First Half of 2010 Wrap-up

Since we're now halfway through 2010, I thought I'd do an update on my progress so far. 

Books Read in 2010: My reading goal for 2010 is 75 books. As of the end of June, I've read 50! I'm on track, and I will probably surpass my goal. Click on the "Challenges" tab at the top of the screen to see the list of books I've read. I don't have a review for each book since I've only been blogging for two months, but you can see all my reviews by clicking on the "Reviews" tab up there.

Did you know that on Goodreads you can view statistics for your reading habits? I recently discovered this, and it's really cool! Goodreads tells me that this year I've read 13,764 pages in the last 6 months. Wow! This is compared to only 4,880 in all of 2009. 


On my statistics page, I can also see that I've given 5 stars to only 8 of the books I've read this year. Here's are my 5-star-worthy-reads:

• Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• We Were Here by Matt de la Peña
• Insatiable by Meg Cabot
• Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Officers and Their Families by Kevin M. Gilmartin, Ph. D. (Recommended by my police officer boyfriend) 

The longest book I've read so far this year is Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes (496 pages).


Summer Reading: I set my summer reading goal at 200 hours. So far I'm at 135 hours, which is 67% of my goal. I have one more month, and I think I'm on track to reaching my goal.

Grad school: After I finish this Young Adult Literature class, I'll be halfway done with grad school!

How are your goals for the year coming along? Leave me a comment, or post about it and leave the link in the comments! Happy reading, 

Wednesday Web Wanderings (9)

This is a collection of interesting book-related things I've come across online recently. Check 'em out!

• June was National Audiobook Month. Booklist has a preview of upcoming audiobooks for adult and youth. These are all audiobooks slated for release between now and December.
• I discovered AudioFile magazine while browsing at my new library, and I was excited to find the AudioFile website, too. If you love audiobooks, you'll love the magazine and its website!
• Kris at Voracious YAppetite shares her top 10 YA books of the first half of 2010
• The Story Siren shares her top 10 book covers
• The LA Times discussing how book bloggers are catching on with publishers and the article was discussed on The Prairie Library
• Library Alchemy shares some positive aspects of public library work
• Melissa from Mel's Books and Info had an interesting guest post at Emily's Reading Room: Ten Things I Wish People Knew about Libraries and Librarians
• Check out Serendipity's Guide to Maxing Out Your Local Library!
• Sharon Dogar defends her novel, Annexed, which re-imagines Anne Frank's relationship with Peter Van Pels
• FindBookSignings.com lets you search for book signings in your state
• BookTour.com helps you find author appearances, book events, and literary happenings near you
• Not Always Right has some funny conversations involving Jane Austen and taxidermy
• John Green goes to book nerd paradise (aka the ALA annual conference) 
• The Second City Network imagines how differently Romeo & Juliet would have turned out if she had a sassy gay friend 
• Not book-related, but I laughed a lot: Catalog Living 

Hope you enjoy the links!

Library Advocacy Day!

Today is Library Advocacy Day. If you love your library, be sure to take some time to visit the ALA's website on Library Advocacy Day and see what it's all about. You can also visit the Legislative Action Center. It's really easy to send an e-mail message to your representatives through this website - the body of the message is already written out for you! You can always add or change the message as well, if  you have a personal story to tell. Let the government know how important libraries are for you! Also, check out ilovelibraries.org if you have some time.  

Daily Dose (1)

Daily Dose is hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly. If you'd like to participate in Daily Dose, simply make a post every Monday with a bunch of images you find magical and hope to inspire your readers with!

All images found on weheartit.com. 

Review - Princess in Love (The Princess Diaries Vol. III)

Princess Mia's story continues as the first semester of freshman year comes to a close and she gears up for her formal televised introduction to the Genovian people. Mia has finally landed a boyfriend - but it's not exactly the love story she had been hoping for. Mia likes her boyfriend Kenny (her Bio lab partner), but she's not sure she loves him. And the idea of kissing him kind of grosses her out. On the other hand, daydreaming about kissing her best friend's older brother, Michael, does NOT gross her out. Mia knows that she should really break up with Kenny, but that would mean she might fail Biology without his help, and she might have to be dateless to the winter dance! Mia isn't acting very princess-like by leading Kenny on. Should she follow her heart...even if it mean's breaking Kenny's heart? I enjoyed Princess in Love even more than the first and second books. Mia's confusion about the opposite sex was definitely easy to relate to, and it reminded me of my own awkward dating years! I had fun listening to the audiobook, and I look forward to finding out what happens to Mia and company in the next installment of The Princess Diaries.  


Rating: 4/5


This review is cross-posted on goodreads.

Review - Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married by Gary Chapman (ARC)

I'm a big fan of Gary Chapman's writing, having already read The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts and The Five Love Languages for Singles. In his latest book, Chapman, an experienced counselor, shares his wisdom about the different stages of love and the common problems that all couples face. Using examples from his own marriage and stories of those he has counseled, Chapman provides expert advice on arguing, apologizing, and forgiving your partner. He also asks readers to consider their future spouse's attitudes and beliefs toward sex, money, housework, family, and spirituality.

Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married was a thought-provoking read. This book is for everyone - singles, dating couples, engaged couples, or married couples. No matter what your relationship status is, you can benefit from listening to Chapman's advice. I appreciated the real-life examples from Champan's own marriage and from the couples he has counseled. I also liked that each chapter finished with a "Talking It Over" section of discussion questions. The appendix includes a learning exercise, a list of resources, and a list of websites for further advice. 

There was a lot of talk about the five love languages, and I found myself only skimming those parts because I had already read a few of his other books. However, it was interesting to see how the love languages were incorporated into all of these lessons.


Rating: 4/5


This book releases 9-1-10. I received an ARC from NetGalley courtesy of Moody Publishers. 
This review is cross-posted on goodreads.

It's Monday: What Are You Reading? (9)

What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted over at Book Journey where bloggers gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

I finished (reviews coming soon): 

• Princess in Love (The Princess Diaries Vol. 3) by Meg Cabot (audiobook)
• Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith (review here) 
• It Started with a Dare by Lindsay Faith Rech (ARC)
• Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes
• What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles

I am currently reading: 

• After by Amy Efaw (audiobook)
• Up! A Pragmatic Look at the Direction of Life: 356 Ways Today Is the Best Time to Be Alive by David Niven (ARC)

Next up: 

• Reality Check by Peter Abrahams (Really excited for this one after reading reviews at Voracious YAppetite and Book Love!)

What are you reading? 

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a time for everyone to share what books they acquired over the course of the week. I'll share what I received in the mail, bought at bookstores, or picked up from the library. 

In the mail: 

• Dracula's Guest: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Vampire Stories, edited by Michael Sims (won from Goodreads!) 

From the library: 

• What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles (for class)
• Reality Check by Peter Abrahams (for class)
• After by Amy Efaw (audiobook-for class)
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett 
• Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Experiences by Lonely Planet
• The USA Book: A Journey Through America  by Karla Zimmerman
• Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan
• 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse by Garth Johnson (not pictured)

From the bookstore: 

• Paper Towns by John Green (not pictured - My John Green collection is now complete! I need 2 more books signed and then I'll be happy)

eBooks for review (from NetGalley):

• Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder by Johanna S. Kandel (Harlequin; ARC - releases 9-1-2010)
• Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life by Ali Vincent (Rodale Books; ARC - releases 10-12-2010)

What do you think of my loot this week? What's in your mailbox? 

Review - Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Ida Mae Jones is a young woman who lives with her family on a farm in 1940s Louisiana. Her father had taught her how to fly a plane before he died. Ida Mae dreams of becoming a pilot, but as a black woman, she is unable to get a license. When the United States joins World War II, Ida Mae's older brother is shipped overseas.When Ida Mae learns of the new Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), she immediately wants to join. However, she soon learns that black women are not allowed. Ida Mae's skin is very light for a black woman, so she makes the dangerous choice to try to "pass" as white. She also alters her father's old pilot license to make it look like it's her own. Ida Mae loves being a WASP, and she excels as a pilot. She even makes a few good friends during training. But deep down she feels ashamed of herself for hiding her true identity. What will happen if her secret is revealed? Will her family forgive her hiding her true heritage? What will she do when the war is over?  

Flygirl is an excellent piece of historical fiction. Ida Mae felt like very real character that was easy to connect to. The story is very well-written and engaging. It piqued my interest about the WASP program and made me want to learn more. The ending was a little vague for me, but I suppose that's just another element that made the story feel real. The ends aren't always tied up nicely in real life!

Rating: 4/5

This review is cross-posted on goodreads and my library's blog.