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Y’all, this has been the reading week from hell for me this week.  I haven’t even finished one book (still working on it… only halfway through).   I totally blame the class I thought was going to be SO MUCH FUN.

For those of you who actually read this (hello, are you out there?) and don’t know, I’m a Game and Simulation Student at DeVry University.  While parts of my class this session are cool (hello, I get to play and review video games) that also means I have a ton of time wrapped up in doing that very thing.  Also, I have to create a game I have absolutely no interest or passion about this week.  And it stinks. I have no inspiration to make it interesting and I really should.

Also I hate making flowcharts.

Sometimes I doubt myself.  I doubted myself last session when I started taking Pre-Calculus but I ended up with an A.  I doubt myself now though and you’d think I’d learn.  I wonder on nearly a daily basis if I’m doing the write thing, if I’m going to be able to do this thing that I never envisioned in my future as a child.  I always thought I’d be a piano teacher (which I do, but not nearly full time) or an author.  But that’s just not happening and I don’t see it happening anytime soon.  So I made my way into this field of study and while it challenges me and I do love it, the stress is almost overwhelming.  Normally I read to escape stress .. or play games but of course, none of that is working this week because it’s all about school work.

I feel better just spilling it all out now though and suppose I better get back to work on this game.  How do you all deal with your own doubts?  I know you have them, it’s impossible for me to be the only person out there who worries and wonders if they are doing the right thing with their life.

This week one of the books I picked up to read was Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery.  Of course, I grew up with Anne so I’m a bit sentimental when it comes to both Anne and Gilbert, but I ended up with tears more than once as I reacquainted myself with this story.

For those not familiar with the story, I would encourage you to stop reading here and simply respond (if you are so inclined) with what you think your favorite romantic moment is in books – which book is it in?  What makes it so perfect?  As for me, my moment is in Anne’s House of Dreams.

There’s a part when, while walking on the eve of their wedding, Anne and Gilbert have a small exchange.  In this exchange Gilbert says something to Anne that makes my heart go thump-thump.  He says something along the lines of “I can look forward to tomorrow.”  Why?  Because they were talking of the day Anne had finally forgiven him (and admits she had been a fool) and then Gilbert knew.  He just knew.  And folks, those of us reading knew as well.

I love these books.  I think the each book represents so poignantly moments in every girls life, from the squabbles with boys to imaginative romances, to sorrow and rejoicing in life.  With Anne we experience the pain of change, of watching friendships fade, although not disappear completely, to making new friends.  And when, finally, Anne crosses the threshold of her house of dreams, her hand in Gilbert’s hand, our imagination fills in all the little blanks and, perhaps, like me, you also picture your perfect house of dreams.

This house is so quiet!  The kids and their dad have gone to Colorado on a skiing trip and I’m sitting here, enjoying the peace and quiet and trying not to think about my final that opens up tomorrow for the taking.

Last night my monthly book club met at Barnes and Noble – this month we were reading Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  This was not an unknown book to me, as I read it a few years ago when the hype was all big and it was prominently displayed on bookshelves and tables whenever I’d walk into store.  But although I still had some of the issues with the book that I’d had my first time through it, it’s interesting to me to see how much my opinion .. not so much changes, as seems to be colored a bit differently after listening to others talk about the subject matter.

I’ve been in my book club for about a year.  Before joining this one I’d never been in a book club, nor had any desire to be in one.  I didn’t know what I was missing.  It’s fantastic just to be in a group with other ladies, sure – but also to feel comfortable in talking about books (and without seeing a bored expression that I’ve grown all too used to when I talk to other people).

Do you belong to a book club?  What do you love/hate about it?  Have  you started one and have tips for those looking to start? Or do you know of a great resource those looking for a club could use?  Chime in!

It’s Friday!  I’m on the tail end of my Pre-Calc class and counting my blessings.  I started this session (and spent the first week) in tears and stressing because I didn’t think I’d be able to do it – yet here I am, week 6 out of 8 and holding a 99.15% in the class with one test down.  I’m living proof that it’s possible, with enough desire and application of oneself, to learn anything as I’ve NEVER been a math person.

This week though some fun titles came across my desk so I wanted to talk a little bit about the power of cover and title.  If you are anything like me, a pretty cover will catch your eye.  However, a pretty cover does not necessarily mean fantastic book.  I’m sure you can think of a few – so there’s no need for me to name them here.  Also, a bad cover doesn’t necessarily mean a bad book either.  So why are we so attracted and tempted to buy pretty covers?

But even more than a pretty cover – a unique, interesting name gets me.  Check these titles out:

Everything about those titles screams to me “READ THIS NOW” and I won’t to.. oh, I want to.  (In fact.. I may have picked up Swamplandia! yesterday without even seeing what it was about and brought it home).

What quirky titles have caused you to abandon all caution and bring the book home?

It’s Friday! This week has been super fun, and by super fun I mean… strep throat.  Yup, it made it’s appearance on Tuesday so I’ve spent the last few days nursing a sick little 5 year old girl.  If she wasn’t so cute and cuddly, I might resent it but.. as I got most of my math homework done over the past weekend I was all for the Wizard of Oz reruns and the tons and tons of naps.  (The latter being very much appreciated by myself as I also got hit by a nice, whopping toothache).

But aches and pains aside, I was straightening out my bookshelves this week and reflecting on a particular quirk of mine.  I love hardback books, in fact, I’ll trade paperback books on sites like PaperBackSwap just so I can get a used hardcover instead.  So to have paperbacks sitting on my shelves makes me cringe a little – especially when I cannot get the same book in hardcover (Hello Cherie Priest and Lisa Shearin, I’m talking to you ladies!!!).

Do you have any quirks like mine?  Do you care if it’s paper or hardcover sitting on your shelves?  Have you begun to rid your shelves of both in favor of ebooks? I want to know!

It’s Friday!  I greeted the kids this morning with a pancake and bacon breakfast to celebrate the coming of the weekend (and the subsequent sleeping in that brings!) and then began to spend my day in blissful quiet.

Last night my book club met and we discussed my choice, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman.  If you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend it as being one of my favorite “comfort” reads.  In talking about the book we discussed how, in spite of the plot being a bit predictable, the characters won everyone over.

So this Friday that’s what I wanted to talk about a bit – characters and just what makes a strong one.

In Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series (the actual books, not the movies), one of my favorite characters is one that wasn’t deemed “worthy” for screentime.  It’s a character that’s full of charm, mystery and general good will – but one that also inspires a bit of awe and even more respect.  Tom Bombadil has been a favorite of mine for years and it just goes to show that even with just a short portion of a book devoted to a character, that character can come to life in ways that will profoundly affect the reader for years to come.

What character has affected you in that way?  Share your stories here!

Oh my goodness, it’s Friday but who would have guessed it from my neck of the woods.  Why?  Well.. here in Atlanta we got hit by SNOW.  Not just a dusting like normal – oh no, we got hit with almost 7 inches here in my area and, as a result, school was cancelled … for the ENTIRE WEEK.

Y’all, between the kids being home all week and a week of pre-calc that kicked my butt, I’ve hardly gotten any reading done.  I’m so ashamed of myself.  I also haven’t been posting like I’m supposed to.

So tomorrow Journey through Oz will just have to wait until next Saturday and.. this Friday post is going to be more of a woe-is-me post.

I want to read though, I desperately miss the escape and I’ve been indulging in some Anne of the Island to perk my spirits up from the “depths of despair”.

Do you all have a comfort book to read when times have you down?  What do you do to make time for yourself to read?

It’s Friday!  With the new year I wanted to start doing something a little more chatty and what better day to do it on then Friday?   So this weeks topic goes along with starting something new – something like those.. resolutions.

I’m one of those people who believe re-reading books is important.   C.S. Lewis said, “It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.” To me, a good book deserves more than one shot, it should be read and re-read until the story is as intimately known as a close family member.  There are a few books on my list that I feel this way about, but not as many as I would like.

One of my resolutions this year is to reacquaint myself with old favorites, books I haven’t read in years and keep saying to myself “Oh yeah, I need to read that again”.  But you know what always happens?  I never make it to the book and then the year ends and I wonder just where the time has gone.  Because, frankly, as fast as I read it can never be fast enough.

Just last year I intended to read the following:

• Jane Eyre
• Little Women
• Anne of Green Gables series
• Harry Potter series

Then I had a whole list of classics I’d never read that I wanted to get to.. but I just couldn’t find the time between the new books coming in for review and my library holds exploding on me.

So I plan to slow those things down this year and make 2011 the year of old friends.  In order to do that though.. I need a battle plan!  So far I’ve cut down on my library requests and scheduled “fill-in” posts for days that I want to post about an old friend.  But will that be enough?

And what about you all? What book related resolutions did you make this year?  Did you manage to dive back into any old friends last year (or do you even think re-reading is important?  If not, why?).

I’m curious to see what you all have to say on the subject!