Hello all,

My "paid account" status for this journal expired this week and with that expiration, I've made a decision about the future of bookloversdiary. I won't be renewing the paid account, and at some point in 2009, this journal will be deleted (probably not until November or December, and don't worry, I'll give you some notice!).

I'm almost finished with my second year of grad school, just have a few papers to finish up. I've tried to reconnect with my passion for reading since leaving campus about a week ago, and have had some difficulty with that. I thought reading for fun would be the antidote to too much textbook reading, but it turns out that I have a hard time focusing on any type of reading. It's worrisome to me that where I used to not be able to leave a library without a stack of books, now I halfheartedly pick through the piles to find a few that have been languishing on my Neverending Reading List...but then when I bring them home, they continue their languishing on my desk. I'm still working on it, though. Reading is not something I want to ever give up, it's been too much a part of my life up until now. (Oh grad school, what have you done?!?)

For now, I intend to focus on learning to love reading again. That means I will not be writing full-length reviews of any of the books I read. I may do "round-up" posts with a few lines expressing my thoughts for each of several books. I'm dropping out of the challenges I joined, and I won't be participating in Sunday Salon or any of the other reading events. If for some reason, you have an overwhelming longing to know what I'm up to these days, I'm now on Twitter as "@seldomyes". From time to time, my tweets may discuss books.

I do hope to return to book blogging once I've recaptured my interest in reading, hopefully, by the end of 2009. Until then, I will be exploring various blogging platforms other than Livejournal to find the best fit for me. During the period that bookloversdiary was active, I grew increasingly dissatisfied with the customization, appearance, and and features of Livejournal. But before I make a wholehearted jump to one of the other services, I'd like to explore as much as possible. I intend on exploring both Blogspot and Wordpress, but if you have another favorite that you think is relatively easy to learn, let me know, and I'll add it to my list. I'll likely be setting up non-book-related blogs as part of my exploration of these other programs. I'll post the links here, if anyone is interested, but again, they are not likely to have bookish posts.

Like I said, I may pop in on bookloversdiary from time to time. And though I won't be writing regularly here, I will continue to read your book blogs avidly.

So long for now,
M

Hello all. It's been two months and five days since my last update. I'm afraid I don't have any reviews for you today, unless you have a burning desire to learn about immigration/asylum law or business organizations law textbooks. If you do, leave me a comment and we'll discuss your sanity (and mine!) in relation to these subjects.

I've missed updating almost as much as I miss fun reading. I'm counting the days until classes and then exams are over. I'll have about ten days off before starting my summer internship, and I look forward to spending them with family. But my evenings during my internship will be devoted to reading. And once I've started that up again, I'll figure out what to do with this blog. I'd like to keep blogging, but as I think I've said before, I'll need to change the format or my methods, because they're not conducive to my lifestyle at this point. Next year - the last year of school (hurray!) - promises to be even more stressful and busy. I don't know what the new blog will look like, but rest assured that there will be one.

So I haven't been reading, but I've been trying to find ways to calm my restless bookish spirit. In mid-March, I decided to try out audiobooks. I've been listening to podcasts on my iPod a lot lately at the gym, and I thought audiobooks might be the next logical step. The audiobooks on iTunes are a bit too expensive for my taste so I looked at the books available from my local public libraries. (The great thing about being a student is you can technically call two places home and get the benefits from each.) One had quite a large selection. I was a bit nervous about trying out audiobooks, though. I love the physical aspect of reading - the smell of the book, the satisfaction of seeing a bookmark (or some random object) lodged in the middle of a particularly fat book, turning each individual page. And also, I figured some readers had to be better than others, but had no idea how to go about figuring which were the best.

I went out on a limb and downloaded Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell and Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery. Both I've read before, both are comfort books. I figured I could start with those two and see where they took me. I started Wives and Daughters, and really missed having the physical book in front of me, though the reader's voice was lovely too. I especially enjoyed listening to it while doing despised chores like washing the dishes. Then I hit a glitch - the program that the library uses to disseminate audiobooks nearly crashed my computer and messed with my iPod too. My computer is my life. It's the only way I make it to and through school every day. So the program and the two audiobooks had to go.

Because I couldn't find affordable audiobooks that didn't use this program, I gave up on audiobooks. I may try it again someday, maybe when my computer isn't so vital. But for now, audiobooks no longer have a place in my life. This month, I've been getting into poetry. It is appropriately National Poetry Month. I started out the month with a link to this poem as my Facebook status, and then randomly started using poetry to express my mood throughout the entire month. A lot of it has been e.e. cummings. I always loved the few poems we read of his in school, but now I'm finding new favorites. It's nice to read something literary, even if it's only five to ten minutes out of my day. I'm contemplating buying a book of his poetry this weekend, to help me get through exams. If I do, that will likely be the first review you'll see when I officially come back.

Lastly, I signed up for Twitter today. I kind of feel like I've sold my soul to...whoever. I don't like to jump on bandwagons, but I'm curious about this one. I don't foresee frequent updates on my part, because my life is just not that interesting. (Unless you'd like to see updates like this: "Currently on page 774 of Immigration textbook, taking a break to study LLCs.") I know a few of you twitter, however, so let me know if you do. I am following exactly two people at the moment. Both are celebrities and one was suggested by my thirteen-year-old cousin. I feel so out of touch. I'd love to follow some book bloggers - it's nice to have a connection to the reading world. I don't have my full name on there because I'm paranoid like that, but if you'd like to find me, I'm "seldomyes".

That's all for now! Hope to return to reading and blogging sometime in May/June.

(Learn more about the Sunday Salon here.)


Just a quick note to say I enjoyed participating in Books for the Heart. I read a total of 446 pages in my textbooks (and one fun book!) over the past two weeks, and at 5 cents a page, that works out to $22.65. I will be donating an even $25 to the American Heart Association. You can still donate even if you didn't participate in Books for the Heart. More information is here.

In other news, I'm now two books behind in reviews, but have started writing the first one. I have one sentence. I'm having issues with my writing ability. It's not exactly writer's block. Rather, everything I've been writing - from my class notes to the grocery list - sounds odd and fake and canned. Hopefully, I'll get over this soon as I have an important paper due in about a week and a half. And I'd like to catch up on my reviews, but not make them painful for you all to read. ;)

Other than Books for the Heart and attempting to write reviews, I picked up three new books from the library. They are:

Onitsha by J.M. Le Clezio
Weary Generations by Abdullah Hussein
Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction Through the Lives of the First Black Congressmen by Philip Dray

These are books that have been on my Neverending Reading List for awhile now. Each of them fulfills at least one of requirements of the challenges I'm in for this year, and I hope I get to start them soon.

I've been fooling around a little bit with my journal style. The new one is...bright. I'm ready for spring already! And I suppose my new journal theme reflects that.

Anyhow, I hope to be back soon. Happy reading! :)

(Learn more about The Sunday Salon here.)

Hello all! I'm back! Actually, I've been back from my trip for awhile now, but immediately after coming back, I had to deal with a paper crisis. And then school started up and I was deluged by the normal craziness of studying and extracurriculars. However, now I'm back to this blog, and hope to be updating somewhat regularly again.

I did read one book while on my trip, A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam. I hope to get a review of it up sometime this week. I haven't started anything new yet, though my brother did give me his copy of The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. I will probably read that next.

For the next two weeks, I will be participating in Books for the Heart hosted by Michelle of 1 More Chapter. This reading event runs from today, February 1st, through February 14th, and aims to raise funds for the American Heart Association.

According to the Centers for Disease & Control, heart disease is the #1 killer for both men and women in the United States. Worldwide, about seven million people die each year from the disease. The AHA estimates that one in three women has some form of cardiovascular disease. On a personal level, I have lost members of my family to heart attacks, and other relatives are currently fighting battles with coronary heart disease.

In addition to providing information about heart disease, the AHA works to reduce the death rate from coronary heart disease and stroke, reduce the prevalence of smoking and high blood cholesterol, and eliminate the growth of obesity and diabetes. All excellent and important goals.

For my donation, I intend to give 5 cents for every page I read within the next two weeks. Since I have a poor track record of reading for fun during school, I will be counting the pages I read for class as well as any pages read of short stories and books. I reserve the right to limit the total amount as per my finances on Sunday, February 14. And as a bit of a personal challenge to myself, I'm also going to use these two weeks to educate myself more about making and implementing healthy choices. I'm at high risk for heart disease, but I don't always take care of myself as I should.

You can sign up for the Books for the Heart event here.

(Learn more about The Sunday Salon here

Hello all, and happy new year! I completely forgot it was Sunday today. I'm still on break from school and as a result, every day feels the same as the one before it. This will be a short post as Real Life requires my attention today. As I mentioned earlier, my family and I are going abroad to visit relatives for about two weeks. We're leaving Tuesday morning, and I haven't packed yet! The reason is, I've got a 30-page paper due a day and a half after I get back.

This week, I caught up on the last few reviews for 2008: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Jane of Lantern Hill. I also posted my Assessment for 2008. For the first time, I decided to do a top 5 for the books I read. Even though I only read 18 books in 2008, it turned out to be a great year because I read some excellent books. Finally, I posted an entry about five challenges I've decided to sign up for in 2009. So it was an unusually busy week for the blog.

Reading-wise, I haven't had a chance to do much. Or rather, I haven't had a chance to do much leisure reading. I'm knee-deep in research on Islamic jurisprudence and its application in Morocco, but it's not the same, is it? ;) I started Sea of Poppies but I'll be returning it and the other library books. I'm planning to take three books on the trip with me - The Boat by Nam Le, A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam, and one other (though I still need to decide which one). I'm hoping to make some headway on the challenges by spending a lot of time reading on the plane.

I hope to have a few pictures and some reviews to share with you when I get back. Until then, happy reading! :)

This year, in addition to continuing on with the Book Awards II Challenge, which ends on June 1, 2009, and the 100 Shots of Short Challenge, which ends once I've completed 100 short stories, I decided to sign up for a few more that run for all of 2009. Initially, I had a list of sixteen bookmarked challenges. Sixteen! Needless to say, I had to cut that list down. It is now at five challenges, and there is a possibility I may join a few more since I keep hearing about other intriguing events.

I like the idea of some themed reading and I love interacting with other bloggers on similar subjects of interest. However, I recognize that there is a good possibility I won't complete all of these challenges. Rather than stress myself out or beat myself up for failing to complete challenges, I intend to enjoy the ride and use them as an opportunity to meet new bloggers, discover what they're reading, and inevitably, add to my Neverending Reading List.

Below are the challenges that I've signed up for so far in 2009. I've combed my existing TBR list in search of books I've been wanting to read for awhile that fit into the appropriate categories. However, I reserve the right to change these lists.

If you have any suggestions for possible reading for any of these challenges, please let me know! I'm always interested in recommendations. :)

( World Citizen Challenge )

( Lost in Translation Challenge )

( 18th and 19th Century Women Writers Challenge )

( Diversity Rocks Challenge )

( New Author Challenge )

It seems a bit surreal to be writing my year-end post for 2008 already. I took a look at my 2007 year-end post, and I distinctly remember sitting down to write it. It seems like only a couple days ago.

I finished 18 books this year - not the low point in my reading life but I can do better and hope I will in 2009. I also read a total of 5,668 pages this past year. I attempted to participate in a number of challenges this year, but was unsuccessful in completing them. For the July Book Blowout, I attempted to finish 10 books, and managed 2.5. For the Short Story Challenge, I read one story, Nam Le's "Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice" (which hasn't been reviewed yet because I decided to wait until I read the others in the same book). I will say that that one story has stuck with me since I read it and I've been saving that book to pack on my upcoming journey to read on the plane. So in one aspect, the challenge was a success. ;) I also participated in the 24-Hour Read-a-thon, and managed to finish off a few pages of fun reading and many more of school reading. (Such is life - school always interferes.)

The following challenges are still ongoing: The 100 Shots of Short Reading Challenge and The Book Awards II Reading Challenge.

This year, I took part in a few blog-related activities. Most notably, I joined The Sunday Salon in early June. Though I haven't written a post every week, it's been wonderful to read others' posts every week and discover new favorite blogs. I also contributed a post to the Bookworms Carnival and said farewell to Dewey, the much-loved host of that event and others.

Behind the first cut is my complete list for 2008. The links take you to my reviews, but feel free to ask me about any of them. The second cut will take you to my top 5 books of the year.

( The Complete List )

( And now for the... )

18) Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery (297 pages)

For as long as she can remember, Jane Victoria Stuart has lived a sheltered and close life with her mother, grandmother, and aunt at 60 Gay Street, a stately old house in Toronto. She longs for a life where she can try out cooking, keep house, and go simply by her first name, but is kept in check by her strict and spiteful grandmother, who seems to harbor a particularly nasty grudge against Jane.

One day, Jane accidentally learns that her father is still alive and soon a letter arrives from him requesting that she visit him at his home on Prince Edward Island. Brought up to believe that her father was an ingrate, Jane finds this a shock and dreads the coming visit. Once she arrives on PEI, however, her feelings quickly change and she learns to love life on the island and all of her new friends. All that remains is a wish to reconcile her parents and live happily ever after away from her grandmother.

I read the Anne and Emily series avidly as a kid, and often turn to Montgomery's stand-alone works when looking for something new yet oldish-feeling to read. She usually doesn't disappoint. However, this book seems to be the rare exception. It wasn't terrible, I just didn't find it up to par with her other works. One of Montgomery's trademarks is to include long, descriptive passages on the naturalness of PEI. While Montgomery's love for PEI is evident from this book, it did not have the same effect as her other works.

I also didn't feel as personally invested in the characters as I usually do. Jane herself, despite having a rather unusual passion for keeping house (she can come clean my room any time she likes!), is a spunky and lively heroine. However, Jane's grandmother and mother were almost two-dimensional in a Cinderella sort of way - the grandmother takes on the nasty stepmother persona while the mother comes across as a weak version of the beautiful fairy godmother. Like those in her other works, Montgomery's Island characters in Jane of Lantern Hill are quirky, but in some instances, their quirkiness seems a bit forced.

Nevertheless, while this book was not up to the high standards Montgomery's other work has set, it was still an enjoyable read. Three and half stars for writing, four stars for enjoyment.


Books: 18
Pages: 5,668

17) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and with art by Ellen Forney (240 pages)

*Note: This book counts for the Book Awards II Reading Challenge. It won the National Book Award in 2007. It also won an American Indian Library Association award.

Arnold Spirit Jr., known around the Spokane Indian reservation on which he lives simply as Junior, is the narrator of this first-time young adult novel from the prolific writer and poet Sherman Alexie. Junior is fourteen years old and stays inside most of the time, preferring drawing to getting beat up and teased because of his disproportionate looks. He has a best friend named Rowdy, who Junior describes as the toughest kid on the reservation ("rez" for short). His parents are drunks and his sister lives in the basement. He and his family seem to be living a vicious circle of desperation and hopelessness. But Junior's sudden decision to leave the rez and transfer to an all-white school propels him and his family through a journey of self-discovery.

My favorite aspect of this book are the characters. First and foremost, Junior's voice as the narrator is pitch-perfect. He is a likeable as well as realistic and relatable character. I admit my knowledge of rez life and Native American issues is woefully inadequate, but Alexie has captured the angst of a teenager negotiating his place between two very different, often clashing worlds beautifully and eloquently. Junior is sincere, smart, and unintentionally witty. Life on the rez is not easy and weighty, depressing subjects like alcoholism, abuse, and poverty are frequently at play. But Alexie has managed to infuse the narrative with hope and resilience.

The other characters are also finely wrought. Junior notes that his parents are drunks like many other adults but it soon becomes clear that the typical connotations of such a term are not present in all situations on the rez. Despite their discontentment, Junior's parents convey a desire to do what's best for their children. Junior's classmates at the all-white school were mostly not cardboard, stereotypical figures of white students. There was some variety in the types of people that Junior meets and befriends.

Although Junior mentions his passion for drawing, art, and cartoons near the beginning of the book, there is very little discussion of this hobby. Rather, Ellen Forney's art accompanies Alexie's writing. Sometimes, they are directly referenced in the story. Other times they provide a further explanation of what Junior has tried to express in words. This style works well in terms of moving the plot along as well as in contributing to the overall humor and poignancy of the book. No real complaints or nitpicks with this book so it gets five stars for both writing and enjoyment.


Books: 17
Pages: 5,371

(Learn more about The Sunday Salon here.)

This is my first Sunday Salon in over two months. It is great to be back, though it's just for a short time, since I'll be gone visiting relatives in a couple weeks. Ever since exams ended, I've been reading, reading, reading, and it's mostly been wonderful. I had a difficult time getting settled into one book in the beginning - I had a lot on my mind and was also packing to go home, so I kept changing my mind as to which books to pack.

Once I got home, I scavenged around the house for books to read. Our basement at home is like a library cave (I like to call it "a black hole of books" but that's not scientifically accurate). Even though my brother and I are the only two constant readers in the family, there are numerous books in the basement from our childhood and high school. Then there are shelves and shelves devoted to books with titles like The Paradox of American Power and An Introduction to Marxist Economic Theory which my brother read in his college classes. There is an entire shelf devoted to William Carlos Williams' works and an autobiography of the poet, and a few others that hold, among others, Candide, Rosseau's Confessions, The Riverside Shakespeare, The Oxford English Bible, Pamela, Joseph Andrews, and Oroonoko, from my days as an English major. And there are a few shelves holding thick textbooks on organic chemistry, physiology, and anatomy from my sister's schooling.

Although my sister's science textbooks and my brother's treatises on economic philosophy usually don't interest me, the great thing about the black hole of books is that between the three of us we have accumulated a rather large collection. And there are certain areas we do have in common. For instance, we all studied political science in one form or another. As I start to read more and more nonfiction, I like to go down to the basement, wander amongst the unorganized shelves and pick out something that looks accessible. The newer books that the three of us buy and then leave at home end up in the basement too. When he reads fiction, my brother likes world literature and books that are winning awards (Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, etc.), which is an interest of mine as well. My sister buys books for their cover art, which means books like Palace Walk and The Twentieth Wife also have found a place in the library cave.

So when I scavenge for books in the basement, there is sure to be something. I started out with The Ornament of the World by Maria Rose Menocal. The book's topic has the potential to be very interesting - I've always wanted to learn more about Muslim Spain - but Menocal's writing style is rather broad, sweeping, and non-specific. When I'm reading history, I like to know the particulars, not generalities. I gave up after seventy pages (and those seventy pages will be counted in my page total for the year, since it was so tough to get through them).

I then settled down and completed two library books - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery. Reviews will be coming soon. This past week, I also posted two overdue reviews for books I read in October: Paddington Here and Now and Guilty by Reason of Stupidity. Sometime next week, I hope to write my annual year-end post as well as my challenges post for 2009. There are several I'm interested in - the list right now is at 16! Needless to say, I think I have to narrow it down to just a couple.

For now, I'm going to curl up with a book I found in the basement. Even though I have a pile of library books (and another that my brother brought home for me), today I had a "craving" for a classic. I wandered down to the library cave and came up with The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot. I was looking for Middlemarch, which I bought a couple years ago, but it must be hidden away somewhere. No matter, this one will do. :) Happy Sunday and happy holidays to you all!

16) Paddington Here and Now by Michael Bond and illustrated by R.W. Alley (176 pages)

The summer I was seven years old, my family traveled to London, England, to visit relatives. Like any major trip which required several suitcases, my parents only let me pack two books, which of course wasn't enough to keep me busy. In between playing with my cousins, I missed reading. I was so upset about having nothing new to read, my aunt visited the library (which she never did for her own kids, because they hated reading) and brought home the entire set of Paddington books. I read them all that summer and became quite attached to Paddington Bear.* At the end of the summer, my uncle took me to Paddington Station to say farewell to my new favorite friend.

Given my history with Paddington, it should be no surprise that I was eager to read Paddington Here and Now. Published in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the series and thirty years after the last book appeared, this new book finds Paddington still living with the Brown family. He is a bit older, but still retains the clumsy, optimistic charm that long-time readers know and love. What has changed is London, and this makes for some interesting adventures for Paddington. For instance, in one story, the police attempt to deport Paddington because they believe he is an illegal immigrant (and by all accounts, he really sort of is). But the references to modernity are never intrusive. Instead, they are peppered through the story so that the reader understands the story takes place in the present day, but still feels a link to the Paddington world of old. And as most Paddington fans know well enough, it really doesn't take much for our favorite bear to find himself in the middle of a messy situation!

This book was a great way to return to some of my favorite bookish memories. The book's presentation is also sure to appeal to those who grew up reading the older Paddington books. The cover art was drawn by Peggy Fortnum, who drew the first drawings of Paddington, and the illustrations inside are by the inimitable R.W. Alley who also returns from the earlier Paddington books. This new book is a satisfying stroll through nostalgia for adult readers, but I fear that younger readers who are new to Paddington will not be as interested. Try as he might, Paddington does not mesh well with today's world. However, I really loved this book. It was a great reminder of some books from my childhood, and also gave me a chance to say a proper farewell to a very lovable bear. Four and a half stars for writing, five for enjoyment.


Books: 16
Pages: 5,061


----------------------
*Incidentally, just a couple years later, under very similar circumstances, I would discover another friend, a Miss Jane Austen. :)

15) Guilty by Reason of Stupidity by Joel J. Seidemann* (192 pages)

Nearly everyone's heard the story about the woman who sued McDonald's after spilling their hot coffee on herself, but what about the one about the D.C. judge who sued a laundromat after it lost a pair of his pants? Or the one about how the Seattle police tricked a suspect in a murder case into sending them his saliva for a DNA sample by sending him a fake notification that he was a potential plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit?

In Guilty by Reason of Stupidity, author and district attorney Joel J. Seidemann has collected these and other funny-but-true tales of plaintiffs, defendants, judges, lawyers, and others involved in enforcing the law. At just under 200 pages and with each story separated with its own headline, the book is a quick read. It is perfect for reading all in one sitting, or just a few stories at a time. I read this in mid-October and then again after exams, and it was a great stress reliever. At times, the author's commentary is a bit grating and doesn't add much to the stories themselves, and many of the stories contain some "adult concepts", but overall, this was a fun read and one I recommend to those looking for a good laugh.


Books: 15
Pages: 4,885


----------------------
*I received my copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing company via Deb at DEBlog, whose brother-in-law is the author of this book.

Today, when I opened my Google Reader, I was excited to see a post from The Hidden Side of a Leaf (one of the blogs I read most avidly). But my excitement quickly changed to shock and sadness: the new entry was from Dewey's husband, who wrote to say that Dewey had been unwell and that she passed away on Tuesday evening.

I did not know her personally, but her love for reading and sharing books was evident from her reviews and other posts. She made new bloggers feel welcome, and fostered a sense of congeniality and friendship among the book blogging community through her hosting of Weekly Geeks, the 24-Hour Read-a-thon, and the Bookworms Carnival. She will be missed. Her family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Look, a post! No, I'm not officially back, but I just wanted to stop in and encourage you all to check out the 17th edition of the Bookworms Carnival, hosted this time by Dewey of The Hidden Side of a Leaf.

This edition's theme is Graphic Novels and my review of Palestine by Joe Sacco is featured as a part of it. As you may recall, Palestine was my first graphic novel ever, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more in the genre. Whether you read graphic novels all the time or don't even know what the term means, The Graphic Novels edition of the Bookworms Carnival can give you some great ideas of what to read! I know my Neverending Reading List just grew a little bit longer! ;)

I hope you are all doing well. As you all can probably tell from my sporadic posting, I have not had much time to read or to review lately. School plus extracurriculars plus summer work searching plus personal concerns are taking a toll, and even though my to-do list every day has an entry about writing reviews for bookloversdiary, I never seem to get more than two or three things finished.

The semester ends in mid-December but my family is going abroad in early January to see relatives. My guess is I might be able to post once or twice before our trip, and I will definitely be taking several books along on our trip. The last time, it took us almost 24 hours to get to our destination, with flight time and airport layovers included. It will be almost like my own personal read-a-thon! ;) I'm excited about it (and the trip in general, not just the reading)!

However, because of these things going on in my life, I wanted you all to know there's a chance I won't get to post reviews from this year's books until next year. I also will be dropping out of the book blogging universe. You may see a couple comments on your blogs, here and there, but keeping up with my Google Reader blog subscriptions is another entry on my to-do list that just builds up over time. I hope to be back in full force next semester.

Until then, take care! To those who are celebrating, Happy Thanksgiving! Eid Mubarak! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy New Year! (Am I forgetting anything else?)

Hello everyone! Hope you're all doing well! As a result of the days growing colder here, I've been longing to curl up with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book. Unfortunately, it's crunch time for school - exams are coming up and instead of fun books, I've been curling up with...my Professional Responsibility textbook. It's not the same. ;)

Anyhow, just a few odds and ends that caught my interest and I wanted to share.

First up, I'm not a Twilight fan. To be fair, I haven't actually tried reading the series in its entirety but from the few excerpts I have read, I don't think it's my style. Until today, I've been more inclined to make fun of the supposed literary merits of Twilight, but if the rumor is true that the next president might be one those crazy fans, I might have to dial back a bit. Okay, who am I kidding? This puts a whole new spin on all those blog posts about what books President-Elect Obama should have on his nightstand. ;)

Second, the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) has released the results of its Anatomy of a Janeite survey. There's also a quiz here: who is the average Jane Austen fan? I got about half of the answers right - there were many surprises that dispelled some of my own stereotypes of the Janeite community. I'm glad to know that Jane Austen fans are such a diverse group of people!

14) Warriors Don't Cry: The Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High by Melba Pattillo Beals (458 pages)*

Please, God, let me learn how to stop being a warrior. Sometimes I just need to be a girl."
--Melba's diary, on her sixteenth birthday

When I was in school, I learned very little about the civil rights movement. In Social Studies, we would start at the very beginning each year with Plymouth Rock and invariably we would never be able to catch up to the present (the furthest I think we ever made it was the Great Depression). I also don't remember learning a lot about the activists of that era. When Black History Month rolled around, we learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, of course, but most of what I know about that time has been from books and newspaper reports that I've explored for myself. So when I picked up Melba Pattillo Beals' memoir about being a member of the "Little Rock Nine", I knew that Beals must have had a difficult experience. What I did not expect - and this was really naive of me - was how harrowing it actually was.

Shortly after the United States Supreme Court prohibited school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, twelve-year-old Melba signed a list to go to school with white people. Three years later, she got her wish. She was selected with eight other African-American students to attend and integrate Little Rock's Central High School. They became known as the Little Rock Nine.

Immediately there were obstacles. Governor Faubus called in the National Guard to surround Central High and prevent Beals and her friends from entering. An angry white mob of over 1,000 people shouted and grabbed at them. Nineteen days after they first tried to attend school, a period filled with legal wrangling in federal court, they were escorted into Central High by the local police, only to leave early. The next day, President Eisenhower ordered members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division to act as their escorts and protection in the hallways of Central High.

Once inside the high school, Beals experienced one violent situation after another, at the hands of both her fellow classmates and her teachers. Students hurled obscenities, knocked her books down, pinned her against a wall and tried to choke her during a pep rally, and sprayed acid in her eyes. Teachers and others in positions of authority spat on and slapped her or looked the other way when students were abusing her. Beals and her friends never entered Central High through its main steps as their classmates did, but instead used a side entrance, sometimes leaving the school in armored vehicles or helicopters. As Beals wrote in her diary, "After three full days inside Central, I know that integration is a much bigger word than I thought."

In addition to the incidents at school, Beals describes other changes in her life. As a result of her family's very real fears about the white mob and what might happen if she were to leave the house on the weekends, Beals had to spend a lot of time at home. Friends she had before entering Central High became estranged, and she was no longer able to enjoy the activities she once loved. Her life was entirely consumed by integration. Her loving, strong, supportive family and the other Little Rock Nine members became the constants in her life.

Despite the many setbacks the Little Rock Nine experienced, a message of hope, dignity, and resilience shines through Beals' memoir. In the end, three members of the Little Rock Nine were able to graduate from Central High School, and the others finished their education elsewhere when the situation in Little Rock became too dangerous. This is an important book and one that should be read by both teenagers and adults. As important as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks are to the history books, it is also important to know about and remember the struggles that the Little Rock Nine went through to secure access to education. Five stars for both writing and educational value. Highly recommended.


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*This book is not actually 458 pages long. The first copy I obtained of this book was labeled as the "Abridged Young Readers' Edition". I read this edition first and then read what appeared to be the unabridged version second. However, even after reading both editions, I'm not entirely sure how they are different from each other - besides the cover art - how the first book has been "abridged". Since I read them both, expecting some differences, I will count them both in my total. However, if you can only find a copy of the "Young Readers' Edition", rest assured that there is not much difference.


Total Books: 14
Total Pages: 4,693

(Learn more about The Sunday Salon here.)

I must confess: I am insanely jealous of all of the readers who were able to set aside several hours for pleasure reading during the 24 Hour Read-a-thon this past weekend. I signed up as a reader too. Here are my stats:

Title of book(s) read: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby and The Boat by Nam Le
Total Number of Books Finished: 0
Total Number of Hours I Was Awake: 18
Total Pages of Pleasure Reading: 51
Total Pages of School Reading: 288

So, I read, just not as much of the fun kind as I had originally hoped. Still, it was wonderful to make some headway in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Also, by reading the first short story in Le's The Boat, titled "Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice", I have officially started in on the "100 Shots of Short" Challenge I joined a week ago. All in all, those 51 pages of beautiful writing are probably what kept me sane this weekend. Therefore, no regrets. Congratulations to all the other readers who participated. :)

In other news, this weekend was the Wisconsin Book Festival. On account of my school-related research, I wasn't able to make it to any of the sessions. I did, however, go to the book sale. Like the last time I went to a library sale, I set some boundaries for myself to keep the costs down - no buying books not on my Neverending Reading List, no books that I've read before, etc. - and did pretty well. ( Book Sale Acquisitions )

I also received two books through BookMooch. ( Here they are )

So now I have lots of new books - just have to find time to read them! :)

Updating just to say, no, I haven't forgotten about the Read-a-thon! I've been reading through many of the subscriptions in my Google Reader wistfully, wishing I could join in the fun. But I've been reading too, just not the fun kind! So far, I've read 22 pages for Constitutional Law, 38 pages for Professional Responsibility, and about 56 pages for Trusts and Estates. I also spent a good number of hours doing some research-related work.

I have loads more school reading and research to finish up before the weekend is over, but I'm finally taking a break to get in some fun reading. I'm curling up with The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and afterwards, hope to work in one or two of the stories from The Boat.

Hope all the other readers are still going strong! :)

(Learn more about The Sunday Salon here.)

I had hoped to fulfill my promise of reviews being posted this week, but as we entered the second month back to school, work is piling up and so free time is scarce. However, I did finish a couple books this week and hope to have reviews of the following books up this week (links are to the books' Amazon pages):

Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Patillo Beals
Guilty by Reason of Stupidity by Joel L. Seidemann
Paddington Here and Now by Michael Bond and illustrated by R.W. Alley

I'm also nearing the end of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby, and hope to have a review of that up sometime next week. It's been wonderful making time for pleasure reading this past week, even if it is only a couple minutes a day. I think the books I've read recently are structured in such a way as to be easy to dip into for a few minutes over several days. Netherland by Joseph O'Neill, on the other hand, does not seem to work with the reading setup I've worked into my schedule, so I'm thinking I may have to hold off on reading it until winter break.

This week I went to the library after a long time, and although I was there for only a couple minutes to pick up a few books, it was nice to take that break out of my day. Both Paddington Here and Now and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly are library books. I also checked out American Nerd: The Story of My People by Benjamin Nugent, and I think I might try that as my replacement to Netherland this week. Considering the busyness of the coming days, I think I might need a little humor to keep me sane. ;)

This week I also decided to enter two challenges in the blogging world. Remember back in December when I decided to participate in The Short Story Reading Challenge? I haven't read a single short story yet this year, and though I am planning to read The Boat by Nam Le after American Nerd, squeezing one book of short stories in for the year isn't exactly my idea of fulfilling the goals of the challenge. I still want to develop an appreciation for the short story form and read widely in this genre. So, to pursue that goal, I've decided to join Rob's 100 Shots of Short Reading Challenge. The structure of this challenge should fit in nicely with my goals - the idea is to read 100 self-picked short stories at one's own pace. The fact that there is no time limit is added incentive - although I told myself I'd read short stories while back at school, it wasn't until this week (about ten months later after I challenged myself to read short stories in the first place) that I actually made time for reading and realized how much I love it.

The second challenge I will be joining is much more time-specific: Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-thon. The Read-a-thon will be held next weekend, beginning October 18th, Saturday, noon GMT (7 a.m. my time). While I would love to read for fun the entire time, I think I may have to set aside some hours for studying (augh) and sleep. I'm very excited about the Read-a-thon, particularly as it comes right in the middle of the Wisconsin Book Festival. I'm hoping to pick up a few books for the Read-a-thon at the book sales that will be going on. It will be a very bookish weekend!

That's all for now - fingers crossed for reviews this week! :)