Hey ya’ll and welcome to almost the end of the week! Tomorrow is Guy Day, however, I’m having the next stage of my deep cleaning tomorrow. As I’m teaching in the morning, I have a lot of stuff to finish up – cleaning off my desk, getting things laid out for my afternoon classes, I have a list of names for an upcoming field drip to turn in and want to ask about another trip for my maybe band students.
And then having a giant water jack hammer taken to my mouth. Guy Day MIGHT be on Saturday. Just sayin’.
Anyway, it is the end of the month, it’s my Dad’s birthday. My kids sang to him today. It was quite moving.
It is also Zee Reads. As you might recall, I have a CRAZY book challenge. I’m thinking if I can finish 4 to 5 books a month, I might have a crack at this. Of course, I am going to allow SOME books to double up. As it’s a Harry Potter Challenge, chances are there will be a LOT of fantasy this year. So let’s get this party started. I’m actually going to attempt to read these in order.
#1 –
#1 A bookish World to revisit. I was introduced to Terry Brooks probably about 20 years ago. The man is one of the most prolific writers I’ve come across. Most of his novels concern the land of Shannara, however on occasion, he ventured to other realms, including ours and the Landover series. However, a few years back, he posted a trilogy and confirmed what many of us thought – they were ALL connected and he had written a long, long, long history of the world and Shannara was the result of what happened when the wall between fantasy and reality was destroyed. Magic exists. He’s created a world as complex and extensive as Tolkien’s.
That said, this book is a reread – I read it years ago. Landover is the first book in the Landover series – I think there are 5 or 6. I’ve read 3 of them and again, that was years and years ago.
Have you ever had one of the days, weeks, months, years, where you’d just like to drop everything, leave everything behind and start all over where no one knew who you were or cared? Meet Ben Holiday. Ben is a high-powered attorney, dog-paddling in the ocean of life for 2 years. His wife and unborn child were killed two years previous and he just can’t cope with the world anymore. He doesn’t socialize, is drinking more and more and he comes across an ad – Magic Kingdom for Sale – complete with castle, men, fairy folk, sylphs, a Green-River kingdom, gnomes, other fantasy creatures, edible trees, a relatively incompetent wizard, orcs, trolls, a witch and a fire-breathing dragon who considers the farmland his own personal hunting grounds. For starters.
At times, the story breaks your heart. Other times, you’ll laugh your head off. Ben has purchased a kingdom that is slowly dying and rather than grab his ruby red slippers and chant – there’s no place like home – he does the unthinkable – stays and tries to fix things. It was so worth the reread.
#2
This was book 2 of The Court Series I started in December. The first book was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Now, Beauty is Persephone and she’s traded the Beast for Hades. Again, the word smithing is glorious, lush, and the story riviting. There are 2 more books (so far) in the series, but like previous years, I don’t know when I’ll get back to it.
#3
As some of you might know, I come from a long line of preachers. Circuit Methodist at the turn of the century and the Salvation Army. Being a child of Salvation Army Officers, Christmas was a stressful – and event filled time. Mostly for me, Christmas gatherings with the Jaycees, the Sertoma Club, etc. It was a whirlwind of parties, on top of kettles and caroling and I spent a lot of in curlers and hair spray and Dippity Doo. If you don’t know what Dippity Doo is, lucky you. I hated it. I hated mom doing my hair, but I didn’t mind dressing up and going to these dinners because it always meant I came home with gifts and the year I turned 8, I managed to snag a bunch of books! I wish I still had them. I was very fond of the Monkee’s novel I got (Peter inherited a postage stamp sized country and it went downhill from there.)
But I also got this – Little Women. it was HIGHLY abridged (Beth’s death was completely skipped) and when I unwrapped it, I did the rude thing and pushed my half-eaten plate back and began to read. I didn’t stop reading it. On the way home, I held it up to the car lights behind us. I read and read.
Over the years, I’ve gotten ‘updated’ versions of it. I managed to get copies of Louisa May Alcott’s other books. I love 8 Cousins as much as I loved Little Women. I have an ‘old set’ (1930’s) of the entire series purchased at a garage sale for 5 bucks. I still love the books.
#4
I have a feeling I will be reading a LOT of short short short stories. Jordan Taylor is a vet who writes stories from the animal’s point of view. Pogonip is a cattle dog on a ranch who comes up against one of the toughest jobs of her life – chasing down one angry, run away bull. Great little story for the animal lover set.
#5
Rogue Angel is a series I put on my tbr list last as a started series to finish. There are 54 books in this series, so that was insane! So the series is simply back in the rotation.
Annja Creed was an orphan, raised in an orphanage in New Orleans. She’s grown up now, an archaeologist and anthropologist, a well known television personality Chasing History’s Monsters (which pays the bills and send her places she couldn’t afford otherwise) and the proud owner of one sword, specifically Joan of Arc’s whose legendary sword was shattered. The pieces have made their way back together and now live in Annja’s ‘Otherworld’ – hers when it’s summoned. Her world has also acquired two of Joan’s knights in her retinue (who are immortal now) – Roux, an older Frenchman who lives life to the fullest. He and Annja have a mentor-protege relationship, although it is long distance and rather reluctant and Garin Braden – who is ‘tall, dark, handsome’ and wealthier than sin. (A good part for Richard to play, no?) One minute, he’s trying to kill Annja because he’s afraid now that the sword has been put back together, he’ll start aging, and then the next minute, he’s eating lunch with Annja and Roux. These 2 men have separate lives and agendas, but as I recall as the series goes on, he is less and less worried about Annja and the sword. She’s a badass. In this 3rd installment, Annja is called to a small town in Georgia to help investigate skeletons found in the basement of a warehouse. IT’s obvious they’re the bodies of runaway slaves, but who and why are so many figures in the crime world as well as an aspiring political figure so interested in keeping what’s down there secret? To the point they’re willing to kill…
Level One:
- Madam Malkin’s: Bookish world to revisit ( Magic Kingdom for Sale/SOLD!)
- Falourish and Blotts: Bestselling book (Little Women )
- Ollivanders: Book with magic (A Court of Mist and Fury )
- Magical Menagerie: Animal on the cover ( Pogonip)
- Apothecary: TBR book you need to read (The Spider Stone )
- Gryffendor : Book with red on the cover ( )
- Ravenclaw: Book with blue on the cover (A Court of Mist and Fury )
- Slytherin: Book with green on the cover ( )
- Hufflepuff: Book with yellow on the cover ( )
- Astronomy: Sci-fi/Dystopian ( )
- Charms: Middle grade ( )
- Dark Arts: Villains or anti-heroes ( )
- Defence Against the Dark Arts: Dark fantasy ( )
- Flying: Around the world ( )
- Herbology: Self help ( )
- History of Magic: Authors’ first book ( )
- Potions: Choose a book with your eyes closed ( )
- Transfiguration: Book with shapeshifting ( )
- Arithmancy: Book with a number in the title ( )
- Care of Magical Creatures: Book with magical creatures ( )
- Divination: Takes place in the future ( )
- Astrology: On a different planet ( )
- Cartomancy: Tarot cards and fortune telling ( )
- Dream Interpretation: Book with dreams and visions ( )
- Muggle Studies: Contemporary Book ( )
- Ancient Runes: Historical Fiction ( )
- New Term: First book in a series/duology ( )
- Name in the Goblet of Fire: Recommended by a friend ( )
- Letter from Snuffles: Mystery ( )
- Dobby is Free: Free choice ( )
- Wizard Chess: Book with a contest ( )
- Golden Egg: Book with dragons ( )
- Eat you’ll feel better: Treat yourself! buy yourself a new book! ( )
- Free Space ( )
- Luna Lovegood: Diverse reads ( )
- Black Lake: Book with sea creatures/mermaids ( )
- Harry Potter: Chosen One ( )
- Fred and George: Funny book ( )
- Yule Ball: Fairy Tale retelling ( )
- Neville Longbottom: Brave character ( )
- Hermione Granger: Empowering ( )
- Hedge Maze: A maze or a labyrinth ( )
- Free Space ( )
- Fleur: Romance ( )
- Book from a Jar ( )
- Newt Scamander: Author with your initials ( )
- Cursed Child: Play ( )
- Extendable Ears: Audiobook ( )
- Lavender Brown: Chick Lit ( )
- House: Based on your House ( )
- Fantastic Beasts 3: Book to movie in 2019 ( )
- Beedle the Bard: Male author ( )
- Fantastic Beasts ( )
- Percival Pratt: Poetry ( )
- Avada Kedavra: Horror ( )
- Accio: One word title ( )
- Sybill Trelawney: Female author ( )
- Pottermore: Book club book ( )
- Crimes of Grindelwald ( )
- Dumbledore: Book by a favorite celebrity ( )
- House Cup: Goodreads Awards winner ( )
- Advanced Potion Making: Backlist book ( )
- Molly Weasley: Book your mom loves ( )
- Philosopher’s Stone: Published the year you were born ( )
- Book Hermione would read ( )
- Harry Potter Series: Young Adult ( )
- Mental Health ( )
- Severus Snape: Standalone ( )
- Released in 2019 ( )
- Book of Spells: Classic ( )
- Moody: Based on your mood ( )
- Dursley’s: Nonfiction ( )
- Ginny Weasley: Fierce females ( )
- Free Choice ( )
- Shrieking Shack: Thriller ( )
- Lupin: Paranormal ( )
- Marauder’s Map: Magical book for adults/teens ( )
- Tonks: Character with dyed hair ( )
- Book Harry would read ( )
- Book Queenie would read ( )
- Free Choice ( )
And if you read through all of that…
So I read the post early this morning after waking from a weird dream!! I like #1 book plot wise the most here. Dog stories and any animal stories outside of Animal Farm I have a hard time reading b/c they generally make me very emotional. The levels and I levels on your chart made my already pulsating head really spin.
I did buy off AMAZON The Stranger yesterday which I am going to read as research for his new role. I am also curious about the plot b/c I am watching Safe now and saw The Five before that.
It is snowing again and the office is cold again.
How are you feeling?
I can provide you with the #1 complete series if you want. Just let me know. This is fantasy/urban fantasy at it’s best. I think he’s equal to Tolkien. It’s really nice to read a book where the lead has a way out and he knows he has a way out and instead he chooses to do the right thing, not the easy thing. It’s also interesting to watch him not only grapple with himself, but with his subjects, who refuse to take him seriously.
Who WROTE The Stranger? I’m looking for it.
And I’ve just STARTED this challenge. It’s going to be a challenge, no doubt.
Right this minute, I’m still numbed up on my right side. This side wasn’t as bad as the left so it didn’t take as long. I did either have a sugar meltdown, a bad case of Tremors OR a bad reaction to the medication they gave me, because I had a serious bout of the shakes about 10 minutes in. We had to stop and find me some grape juice, that I drooled more down my front than I swallowed! Otherwise, I’m feeling pretty good. Of course, tonight, after everything has run through my system, is what I”m waiting for. The last time, all my nerves went off in the evening.
The hygenist said I was already starting to get buildup on the back of my bottom front teeth that we just did. Then I remembered, when I had dental before, I had to have 3 cleanings a year, rather than the normal two because I did have excessive build up on the backs of the bottom. So I need to a) redo how I”m brushing them b) find some anti-plaque stuff and yeah – just have 3 cleanings a year. I go back the end of March for a clean and polish and then we’ll schedule a few fillings, a root canal and making this bridge permanent.
Harlan Coben wrote it. I bought it paperback style (old fashion here) on Amazon yesterday under their prime (free shipping) supposed to come in on tomorrow. I may ditch Master and Margherita right now and read this one. I was watching Safe which is his book that aired on Netflix last summer. I mean it’s prep but I like a mystery and it is more psychological probe into characters MO’s than anything else. Probably formulaic but better than your all time fav SHades of Grey (hahahahah!!)
Oh I HATE 50 Shades of Shit!!!! LOL! I’ll have to check it out!
Novecaine is wearing off. Means I can drink stuff without drooling all over myself.
I know you don’t . Your dinner option sounds really good.
IT does look good! I hope it tastes good!!!
Oh and Spawn is out getting me a milk shake!
Lucky duck! I could use that now myself My blood sugar crashed like a hour ago.
Also there are 6 levels to this challenge and it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger
My head is spinning from level 1. Not for me..
WHat? The number of books or what I’ve read?
Both !!!!
I’ve done challenges for the last 3 or 4 years, except 2016. I”ve discovered if I do one, I read more and I read a wider variety. The first one I did back in 2015, I read more books than I have thought I”d read in a year – over 70. IT doesn’t mean I read a lot of huge books, I don’t. I read a lot of novellas, but still.
I do a reading summer every 4 or 5 years. When we lived in Brunswick, I read 25 good sized books in about 7 weeks. Of course, I didn’t come off my comfy chair, go to the beach, or do much of anything constructive, except read. lol
That’s more than I’ve read in like 10 years!🙄🤭😬
I LOVE to read. I had since before I started school! It blows my mind we have kinders and 1st graders who struggle with their letters, much less base words. I was reading at 3. My son was reading at 2 and a half. It’s really an epidemic.
I mean I love books too it’s just finding the time and attention to read. My nieces are terrible readers they don’t enunciate properly and don’t know what half of the words mean. I didn’t start at 3 I started at 5 but I’m not a Woman of the world 😘❤️❤️❤️❤️
I have to have the month,y reading day. It makes me a better writer. These days, just before I go to bed, that’s reading time. Spawn thinks I make him do the driving because I’m tired. I’m not. I read in the car. The more we travel, the more I read. The reading at night before bed is necessary – it relaxes me.
I have tried that but end up nodding off and forgetting what I read. I need to just devote time on Sat and Sunday to sit and read it has to be quiet for me to read or my mind will day dream 😉🙄
Sometimes, I nod off really fast. But that’s my best Me time that I get.