July saw me clock 64.74 miles. (I'd really like to shoot for 100 miles a month, and down the line raise it a bit.) Anyway, I now have 266.26 miles left to go to get to Lu's. And I suppose I ought to get cracking, huh?

new inspirations...

As overwhelmed as the old Google Reader already tends to make me feel, I can't help but feel a thrill over the discovery of a new-to-me blog. I'm sure you can relate. Yesterday I clicked through from a comment left on my dear friend Chris's blog. Here is the lovely blog I made my way to. And I was immediately drawn to it--it seems like such a comfortable place to visit. I love comfortable.

I'm so happy that I wisely made the choice to subscribe to Snowball's blog, for her post this morning was pure fun! I was introduced to two forms of poetry I'd never before heard of, Cento and Book Spine Cento/Book Spine Poetry. As much as I truly do love (some) poetry, my knowledge is quite limited. As is my ability to talk about it.

Anyway, I was positively intrigued by these forms. And Snowball posted some lovely examples. I would love to try my hand at Cento and shall start "collecting" lines, but that shall be an endeavor which requires much time. Especially since I truly am not well-read. But the Book Spine Poetry, well, that was something I could jump right on. And in fact, I did...immediately after reading Snowball's post!

I've decided that this is one of my new goals. Or perhaps "goal" isn't quite the right word. Whatever. Point being that I'm going to try ever so much harder to act on the things that inspire me. In the moment. Or at least as very soon as possible. I've become too adept at thinking, "I so want to try that someday!" or "Ooooh, that gives me an idea. I should write it down so I can give it whirl sometime." Thing is, someday and sometime never seem to arrive.

Okay, so here is my first attempt at Book Spine Poetry (if you click on the picture, you should be able to see it better):

The night of wishes
haunted
hunger
Can such things be?

The dead of the night
full dark,
no stars.
Fragile things
catching fire.

Everything is illuminated.

(The Night of Wishes by Michael Ende, Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk, Hunger by Lan Samantha Chang, Can Such Things Be? by Ambrose Bierce, The Dead of the Night by John Marsden, Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King, Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, and Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safron Foer)

Go ahead and laugh, I promise my feelings will not be hurt. :P I know it pretty much sucks...but see, that's perfectly okay! Coming up with an incredible poem was not my aim (though it would obviously have been a nice bonus); my aim was simply to create and have fun in the process. And that I did. :) Seriously, so much fun. In fact, I highly recommend trying it--and if you do, please share. Pretty pretty please. (Snowball shared one she did in her post--it's much more imaginative than mine.)

*****
And onto another font of inspiration, Living Out Loud: Activities to Fuel a Creative Life by Keri Smith.

LOVE. THIS. BOOK. I've read it in its entirety in the past. And I have often picked it up and just opened to a random page to read. I've decided to read it again from front to back...with a twist. This time, I must stop reading every time something inspires me. Even if I can't for some reason act on that inspiration in the moment, I have to set the book aside until I can. And yeah, this book is so damn inspiring that it may take me a lifetime to get through it this way. :P

First inspiration acted on: On page 9, Smith starts talking about allowing memories of childhood guide you to the things you might find very satisfying in your creative life today. She is all about the rewards of play as an adult.

Two memories just sort of leaped to mind as if they'd been right there waiting for an invitation. The first maybe isn't really being creative, but I was inspired by the memory nonetheless. Simply picking Queen Anne's lace and putting it in colored water. How many of you did that as a kid...or as an adult? Luckily my overwhelming desire to go do this again after close to 40 years was easily satisfied as we have Queen Anne's lace growing in the yard.

I'm not sure if it shows in the photos--the blue and green worked well, but not the purple. Oh well. I still find them quite lovely sitting in vases (glass jars with washi tape) on the mantle.

And for now I'm on hold in the book...until I can act on that second memory. Hopefully today. Hopefully with the kiddos. We'll see.

*****

What has inspired *you* lately?

*****
Projects progress:

50x50--#27. Write 50 poems and #29. Upcycle 50 things.

true crime reading spree...thoughts along the way

The Terrible Axe-Man of New Orleans by Rick Geary.

*Why this book? I really don't know what made me pick it up and read at this particular moment in time, but I do remember why I bought it in the first place. There was an NPR story (probably on All Things Considered) about true crime graphic novels. I immediately added all three of the discussed books (this one, Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jenson and Jonathan Case, and Torso by Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko) to my wish list, and shortly thereafter bought the first two. This one had the additional allure of being set in New Orleans, and I find New Orleans more fascinating than ever since visiting and meeting my dear friend Chris. And on top of all of this, there was the fact that I've read two of Rick Geary's other true crime graphic novels in the past, and enjoyed them both.

*I really love Geary's art. Bold black and white ink work. Not really sure how to describe it, but his books have a very distinctive flair. An example:

*Another common thread in Mr. Geary's true crime graphic novels (at least, in the ones I've read) is that they are very historical. And all relate crimes that have not really been solved.

*Okay, now that I've finished, I can say that all three of his books that I've thus far read, have one more thing in common--they all leave me wanting to learn more. Not sure if this is a good thing (getting my curiosity peeked and all) or a bad thing (not satisfying my curiosity to start with).

Dead by Sunset by Ann Rule.

*Why this book? Okay, this is likely going to sound stupid. Fact is we have way too many books to fit in our new house here. So I've been going through my boxes of books and sorting them into two categories: 1. books I'll likely want to keep, and 2. books that I think I'll be able to get rid of once I read them. And it's my goal to read from the probably get rid of pile at a rate of two to one. Not that I'm going to strict about that or anything, just sort of guideline for me. Anyway, I just blindly reached into a "get rid of" box and pulled out a book, this book. It struck my mood as right, so here I am.

*I've spent much time pondering over just why the heck I even read true crime. I don't read it nearly as much as I used to, but I still rather enjoy it. (You know, in one of those instances where "enjoy" isn't quite the appropriate word.) But you know, I really never have come up with an answer. Yes, I like the mystery and detective work and trials. And yes, I love contemplating the psychology of what makes people act the way they do. But really, beyond that, I just don't have a clue.

*You know how when you watch a horror flick, you're always wanting to yell to the characters, "Stop! Don't _________________!!!!" Well, I've had that same desire reading this book. And of course, the stakes are higher, as this is true stuff. And of course, all my yelling in the world won't change what's already happened.

*Counting my blessings. It's just hard to imagine how some people survive the things they do, how they manage to go about their days and do the things that need done. I'm in awe of the perseverance and determination and courage that people can muster.

*I wouldn't even need all the fingers on a single hand to count the number of times I have felt complete and utter fear in my life to this point. And those few times, were thankfully relatively short-lived, even if they didn't feel that way at the time. I have never ever had to live in a state of fear. And honestly, I don't know how anyone does it. And yet so many do. How heartbreaking is that.

*How does one make sense of deliberate cruelty?

*Okay, finished. I've read several of Ann Rule's books over the years. One thing I really appreciate about her approach is the way she makes victims of crime and their families come alive. Yes, she's writing these books and earning a living doing it, but it is so utterly evident how much she cares about the people she comes to know along the way. And that bringing to life of the people affected by crime is what makes reading a book like this an entirely different experience than say The Axe-Man of New Orleans, which was more a displaying of the facts. For me at least, it's a much more heartbreaking experience.

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen.





















*Another true crime tale told through the graphic novel medium. The art, by Jonathan Case, in Green River Killer, as with The Axe-Man of New Orleans is boldly black and white. And yet the the feel is somehow completely different. Don't ask me to explain, for I'm even worse at talking about art and music than I am at books. But I'm guessing you can see what I mean.

*To the best of my recollection, I had never heard of the town of Burien, Washington prior to reading Dead by Sunset. And here it is again in the very next book I'm reading. Just love weird little coincidences like that.

*The perspective of this book is rather unique. The subtitle "A True Detective Story" is more literal than one might guess. This is the story of a detective, Tom Jensen, the author's father. Tom Jensen was one of the detectives who spent two decades trying to get answers for the families of more than 40 young woman. His commitment and determination and persistence are inspiring. The fact that his son lovingly wrote this book also bears witness to the fact that through it all he tried his damnedest to still be there for his family. Personally, I don't think I would do well in living with the cruelty, the sadness, the horror that he had to deal with if ever these families were to have answers. His outlet when things just got to be too much was remodeling his home. This might sound silly on the surface, but the book portrays some powerful, telling images, and one can't help but hurt for this man. I loved the perspective of this book, and it served as a reminder that there are multitudes of personal stories that make up any human event.

*****
Projects Progress for books mentioned:

--The Axe-Man of New Orleans by Rick Geary:
Unoffical-for-me Reading Challenges--Graphic Novels 2012 Reading Challenge and Serial Killers Reading Challenge and
50x50--#40. Read a book set in each of the 50 states (Louisiana)

--Dead by Sunset by Ann Rule:
Unoffical-for-me Reading Challenges--Non-Fiction, Non-Memoir Reading Challenge and Chunkster Challenge

--Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen:
Unoffical-for-me Reading Challenges--Graphic Novels 2012 Reading Challenge and Serial Killers Reading Challenge and Color-Coded Reading Challenge (green) and
50x50--#40. Read a book set in each of the 50 states (Washington)