Blogathon Book Post No. 4

Time for another book recommendation! This is another book I read last summer.
I Am the Central Park Jogger by Trisha Meili.

It is an absolutely inspiring autobiography. Trisha was badly beaten & raped while jogging through Central Park. She suffered severe brain damage & had to go through intense physical & mental therapy. She beat all the odds & gives hope to others.

Check out her website.

Blogathon Book Post No. 3

My next book suggestion is Still Kicking by Katie Hnida. Amazing autobiography of a courageous young woman who overcame & achieved so much.

Blogathon Book Post No. 2

Another book I read last summer is The Secret Life of Bees. It's such an interesting story. Also on my re-read list at some point. My mom got the book for me either for Valentine's Day or Easter, I can't remember which. I recommend both the book & the movie adaptation.

Blogathon Book Post No. 1

Last night before going to the movies, my friend & I went to Barnes & Noble & Target. In both stores we saw A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I read it last summer & simply love it. I highly recommend this book & I'm thinking of re-reading it once I get through the mass amount of books I have out from the library & the rest of the Harry Potter series.

Book Contest Winner!

We have a winner!

I got 6 entries in my book contest (respectable, considering it's been less than 2 months since I started my blog).

1. Heather (via comments) -- Crazy Love

2. Marisa (via Twitter) -- Idiot Girl & the Flaming Tantrum of Death

3. Concep (via Twitter) -- Diana Gabaldon Outlander series

4. JaggedJedi (via Twitter) -- The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach

5. JaggedJedi (via Twitter) -- Body Farm novels by Jefferson Bass

6. JaggedJedi (via Twitter) -- Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher

I was planning on using a website to generate the winning number, but then when I realized it was only 6 I decided to pull the winner out of a hat ... or rather, a bag.

And our winner is ...

4. JaggedJedi (via Twitter) -- The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach

Congratulations! I'll be going to the library this week to pick up the book & I look forward to reading it!

Thanks so much to everyone who submitted their recommendations, especially because this is a prize-less contest. Well, unless you consider this a prize. haha I made this should you have a blog you want to put it on or TwitPic it or whatever. No obligation to do so, but ... y'know. :)

Top 10 Summer Reading List

I wanted to share some of the highlights of my summer reading plan in case anyone is looking for ideas. If you would like more information on any of the following books, just leave me a comment & I’ll get back to you.

1. Jodi Picoult

I finally read my first Picoult book this month: Plain Truth. It was quickly followed by My Sister’s Keeper & now I’m reading Salem Falls. I plan on working through the rest of her books as well, since she’s become one of my favorite authors already.

2. Harry Potter series

*ducks* I’ve never read the books. Well, I had read the first & fourth books. (I know, I know!) I reread the first book & the rest are sitting on my book shelf waiting for me.

3. Alex Cross series

The only books I’ve read by James Patterson are from the Women’s Murder Club series, but I’ve heard good things about the Alex Cross series as well. I’m going to read the first one & we’ll take it from there.

4. Contemporary Classics

You know those books everyone reads in high school? Like The Catcher in the Rye, 1984, & Fahrenheit 451. I’ve never read them. I’ve always wanted to read the ones that were skipped in the English classes I took, so now I’m finally adding them to my summer reading list.

5. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

I recently watched the newest film adaption of the first Douglas Adams book. Now I’m interested in reading the first book & potentially the others in the series.

6. Women’s Murder Club 7. Stephanie Plum series 8. Temperance Brennan series

These are three of my favorite book series. I’m on the waiting list for the most recent in 6. & 7., awaiting the next book in 8.

9. Jane Austen

Having seen adaptations of some of Jane Austen’s books & after watching The Jane Austen Book Club, I decided that I want to read her books. I got Sense & Sensibility from the library & couldn’t get into it, but I think it’s because I wasn’t much in the mood for it. I’m going to try to start off with a different book a little later this summer & see how that goes.

10. Your Pick!

And now it’s time for my first contest! Although I’m sad to report that there is no material prize involved (I’m still unemployed). However, you will have the satisfaction of forcing one of your favorite books on me or having me test drive a book for you.

All you have to do is leave a comment with a book suggestion – title mandatory; author would be helpful as well. If you would like to suggest more than one book, please leave separate comments. You may suggest as many as you like!

On Tuesday, 7 July at 4pm I will randomly select a winner & the next time I go to the library I will take out that book & read it!

Even if your entry isn’t chosen, you still win! Between my own summer reading list & the books suggested via comments, you should be able to find some great summer reading books of your own.

So, what book(s) do you want me to read?

Captain von Trapp does not approve

Oh hai, welcome to me blogging on not enough sleep & too much caffeine. I would say I might regret writing in this insane state, but that would probably be a lie. I think my Twitter history will attest to that … I gotz pride, but I’m not ashamed of the fact that I talk like a LOLcat when I’m exhausted &/or caffeinated. And let’s face it, the two go together most of the time. (Alright, fine, I talk like a LOLcat a lot, but seriously … have you seen LOLcatz? HIL-AR-I-OUS! I also direct you to a new favorite, Awkward Family Photos!)

Speaking of LOLz & awkward, I give you the story behind this title. In full it's actually "Captain von Trapp does not approve, he blows his whistle at you angrily!" but I thought that was just too long. It pretty much sums up my mood at the moment ... random & more random. I may have said this to my friend Marisa earlier when she brought up pregnant sex in regards to (have you not clicked the links yet?!) the most recent Awkward Family Photo. I made her LOL so hard she cried. I consider this a huge victory. Erm, moving on.

Although I could tell you about my lack of sleep or immense consumption of caffeine, I would much rather talk about two things I love more than sleep & caffeine. BOOKS & TV SHOWS! Let’s start with books, since that addiction formed first.

I’ve won awards for the record number of books I’ve read. I’m not kidding. I don’t care that my elementary school wasn’t the only one who had those Olympic reading contests; I still smoked the competition. Point being, I love me some books, so much that I don’t consider being able to get through a few books in a semester reading. To me reading is what I do in the summer … go through them like crazy. My summer reading counts are easily in the 75-100 range. (I was sorely disappointed last year when my old laptop crapped out & I lost my book list. This year I’m not taking any chances with my shiny new laptop & I’m making a duplicate list to keep elsewhere.) I looove when I’m finally able to read a book, or simultaneous books, and not have it take me a month & a half. I love not having to add titles to a list that I won’t be able to get to until the semester ends when someone suggests a book. Granted there is still a list, it’s just a lot more accessible!

I just started a Goodreads account, so as I remember what I’ve read you can see what my taste in books is like. To give you an idea though, there are two genres that I’m big on – crime & romance. If they’re combined? Perfect! Example: the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. A Jersey girl who’s a terrible bounty hunter with multiple love interests, it brings the crime, the romance, AND the funny. Plus I’m a huge fan of book series. Some of my other favorites include the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs & the Women’s Murder Club series by James Patterson. For romance, Nicholas Sparks is my man. I also love reading non-fiction books … which tend to be in the crime theme. It’s no surprise when someone sees me toting around a book about forensic anthropology or any book you would find in the “true crime” section.

My taste in TV tends to reflect those same genres, but with a bit of a different story. I only allow myself to watch a few shows since the seasons run during the school year, but I make a point of keeping up with them. Well, for the most part. I haven’t seen an episode of Grey’s Anatomy since … February or March? I’m not sure. Just don’t spoil me! “My” shows are Bones, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, & Grey’s Anatomy. I might limit myself to what I watch during the regular season, but during the summer I try to make up for it. This will be the third summer that I watch a series (well, probably two this time) in full.

The first series was Alias, and then last year it was SVU. I prefer to keep it to finished series, but I made an exception last summer since I got hooked at the end of the season & decided I was making it a must-watch show. This summer I’m working on Veronica Mars. (Two seasons down, one to go!) I’m not sure what it’ll be after that. Much like my list of books I want to read/that have been recommended, I have one for TV shows too!

The fun part is that now I DON’T HAVE TO LIMIT BOOKS & TV TO THE SUMMER! I know that I won’t have as much free time once I land a job I won’t have as much free time, but I also won’t have tons of homework to do. Who’s excited?! I know I am. ;)

To quote one of my favorite TV interviews ever (yes, I sadly have a favorite TV interview): I don’t know where we’ve gone … I’m sort of like, I don’t know what happened, but I loved it.

Now I’m going to pass out or finish cleaning my room … it depends on which wins out, the over-tired or the over-caffeinated. Who’s taking bets?