tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176Thu, 26 Jun 2025 06:56:50 +0000Dewey's weekly geeksTriple 8 challengereadingfiction2009 challengesBook Awards Reading Challenge48 hour challengeReadathonSunday SalonpoetryReadathon updateBooking Through Thursdaysomething about me reading challengesummer reading challenge23 books in 23 daysThe Pub Challengebooksgraphic novelnonfictionGraphic Novel ChallengeR.I.P.Challengechallengesmisc.once upon a time 2southern reading challengeyou set it paperback challengeDewey's Books ChallengeKate's short story reading challengeThe Year of Readers Challengememereviews100 shots of short story reading challenge20082008 challengesDeweyLibrary LootMailbox MondaysNewberry Challengein their shoes challengemini-challengenanowrimo100+ reading challenge2008 Ban on spending book challengeA Novel Group Mini-ChallengeA Novel Mini-ChallengeA-Z ChallengeClassics ChallengeGraphic Novel ChallengesI'm buying books for the holidays challengeInner Child WeekendJ.Kaye's Y.A. ChallengeJewish Literature ChallengeLost in Translation Reading ChallengeNY Times book challengeOliverPremio Darios AwardWomen's History Month ChallengeYear of Reading Dangerouslybook giveawaystephanie meyer mini-challenge2008 reading2008-2009 challenges42 ChallengeBedtimes StoriesBook MemeFridayFriday Fill-InHappinessI Suck at Challenges ChallengeKit AllenLambda ChallengeMartel-Harper ChallengeMusing MondayOrbis Terrarum ChallengePrintz ProjectRandomnessReadathon mini-challengesReading JournalSeries ChallengeTBR ChallengeThe Book ThiefThe EndUnshelved Book ClubVasillyYoung Readersanovel challenge groupblogging tips memeblue pryamid quizzesbooklustchildren's bookscontestessay reading challengefailurefavorites of 2008homeschoolingjournal writingkitskidslibrarianmeme.memoir challengemonday's quotemythic normsone book challengepersonal reading challengepicture booksquotereading goal 2007timewordleworrywriter's blockwriting1330VThese are the magic years. . . and therefore magic days and therefore magic moments.noreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)Blogger249125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-2396132717752655550Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:56:00 +00002010-03-10T07:56:53.821-08:00I've moved!I've moved my blog over to Wordpress. Please update your readers:<br /><a href=" />;2010/03/ive-moved.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-2039775354712683304Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:55:00 +00002009-04-26T12:56:05.893-07:00Dewey's weekly geeksMonday's Quote<blockquote><p><em>“My library</em></p> <p><em>Was dukedom large enough.”</em></p> <p>William Shakespeare, <em>The Tempest </em>(1611)</p></blockquote>2009/03/mondays-quote.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-393425442753765628Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:48:00 +00002009-04-26T12:50:52.211-07:00A Novel Group Mini-ChallengeA-Z ChallengeThe Year of Readers ChallengeNotes to Self - Samara O'Shea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329089801370578370" border="0" /></a><br /> <em>Having an acute sense of self is about balance. You have to be kind to yourself, but not so lenient that you can’t be occasionally critical and enact self-discipline–and not so critical that you spend too much time degrading yourself . . . Knowing your physical and emotional strengths and weaknesses and being able to accept them is key to the well-lived life.</em><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><em>-</em>Samara O’Shea<em>, Sense of Self<br /></em></p></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">I didn’t really know what to expect when I picked up<em> Note To Self: On Keeping a Journal and Other Dangerous Pursuits b</em>y Samara O’Shea. At the time I was in a writing slump; overwhelmed and stressed out from my everyday life, I knew it was because it had been weeks since I last wrote in my journal. Enter O’Shea with her second book.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Note to Self</em> is a guidebook for anyone interested in keeping a journal. With chapters like “Sense of Self,” which the above quote was taken from, “Romance on Record”, writing about the relationships that went right (or wrong), or “Intimate Details” about being honest with yourself when writing, O’ Shea did a great job in bringing almost every area of journal writing to readers. You also get the understanding for O’ Shea that journal writing isn’t just a hobby but a passion.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">I’m a journal writer who paints, draws, and put photographs and other momentos in my journal. O’ Shea didn’t really address the creative side of using art in your journals like Keri Smith does in her books, <em>Wreck this Journal</em> or <em>How To Be an Explorer of the World</em>. If you’re a journal writer who not only documents their life with words, this journal might not help you with that aspect of journaling but it is a great read.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Some of the things O’ Shea discussed that I really agreed with were:</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The use of quotes in your journal. Nothing brings you more inspiration and peace during hard times like other people’s words.</li><li>Pose a question. Asking yourself questions helps to get the ball going when you’re feeling stuck in your life.</li><li>Set literal goals. When you place your goals in your journals they are always there to remind you and keep you going.</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Another great thing about the book is that O’ Shea also uses a ton of excerpts from her own journals and the journals of others like Anne Frank, Samuel Pepys, Thomas Paine, John Wilkes Booth, and many others. She even brings up the famous young protagonist from Judy Blume’s <em>Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret</em>. I finished reading this book last month and still I refuse to take the post-its out until the day this book is due at the library. One more quote I would like to share:</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> <blockquote><p><em>This, more than anything, is what a journal leads to — finding your sense of self. . . You may think you’re living one way, but your writing says otherwise. Some of my math teachers were kind enough to give points for the work even if the answer ended up being wrong, so I say that’s how we go about doing this, too. Write out the work in the equation of yourself, and don’t worry about the definitive answer just yet. It’s a lifelong process, and herein lies the benefit of aging — knowing yourself all the more.</em></p></blockquote> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Read for The Year of Readers Challenge, A to Z Challenge, and A Novel Group Mini-Challenge #3</p>2009/03/notes-to-self-samara-oshea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-4495067946450443859Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:38:00 +00002009-04-26T12:54:54.445-07:00Women's History Month ChallengeSunday Salon: Reading Journal<span style="font-style: italic;">“It is life that shakes and rock us; it is literature which stabilizes and confirms.”</span><div class="snap_preview"><blockquote> <p>-Heathcote William Garrod, <em>The Profession of Poetry and Other Lectures</em> (1929)</p></blockquote> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 199px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329090835999829858" border="0" /></a>Good morning! Right now it’s so early that the sun has not came up yet and most of my family is still asleep. I have a pot of coffee brewing and one of my current reads in front of me. For the past several days I’ve been taking advantage of early mornings and late nights to get some of my personal reading done. It’s been such a great experience to get lost again in a book without the interruptions of life.</p> <p>I’m currently reading <em>The Elegance of the Hedgehog</em> by Muriel Barbery. The New York Times calls it “eloquent little essays in time, beauty, and the meaning of life” and I have to agree.</p> <p>The narration of the novel goes back and forth between Paloma Josse, a 12 year-old genius and the concierge of the building she lives in, Rene Michel. Rene is a great character. Smart, charming, funny with a love for <em>The Hunt for Red October</em>, tea, movies, and books, Rene’s voice is full of life as she observes what goes on in the building and gives the reader her own philosophical commentary. I’m not as crazy about Paloma as I am about Rene but she too has a great voice.</p> <p><em>The Elegance of the Hedgehog</em> was a bestseller in France before being released in the States last year. I picked it up out of curiousity and the great reviews. It was also one of the last books that Dewey was reading when she passed. Dewey was ahead of the crowd. I wonder what she thought of it. I have many passages marked with post-its.</p> <p><strong>This Week’s Reading</strong></p> <p>I plan on finishing <em>The Elegance</em> in the next couple of days. <em>The Scarlet Letter</em> is required reading this week for my American Lit. class. My classmates and I are required to read it twice this week and then write an essay on it by this Saturday. This week will be busy. I hope you have a great Sunday!</p> <p><strong>What are you plans for this week?</strong></p> </div>2009/03/sunday-salon-reading-journal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-6496305072756628658Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +00002009-04-26T12:52:43.611-07:00Women's History Month ChallengeWomen's History Month Challenge<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329090286583955554" border="0" /></a>Lu at <a href=" Rumination</a> is hosting a Women’s History Month Challenge. I’m in and my goal will be to read at least five books written by women. The majority of the books I read are by women but this month it might be a problem. Next week I have to read <em>The Scarlet Letter</em> for one of my classes. Plus, I only have two weeks to read <em>Atmospheric Disturbances</em> and <em>The Story of Edgar Sawtelle</em>. No matter what I plan on finishing this challenge though. Here are some of the books I plan on reading: </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><em>T</em><em>he Elegance of the Hedgehog </em>by Muriel Barbery. I’m currently reading this.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><em>The Hunger Games </em>by Suzanne Collins. After waiting weeks for this book, I only have three weeks to read it before I have to return it to my library. No holds are allowed since this book is the book right now.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><em>The House on Mango Street</em> by Sandra Cisneros. It’s been years since I read this, so I wanted to reread another strong and female voice.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><em>First, Body</em> by Melanie Rae Thon. I first read this collection of short stories years ago. I can’t wait to reread it.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Do you have any suggestions on great books I should read by women? I would love to hear them.</strong></p>2009/03/womens-history-month-challenge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-8754912462091087173Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:30:00 +00002009-04-26T12:48:19.324-07:00Dewey's weekly geeksWeekly Geeks 3/7/09<div class="entry"> <br /> <div class="snap_preview"><p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-297" title="wg" src="; alt="wg" width="137" height="144" /><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This week’s Weekly Geeks is to post a quote a day for a week. This is one of my favorite w.g. activities. My quotes for this week will be coming from a great book called<em> Speaking of Books: The Best Things Ever Said About Books and Book Collecting </em>by Rob Kaplan and Harold Rabinowitz.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> <blockquote><p><em>Bibliomaniac: A victim of the obsessive-compulsive neurosis characterized by a congested library and an atrophied bank account. </em></p> <p>-Maurice Dunbar, Hooked on Books (1997)</p></blockquote></div> </div></div>2009/04/weekly-geeks-3709.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-340682086735558862Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:31:00 +00002009-03-19T07:23:25.277-07:00The EndHey Friends!1330v has a new home! So please update your feeders. Thanks!<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://classicvasilly.wordpress.com/">;2009/03/hey-friends.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-1557393705191507459Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:28:00 +00002009-03-05T06:39:56.349-08:00Booking Through ThursdayBooking Through Thursday<p style="text-align: justify; font-style: italic;">We’ve all seen the lists, we’ve all thought, “I should really read that someday,” but for all of us, there are still books on “The List” that we haven’t actually gotten around to reading. Even though we know they’re fabulous. Even though we know that we’ll like them. Or that we’ll learn from them. Or just that they’re supposed to be worthy. We just … haven’t gotten around to them yet.<strong> What’s the best book that YOU haven’t read yet?</strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">I'm going to limit my books to the ones on my bookshelves.<br /></span></strong></p><ol><li><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck.<br /></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte</span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Beloved - Toni Morrison</span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sula - Toni Morrison</span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Year of Fog - Michelle Richmond</span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Gravedigger's Daughter - Joyce Carol Oates</span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Loving Frank - Nancy Horan</span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Color Purple - Alice Walker</span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Nights at the Circus - Angela Carter</span></strong></li><li><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger<br /></span></li></ol><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Have you read any of these books? What were your favorites? Which one should I read next?</span>2009/03/booking-through-thursday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-6320177585327888373Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:34:00 +00002009-03-04T09:49:24.475-08:00Orbis Terrarum ChallengeOrbis Terrarum Challenge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309372255947518402" border="0" /></a><br />I'm in! No list though I am reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery from France.2009/03/orbis-terrarum-challenge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-3985539806101403658Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:29:00 +00002009-03-03T18:58:01.281-08:00misc.Sick Week<div style="text-align: justify;">The past seven days have been very chaotic. Hours after coming home from school last Tuesday, I became very tired and went to sleep early, hoping that all I needed was some rest. Wrong! I ended up with a fever of 104 and unable to go to the doctor because I was too sick to get myself there. Soon everyone in the Vasillis household was sick. From Grandma to the baby, all of us except my oldest were coughing, feverish, miserable lumps.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Today is the first day I felt okay. Everyone else has felt better for days but every time I thought I was getting better I would later end up exhausted and in bed again. I couldn't even read while I was sick which is a first in my life. I want to thank everyone for their get-well wishes. I really appreciate it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">February Update</span><br />February turned out to be a horrible month for reading. I read a total of nine books:<br /><br />1. Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile - Bill Willingham<br />2. Fables Vol. 6: Arabian Nights - Bill Willingham<br />3. The Poet Slave of Cuba - Margarita Engle<br />4. Daphne's Book - Mary Downing Hahn<br />5. Ziggy's Blue-Ribbon Day - Claudia Mills<br />6. Chicken Feathers - Joy Crowley<br />7. Potato Joe - Keith Baker<br />8. A Couple of Boys have the Best Week Ever - Marla Frazee<br />9. A Child's Day - Ida Pearle<br /><br />I enjoyed every book but I can't believe that I only read two adult reads. Let's hope March will be a better reading month. Now I'm off to sleep. I'm exhausted still.<br /></div>2009/03/sick-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-2392092885765313115Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:12:00 +00002009-02-28T12:12:06.136-08:00A Novel Mini-ChallengeJ.Kaye's Y.A. ChallengereviewsThe Year of Readers ChallengeYear of Reading DangerouslyThe Poet Slave of CubaThis week didn't turn out the way I imagined it to be. I had planned on turning in all assignments on time this week, get some reading in, and relax. Instead I caught a virus, maybe the flu, and ended up in bed for the last five days. I started feeling a little better yesterday. My youngest caught the virus last night and is miserable. Something tells me I won't be at school next week. . .<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span>Poetry cools me, syllables calm me<br /></span> <span>I read the verses of others<br /></span> <span>the free men<br />and know<br /></span> <span>that I'm never alone</span>. . .<br /> -The Poet Slave of Cuba<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307938363443682018" border="0" /></a>While I was taking care of my son this morning, I picked up <span style="font-style: italic;">The Poet Slave of Cuba </span>from my nightstand. Written in verse by Margarita Engle, it's the biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. Manzano was born a slave in Cuba. A favorite of his first master, Dona Beatriz, he had to follow her around like he was her own child, calling her Mama, and pretend he didn't know his real mother. As Manzano grows up, he shows a wonderful gift for words. He can memorize any song, opera, play, poem in any language after hearing it just once. Dona Beatriz uses him as a parrot, going to the parties of slave owners and having to recite works by request.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My first owner was sweet to me<br /></span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> I was her pet, a new kind of poodle</span><br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">my pretty mother chosen<br /> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> to be her personal handmaid . . .</span><br /></div><br />As an act of twisted compassion, Dona Beatriz sets Manzano's mother free but not him, a child. She refuses to let him go until her death. But after her death instead of freedom, he is sent to be a slave of La Marquesta de Prado Ameno. Evil is not a strong enough word for her. A manipulative, sad, twisted person who finds nothing better in life but to focus on making Manzano's own life hell. I won't tell you the rest but there was one part that made me hold my breath.<br /><br />It was the opening that made me check out the book.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My mind is a brush made of feathers</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">painting pictures of words</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I remember<br />all that I see<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">every syllable<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">each word a twin of itself</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">telling two stories<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">at the same time<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">one of sorrow</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">the other hope</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano</span><br />Margarita Engle (2006)<br />183 pages<br /><br />Read for:<br />Young adult challenge<br />Year of Reading Dangerously - Feb.<br />Diversity Rocks<br />In Their Shoes<br />Year of Readers<br />2009 Mini-Challenge #3<br /><br /></div></div></div>2009/02/poet-slave-of-cuba.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-4655303437356925823Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:01:00 +00002009-02-25T06:01:00.612-08:00Library Loot 2/18/09I made a promise to myself that from now on I will only go to the library once a week. With this batch from the last two weeks you can see why.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305440003692763170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305440294747870834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305440413842052706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305440513301648402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305441240996521602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305441928154301314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305442472958976578" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305442586291603746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305443641561424690" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 122px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305443801070421362" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305443961372199490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305444110969680290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305446163193776066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305446463074089298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305446693827985522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305446957530823410" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 111px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305447215745384306" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 199px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305447348606217266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><ul><li>The Poet Slave of Cuba by Margarita Engle <span style="font-style: italic;">(Diversity Rocks & Y.A. challenges)</span></li><li>Don't Sleep, There are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle <span style="font-style: italic;">(World Citizen and In Their Shoes challenges)</span></li><li>Chains - Laurie False Anderson <span style="font-style: italic;"> (Y.A. challenge)</span></li><li>Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins <span style="font-style: italic;">(Y.A. challenge)</span></li></ul><ul><li>Sitting Bull - Bill Yenne <span style="font-style: italic;">(In Their Shoes challenge)</span></li><li>Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm - Bill Willingham <span style="font-style: italic;">(Graphic Novels challenge)</span></li><li>Life as we know it - Susan Pfeffer</li><li>Time is a River - Mary Alice Munroe</li></ul><ul><li>Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from The Middle East, Asia, and Beyond<span style="font-style: italic;"> (Diversity Rocks and Lost in Translation challenges)</span></li><li>No one belongs here more than you: stories by Miranda July<span style="font-style: italic;"> (100 shots of short)</span></li><li>A Raisin in the Sun -Lorraine Hanbery <span style="font-style: italic;">(Diversity Rocks challenge)</span></li><li>The Northern Clemency - Philip Hensher <span style="font-style: italic;">(Book Awards Challenge)</span></li></ul><ul><li>Annie on my mind - Nancy Garden <span style="font-style: italic;">(Childhood Favorites, Young Adult, and Banned Book challenges)</span></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Saturday</span>s - Elizabeth Enright <span style="font-style: italic;">(Dewey Challenge)</span></li><li>Black Candle - Chitra Divakaruni <span style="font-style: italic;">(Diversity Rocks)</span></li></ul><ul><li>The Dark Hills Divide - Patrick Carman</li><li>Annie Allen - Gwendolyn Brooks <span style="font-style: italic;">(Diversity Rocks)</span></li><li>The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery <span style="font-style: italic;">(Lost in Translation challenge)</span></li></ul>2009/02/library-loot-21809.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-9102189880957902823Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:50:00 +00002009-02-24T08:50:00.973-08:00mememisc.Ten Things That Start with "F"<div style="text-align: justify;">It's my turn! The lovely Cornflower gave me the letter "F" weeks ago. Surprising enough it took me less than ten minutes to come up with my ten.<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">French Vanilla Ice Cream.</span> It's plain but tastes great with a waffle bowl.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301032477916681538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">French Vanilla CoffeeMate in my coffee</span>. I've tried other flavors, but vanilla is the one for me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Feist. </span>Listening to her puts me in the best mood.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">First, Body</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">: stories by Melanie Rae Thon.</span> I read this haunting collection of short stories many years ago and have not been able to get it out of my mind since. I have only one book left of Thon's to read.<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fridays.</span> Not because there's no school for me, but because it's one of the few days I get my mother to myself for a couple of hours.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301031354845583522" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Family</span>. That's not cheating. Their last name starts with "F" also.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fables </span>series by Bill Willingham. This series is so addictive.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301029241971211762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fresh Flowers. </span>I try to buy fresh flowers just once a month. Even if I'm broke, I know I can buy some baby breath for two or three bucks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four weddings and a Funeral</span>. I just love great movies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Folgers Coffee.</span> I'm a zombie until I get this stuff into my system.2009/02/ten-things-that-start-with-f.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-5156299286548934492Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:35:00 +00002009-02-23T07:44:15.287-08:00Musing MondayMusing Mondays<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 117px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306017425329621906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">How often do you visit the library? Do you have a scheduled library day/time or do you go whenever? Do you go alone or take people with you?</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I visit the library once a week. I used to go to the library any time I felt like it but that's not really efficient time-wise. So now I usually go on Fridays or Saturdays. That way my family and I have at least a week to read some of books from the huge pile we checked out. I want to return a book that's been read as soon as possible so there won't be any late fines later on, which is important when all seven of us have library cards and the checkout limit is 25 items.<br /><br />If I go to the library on a Friday, I usually go by myself. That way I can browse in peace and find some good reads I may not have found otherwise. If I go on a Saturday I take the kids. We spend hours there. The girls like to walk around and browse while the boys usually find their books first and then play with puzzles the rest of the time we're there. It's a really peaceful day for us.<br /></div>2009/02/musing-mondays.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Vasilly)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5222342276669735176.post-2606427431942350986Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:46:00 +00002009-02-23T01:46:00.634-08:00Mailbox MondaysMailbox Monday - 2/23/09Thanks to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Paperbackswap</span> and Dewey, my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">TBR</span> pile is bigger than it was two weeks ago. Since I was on break last week I didn't write a Mailbox Monday post, so here's what I received in the last two weeks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305371653681065218" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 200px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305371885405391154" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} cat