Random Updating

As I predicted, life got in the way of the little bit of extra time I have in my life. This week was crazy getting ready for Halloween, planning my Kindergartner's class party and a bunch of other stuff that took up my time and probably more to the point, used up my still-functioning brain cells. I may have said yes a few too many times in the last couple of weeks.

I did finish The Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder this week. I am working on a review of it for next week, but for now I will just say that I really enjoyed it.

I started a couple different books, A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare and Little Women by Louise May Alcott, that are more what I call 'commitment books'. There are just some books that I have to accept will take longer to finish. I will need to find a lighter read that I can pick up and read at times when I don't have as much time and energy to commit to reading. If you can believe it, I have never read Little Women. "Is that even possible?" you ask. I assure you it is although I can't quite believe it myself.

Tonight, I ruthlessly edited my to-read shelf at Goodreads. So many books have come to my attention recently that my interests were going in different directions than what I had on that shelf. Also, it would be better for me to keep my to-read shelf shorter and easier to manage. Part of that whole commitment issue which, now that I think about it, is becoming a theme in this post.

I am also still working on my list for the Books to Read Before I Die Challenge-2010. I have a rough copy that I am still tweaking. I want to add a few more but I can't decide just yet. Just for fun, here is what I have so far:

• The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
• Diary of Anne Frank
• Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
• A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Housseini
• My Name is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok
• Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
• Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Graham
• Moll Flanders - Daniel Defoe

Many of the books on my challenge lists make me wonder something: what in the world did I read in high school? I really can't remember anything but Lord of the Flies and Of Mice and Men. I know I read others because English was one of my favorite subjects. Maybe when I get into Diary of Anne Frank, for example, it will come rushing back to me because doesn't everyone read this book in high school?

Well, now that I have updated, hopefully next week will be back in to the meat of this reading business. More reading and writing, trips to the library, books as Christmas gifts to choose (the BEST part of Christmas shopping!) and I get to volunteer at the Book Fair at my kids' school this week!! Woohoo!!