So, PJ Hoover has an absolutely awesome idea for 2009. Her goal is to read 50 books by the end of the year. Since I read 30 in 2008, and 26 in 2007, this will be a challenge for me -- but a good one. I need to read more instead of sitting around doing nothing. I watch probably way too many movies. Don't get me wrong, I love movies. At one time I had considered becoming a director and going to college for film and stuff because I loved to watch movies. Anyway, so this will give me the kick in the butt I need to read more.
Anyone who wants to participate in this little adventure is more than welcome to. She has rules for her posted on her site, but said that you can change them however you want to suite your situation. For the most part, they work for me, but I'll have to tweek them a smidge.
My rules
* Cannot count anything you've read before
* No picture books.
* Reading my own books doesn't count. Even if I read them 50 times during revisions. (I don't have an books per say, but I won't count any of the stories I write or revisions or anything)
* Reading critique partners manuscripts doesn't count.
* Mix it up. This was a great idea. I'm gonna try to add in some YA, and branch out beyond fantasy, which is what I've been focusing on. I'm gonna try to work in some Non-Fiction as well.
* When making my list, leave room for spontaneous reads, new releases that are "must reads", and anything I happen to pick up at the library during a given week.
* Record what I read on Goodreads. (I don't know what Goodreads is, so this is some what up in the air at the moment. However. I always keep a running account of books that I plan on reading, and books I've already read on my website here. It also contains what I've read for the past 3 years.) I don't normally talk about what I read, but if something really speaks to me, I'll try to pass the recommendation onto you through the trusty ol' SoaM here.
With that said, you may be wondering what I plan on reading. Well, I've got a few things bouncing around.
1. The Smoke Thief - Shana Abe (This is one that I started a while back and never got to finish because school kicked me in the teeth.
2. Homeland: The Legend of Drizzt Book 1 - R.A. Salvatore (My roommate got me this for Christmas)
3. The Golden Compass
4. The Subtle Knife
5. The Amber Spyglass - all by Phillip Pullman. Yes, the infamous His Dark Materials trilogy. One of my friends got it for me for Christmas last year, and I haven't had the chance to read it yet.
6. Blaze - "Richard Bachman"
7. The Inferno - Dante (trying to work in some classics)
8. The Rocketeer - Peter David (I've had this forever, and I liked the movie, so I decided I wanted to read the novelization.)
9. My Father - Nancy Sinatra
10. The Chamber - John Grisham
11. The Last Days of Krypton - Kevin J. Anderson (Because I'm a Superman nerd, and this intrigued me)
12. Te King of Torts - John Grisham
13. The Children of Hurin - J.R.R. Tolkien
14 & 15. When my money comes in from my refund check (and after I have budgeted out my money so I don't go crazy broke) I'll have to figure out a way to get my hands on The Emerald Table by P.J. Hoover, and I So Don't Do Mysteries by Barrie Summy, debut's for both of them, and I can't wait to read them and support them.
I think I'll leave it off there. I want a few surprises and too much planning will make reading seem like a chore.
Showing posts with label barrie summy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barrie summy. Show all posts
Monday, January 5, 2009
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
October Ovation
This is something that Barrie Summy talked about doing, and I signed on eagerly. We're supposed to write about someone we admire.
I thought a lot about who I admired. I mean, I admire a ton of different people for different reason. I admire Stephen King for struggling through his early years as a writer and not giving up to be where he is now, and also over coming a drug addiction and an alcohol problem in the mean time. I admire Holly Lisle for her pay it forward beliefs in sharing how and why she does certain things to help amateur writers become better at what they love to do. I admire Harriet Tubman for helping to free many slaves during the American Civil War, risking her life and freedom for the lives and freedoms of others.
There are a lot of people I admire. But, then I thought of someone who I've learned a lot about recently, and I'm fascinated by them.
While I would love to write, I also realize it will take many, many years -- more than likely -- for anything to develop in my writing career. They often call that the "10 Year overnight success." In the meantime, I'll be teaching high school kids about English and literature. I've had a lot of English teachers; some of them were great, some of them weren't so great. I've learned from things that I want to do in my class, and things that I hated that I need to remember to stay away from.
There is one teacher especially, who I admire and who I hope that I have the courage and ambition to stand up for what's right and do what she did. Her name is Erin Gruwell. You have heard of her. The movie Freedom Writers is about her experiences with a Woodrow Wilson High School class in 1994.
She had to work extremely hard to help her students overcome a plethora of problems. She dealt with racism, poor grades, illiteracy, gang violence, death, and so many other things. And through it all, sometimes at the sacrifice of her own happiness, she worked to make sure those kids had learned something before they left her class. While other teachers treated it as a job, she realized that she was responsible for these students lives and in turn spent a lot of her own time helping the kids with reading, but more importantly, helping them work through personal issues, whether they be gang problems, home problems, or race problems. She had the courage to look those kids in the eye and say "I'm gonna make you better whether you like it or not."
"You don't feel respected? Well, maybe you're not. But to get respect, you have to give it."
-- Erin Gruwell, in Freedom Writers
I thought a lot about who I admired. I mean, I admire a ton of different people for different reason. I admire Stephen King for struggling through his early years as a writer and not giving up to be where he is now, and also over coming a drug addiction and an alcohol problem in the mean time. I admire Holly Lisle for her pay it forward beliefs in sharing how and why she does certain things to help amateur writers become better at what they love to do. I admire Harriet Tubman for helping to free many slaves during the American Civil War, risking her life and freedom for the lives and freedoms of others.
There are a lot of people I admire. But, then I thought of someone who I've learned a lot about recently, and I'm fascinated by them.
While I would love to write, I also realize it will take many, many years -- more than likely -- for anything to develop in my writing career. They often call that the "10 Year overnight success." In the meantime, I'll be teaching high school kids about English and literature. I've had a lot of English teachers; some of them were great, some of them weren't so great. I've learned from things that I want to do in my class, and things that I hated that I need to remember to stay away from.
There is one teacher especially, who I admire and who I hope that I have the courage and ambition to stand up for what's right and do what she did. Her name is Erin Gruwell. You have heard of her. The movie Freedom Writers is about her experiences with a Woodrow Wilson High School class in 1994.
She had to work extremely hard to help her students overcome a plethora of problems. She dealt with racism, poor grades, illiteracy, gang violence, death, and so many other things. And through it all, sometimes at the sacrifice of her own happiness, she worked to make sure those kids had learned something before they left her class. While other teachers treated it as a job, she realized that she was responsible for these students lives and in turn spent a lot of her own time helping the kids with reading, but more importantly, helping them work through personal issues, whether they be gang problems, home problems, or race problems. She had the courage to look those kids in the eye and say "I'm gonna make you better whether you like it or not."
"You don't feel respected? Well, maybe you're not. But to get respect, you have to give it."
-- Erin Gruwell, in Freedom Writers
*sorry for this being posted late. I forgot to set this to auto-post.
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