In fact, I’m so excited, I keep checking the list–and then zooming past our listing. Then I’m all:

Oh, no! I just announced this to the world and look, we’re not there!

Then I check again. Yes, yes. We’re (still) there.

In the words of Darcy: I <3 librarians.

We do. It’s true. Also true? There’s some good reading in those lists. Just from 2012, you can choose from:

• Adventure Seekers
• Forbidden Romance
• Get Your Geek On
• Sticks and Stones

But take a look at all the lists compiled through the years. If you’re doing the Fifty/Fifty challenge, you could build a major or a minor based on those categories.

So, what are you waiting for? Get reading!

The final requirement is completing a play, poem, story, comic, etc. about your girl. Kyra wanted to write a play, with a part for everyone in her troop (fortunately, we’re a small troop and that’s only six parts).

I could not dissuade her. It had to be a play and we’re going to do a read-through performance at the next meeting.

So, she wrote the draft by hand, and then last night, set to work on my computer typing the whole thing out.

The Skateboarding Gals  comes in at three pages and 457 words. The climax involves exploding garbage. I do not know why. I was not the creative consultant for that part of the project.

My favorite part is this:

Halley: I wish I could skateboard

Lilly Suzy and Sally: I’ll teach you

All exchange glances.

Lilly Suzy and Sally: We’ll teach you

Lilly: after the exploding garbage

Then they all ride off (on skateboards) into the sunset. After the exploding garbage, of course. What? You were doubting the happy ending?

I, for one, am looking forward to The Skateboarding Gals limited run in the library’s meeting room. It’s sure to be standing room only.

But I’m committed to updating at least once a week and to the Fifty/Fifty challenge.

Books

Understanding Anemia by Ed Uthman

I should probably state for the record that I read this for writing research purposes only (although I have actually been anemic, but never mind that). See the part above where I’m working on a project. This ties into that.

But even if it didn’t? It’s a really interesting and well written book. You don’t need more than high school level biology to understand it. Even if you don’t remember your high school biology, the author has included handy appendices on cell biology, the metric system, and so on.

Plus, he’s pretty funny to boot. When was the last time you read a text book that proclaimed:

The spleen, however, is not amused.

This is just one of many examples. So, if you need to understand anemia, this is a great place to start.

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

May B. is a middle grade novel in verse about a girl trapped by herself in a tiny sod house during the winter. Kyra and I read this together, each of us taking turns reading a verse at a time.

We loved it. Of course, Kyra is already a fan of history and “old fashion girls” as she says. The writing is evocative and we could “see” the story play out before our eyes.

If you’re a fan of the Little House books (and old fashion girls in general), I highly recommend this one.

Rita Book #1

This is the main reason I didn’t watch a movie this week for the challenge (although I’m seriously thinking of changing that next week). I got my box of books for the Rita contest. I will pretty much be a reading fool for the next several weeks. And that’s all I can say about that.

In books, I was all about self-help. In movie(s), it was all about the crying.

Books

The Productive Writer: Tips & Tools to Help You Write More, Stress Less & Create Success by Sage Cohen.

This book is pretty much what it says it is. Tips and tools for writing more and finding what you want to write as well. One huge plus is the author presents the material as options, not as “must do’s.” If you don’t know where to start in organizing your writing life, this would be a good first stop.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

It must be the New Year! We’re all about productivity and success. This was my audio book for the weekly commute and I also enjoyed. I’m all revved up now to tackle the world–or at least my little corner of it.

Movies

War Horse: A recent movie! In a theater! I know. And one that involves crying in public. Even better. Especially when it involves crying with one’s daughter in public.

Yeah, I took Kyra (and Andrew–I wasn’t too worried about him). Initially, I wasn’t sure this would be a good idea. Especially when Kyra sat through the Titanic preview (now in 3D!) with both hands clamped over her mouth.

Two and a half hours later, we emerged, tear-stained and emotionally drained. But it was worth it. She did like the movie; she loved Joey the horse (she’s a horse girl). Plus, both kids like history, so this spurred all sorts of conversations afterward. Kyra wants to learn more about World War I. (And how many nine-year-olds say that?)

Visually, the film is stunning (sometimes hard to watch, but stunning all the same). It’s been a while since I’ve sen a movie in a theater and I don’t regret choosing this one.

Books:

I started the New Year with a couple of special books.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

This was the Kindle deal of the day on December 30^th and I immediately downloaded it. I gobbled it up as the first book of the New Year, only slightly embarrassed that I haven’t read it before now. The book was the 1994 Newbery Medal winner and I look forward to sharing it with Kyra in a year or two.

Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

I downloaded this novel in verse as soon as it was available on Kindle. A few years back, I was lucky enough to judge this book in manuscript form in a couple of writing contests. It was one of those entries that left me with that WOW feeling. It was so much fun to read it in its published form. Check out Sarah’s site for more information on novels in verse.

Movies:

I watched one movie this week, although it wasn’t easy. See yesterday’s post to find out why.

Despite the distractions, I enjoyed Gosford Park. I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to watch it. Actually, I can (again, see yesterday’s post).

My movie list this year will be a long parade of Really? You haven’t seen that? Embarrassing as this is, there’s an upside: think of all the good movies I can put on my list.

Looking forward to week two!

Last night I managed to watch my first movie for the fifty/fifty challenge. I haven’t watched a lot of movies recently. There’s something about having small children that reduces your entertainment options to those that are strictly G-rated.

Oh, sure, I’d make it to the theater now and then, or watch a DVD when the house was, by some miracle, empty. But mostly? If I couldn’t watch it with the kids, I didn’t watch it.

Fast forward a few years. As far as entertainment goes, things are a bit more laid back. We can have family movie night where the movie appeals to all of us. We each have our own genres we like and the ability to watch on our own.

What better time than now to attempt the movie portion of the fifty/fifty challenge?

So I took out the headphones and the portable DVD player and got all set to watch Gosford Park. Things were going well. I was cozy; the movie was good. Then I noticed Kyra, changing into all black. She smoothed out her hair and added a headband, because, and I quote:

“Spy Girl is always fashionable.”

She spent the evening creeping from one side of our living area to the other, where I was sitting. (Our living area is one big open space. I’d call it a “great room” but that sound pretentious.) Every time movement caught the corner of my eye, I’d glance up.

Spy Girl would curse her bad luck at being spotted and start all over again.

Did I mention that this went on for at least two thirds of the entire movie? (The first third was spent in Spy Girl preparation.)

Is it any wonder I haven’t really watched a (non-rated G or PG) movie at home for the last fifteen years?

Spy Girl is always fashionable. She is also distracting.

I’m trying to remember the first time I saw the Janesville Baby. I was in elementary school (pretty sure) and I think it was a field trip, although whether it was a school field trip or one for Girls Scouts, I really don’t know.

I wasn’t prepared to see it, I do know that. I’d never heard of the Janesville Baby before. But there she was. A doll. Hanging in an upper window. In an old house. Glimpsed briefly, through the smudged window of a school bus. I think I cried out:

“There’s a doll hanging in that window!”

Some of the kids saw it; others didn’t. It did generate much speculation, as only a doll handing in a window could among elementary school children.

It was the right kind of creepy.

I saw it several times while growing up in southern Minnesota. Even better, the Greyhound bus I took to the University of Wisconsin-Madison passed right through Janesville. No one at school ever believed me about the Janesville Baby (unless they hailed from southern Minnesota). So every time the bus drove through Janesville, I’d crane my neck to look and confirm:

Yes, yes, the baby is still there.

It’s not my imagination.

And it’s still creeping me out.

No matter what people say on the video or in the comments, for me, the Janesville Baby invokes the same visceral response as clowns or those movies about dolls that come to life in the middle of the night.

That being said, I’mg glad this piece of my childhood is still intact, that it’s inspiring stories and wonder and–with a little luck–creeping out a new generation of elementary school children.

More about the Janesville Baby. I think my favorite comment is:

Only in the ridiculously reserved state of Minnesota could someone do something like that and not ever be asked about it for 30 years.

To be fair, I think people have asked. Mr. Wendt simply isn’t talking.

So there you go. Your dose of creepiness for the day. You can thank me later, say at 2 a.m., when you can’t fall to sleep.

Москва’2011(Moscow/Russia) from zweizwei |motion timelapse| on Vimeo.

Eight books! I don’t even read eight books in a year!

My initial response, which was totally nonverbal, looked something like:

0.O

Seriously? You’re an author (and yes, yes she was) and you don’t read. Really? Her excuse? She had all these contracts and was just so busy. Because, you know, the rest of us aren’t.

I do understand not having enough time to do a lot of pleasure reading. Or, when there is time, being too tired. Just last night, I fell asleep reading, only realizing it when my Kindle pitched forward and thumped me on the chest.

And every once in a while, I’ll entertain the idea of simply being a reader–forget this writing stuff. Sadly, it never works out and I end up writing again. But my point is: why write if you don’t read or don’t like to read?

So with that in mind, I’m taking on two reading challenges this year. First, I’m doing the War Through the Generations challenge again. This year the challenge focuses on World War I. I’m doing something a little different this year, too. Normally, I’ve signed up for the “dip” level, which is 1 – 3 books (and yeah, you saw me skate in with book 3 at the last moment).

For 2012, I’m upping the number of books, trying the “wade” level of 4 – 10 books. Sure, to “win” all I really need to do is read one more than I normally do for this challenge. Still. It’s a little intimidating.

The other challenge is the Fifty/Fifty challenge. Fifty books and fifty movies, all in one year. You can combine this challenge with other ones, which is what makes it so great–beyond the neat community already starting up over there.

If you’ve never done a reading challenge, I think this one would be a great place to start. It’s meant to get you reading and watching things you haven’t read or watched before. Already there’s movie and books suggestions.

My personal goal, beyond the challenges, is to read 75 books. If I end up watching 50 movies, we might have to throw a parade.

Wish me luck. Or better yet, join in and keep me company.

Cover via Amazon

In 2011, I read 70 books. My goal was 75. Yes, I fell short. I put the blame squarely on the shoulders of George R. R. Martin. I waded into A Song of Ice and Fire books, reading the first two: A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings.

Those are some long books, y’all. I’m not sure if I’ll tackle the next in the series in 2012 or not. Long, epic fantasy is a mood read for me. So, if I’m in the mood, I’ll search out the next in the series. If not … I’ll read something else.

But it wasn’t just a year for quantity. A large majority of those 70 books were four and five star reads for me. A few of the best:

Writing book:

The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, John Truby

Debut:

Rival, Sara Bennett Wealer
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern

YA

Please Ignore Vera Dietz, A.S. King
Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly

Middle Grade

Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo
The Magician’s Elephant, Kate DiCamillo

Adult

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand: A Novel, Helen Simonson
A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan

War Through the Generations challenge books (Civil War)

Two Girls of Gettysburg, Lisa Klein
Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War, Tony Horwitz
And the War Came: The Six Months That Tore America Apart, Jamie Malanowski

Last book read

A Monster Calls: Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness (a five-star read–bring tissues)

But really, if the book is on my list, I more than likely enjoyed it. I’m putting my 2011 list below the cut (70 books makes for a very long blog post). If you’re interested in my take on any of them, let me know. I love to talk books!

My 2011 books, alphabetical by title:

1. Across the Universe, Beth Revis
2. The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, John Truby
3. And the War Came: The Six Months That Tore America Apart, Jamie Malanowski
4. The Anti-Prom, Abby McDonald
5. Beauty Queens, Libba Bray
6. Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo
7. Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver
8. Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy Books), Maud Hart Lovelace
9. Boeing-Boeing: A Farce in Two Acts, Beverley Cross
10. Bossypants, Tina Fey
11. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, John Medina
12. A Brief History of Montmaray (The Montmaray Journals), Michelle Cooper
13. Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith, Deborah Heiligman
14. A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2), George R.R. Martin
15. The Company We Keep: A Husband-and-Wife True-Life Spy Story, Robert Baer
16. Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor
17. Deep Down Popular, Phoebe Stone
18. Delirium, Lauren Oliver
19. Do the Work, Steven Pressfield
20. The Driving Force, Michel Tremblay
21. Fall for Anything, Courtney Summers
22. The First Time, Edited by Jessica Verday and Rhonda Stapleton
23. Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes
24. A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One, George R.R. Martin
25. The Genius in All of Us: New Insights into Genetics, Talent, and IQ, David Shenk
26. The Getaway Car: A Practical Memoir About Writing and Life (Kindle Single), Ann Patchett
27. The Girl Is Murder, Kathryn Miller Haines
28. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Stieg Larsson
29. The Girl Who Played with Fire (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard), Stieg Larsson
30. Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker, Book 1), Jenna Black
31. The Haunted (The Hollow, Book 2), Jessica Verday
32. Heist Society, Ally Carter
33. The Hollow (The Hollow Trilogy), Jessica Verday
34. Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal, Alexandra Johnson
35. Lips Touch: Three Times, Laini Taylor
36. The Magician’s Elephant, Kate DiCamillo
37. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand: A Novel, Helen Simonson
38. Matched, Ally Condie
39. Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War, Tony Horwitz
40. The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman
41. The Mistress of Nothing: A Novel, Kate Pullinger
42. A Monster Calls: Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness
43. The Mother-Daughter Book Club, Heather Vogel Frederick
44. The Name of the Star (Shades of London), Maureen Johnson
45. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
46. Paradise General: Riding the Surge at a Combat Hospital in Iraq, Dr. Dave Hnida
47. Please Ignore Vera Dietz, A.S. King
48. Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, plural. If my life weren’t complicated, I wouldn’t be Ruby Oliver (Ruby Oliver Quartet), E. Lockhart
49. Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly
50. Rita Book #1
51. Rita Book #2
52. Rita Book #3
53. Rival, Sara Bennett Wealer
54. Rose Sees Red, Cecil Castellucci
55. Rules for Virgins (Kindle Single), Amy Tan
56. The Science of Vampires, Katherine Ramsland
57. The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater
58. Second Sight: An Editor’s Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults, Cheryl B. Klein
59. Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi
60. Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel, Kurt Vonnegut
61. Strings Attached, Judy Blundell
62. The Summer I Learned to Fly, Dana Reinhardt
63. Tell Me Something True, Leila Cobo
64. The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet, Erin Dionne
65. Two Girls of Gettysburg, Lisa Klein
66. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand
67. The Vespertine, Saundra Mitchell
68. A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan
69. Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue, Kathryn J. Atwood
70. You Know When the Men Are Gone, Siobhan Fallon