A New Challenge

The other day I logged into my Goodreads account for the first time in about 3 years. I like that you can keep track of everything you've read (provided you remember to update it) on there, but I find the interface really annoying to use, and the whole site still feels kind of buggy to me. Regardless, I've set myself a goal of trying to read 30 books this year, which I'm pretty sure I can do. I might have even done it last year, but I'm not sure because I didn't keep track. I've made a good start though, I'm already one and a half books down. I haven't picked specific books because I know that won't work for me, it will actually just make me want to read less if I feel obliged to read something specific. So I'll read anything I want, and recommendations are welcome as always.

Reading's fun, guys.

Song of the Day: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (How I wish, how I wish you were here/ We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year)

Currently reading: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, which is good but I'm finding it so unsettling.

Bloglovin'

Don't be mad

OK, so I have a confession to make.

I have officially abandoned my 30 books challenge. That doesn't mean I don't plan on reading the rest of the books on the list because I do want to, just in my own time. If I've learnt anything about myself this year it's that I don't do well in self-imposed challenges. And I don't like to speed-read.

Anyway, I finally realised that it definitely wasn't happening when I realised what I really wanted to read wasn't on my list, but I decided that that shouldn't stop me from reading. Because reading is fun, and I wanted it to stop feeling like a chore.

This is how I spent my morning.

This is such a lovely little book, perfect for this time of year (I've been wanting to read it since I picked it up in January), plus it's a really quick read. I'm already eyeing up what I want to read next on my bookshelf - it might even be one that was on my original 30 books list. We'll see.

Song of the Day: So Here We Are by Bloc Party

Currently reading: Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

Guesswhatguesswhatguesswhat

You're probably not going to believe this but...I finished a book. That's right. A whole book. OK, so it was The Catcher In The Rye which isn't exactly a long, difficult read, but still. I finished it. And I can officially cross it off my list, which you can find here. Although maybe don't click that link as you will then see how horrifically slack I have been. Anyway, as I now seem to have some kind of momentum going with my reading, instead of trying to finish It, On The Road, and A Clockwork Orange, I'm going to read something brand new and not stop until I've finished it. Then I can go back to unfinished books at a later date. I am definitely not going to finish all 30 books by the end of the year but I'm hoping to do over half of them, I'm pretty sure that is do-able at this point.

So that is how I spent the majority of my day, sitting outside in the sunshine reading a book, whilst my mother painted the garden fences. I like to think I was a big help to her.

Song of the Day: Blue Light by Bloc Party

Currently reading: I'm about to start We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Mellow Monday

After one of the worst weekends at work that I can remember in a long time, it's nice to have a day off to put my feet up (which is actually necessary because they are in so much pain). My parents are currently about a week into their holiday in San Francisco. I am insanely jealous, especially with this horrendous weather we've been having. The sun did come out for a bit over the weekend (whilst I was working, naturally), but it has been pouring down all day so far so summer is still yet to arrive in the UK. Which is annoying, as we're now halfway through July.


Speaking of being halfway through July, that means I should have read more than half of the books on my 30 books list for this year. I am nowhere near halfway through. In fact, I'm still reading It, which is rather lengthy and Stephen King seems to be taking an awfully long time getting to the point. I think I'm going to have to start reading several books at once to make any sort of dent in the list. I probably should have picked 15 books instead. Oh well, hindsight is a wonderful thing.


Last week I went to see the new Spiderman movie, which was awesome and not just because Andrew Garfield is oh-so pretty. I also watched Never Let Me Go the other night and then my heart broke into a million tiny pieces. 


And finally, this is currently my favourite video on the internet.


Song of the Day: Reasons Not To Be An Idiot by Frank Turner


Currently reading: It

I read a book

Today, in this glorious sunshine we have been blessed with here in the UK, I finished The Book Thief, and now I don't know what to do with all these feelings.


In short, I loved it. I only had one tiny niggle with it which I can't tell you about because it's also a massive spoiler. But yeah, on the whole, a fantastic book. I'm not really one for reviews, so just go and read it and judge for yourselves.


It's so nice to be able to sit outside again after all the rain we've had (which is an awful lot of rain). Today whilst I was reading, Daf mowed the lawn and then ate four (yes, four) ice lollies. And now he's complaining that his stomach hurts and I have absolutely no sympathy. I only had one, and I feel great.


Song of the Day: Girls And Boys In Love by The Rumble Strips


Currently reading: I haven't started it yet, but I think I'm going to read A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess next.

Day Eleven: My stuffed animals

[One]

[Two]

[Three]

[Four]

One: My stuffed toys, sitting on top of my very dusty wardrobe, poor things. I really should get them down and have a good dust!


Two: This little platypus (who I called Platy) was bought in the gift shop at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. My dad and I had really wanted to see the platypuses (platypi?), but when we got to their enclosure, they were nowhere to be seen, so we came to the conclusion that they don't really exist. Then I bought Platy because he's probably the closest I'm ever going to get to seeing a real platypus. 


Three: Sid the zebra!


Four: Bear (left) and Duncan. Daf bought me Duncan the first Christmas we were together (awww), and we got Bear a couple of years ago because he's really cool with his little scarf!


I'm a big fan of my cuddly toys, I don't think I'll ever be able to get rid of any of them.


Anyway, moving away from my photo challenge for a moment, I'm now genuinely concerned that I won't finish my 30 books challenge this year. It's just a lot more books than I thought it was going to be. I'm wishing I had made it only 10 books, then I'd be almost finished by now! I'm going to persevere with it though, because either way, I've already read more books so far this year than I did in 2011 (not counting re-reads). The whole point of this was to get me reading more books that I haven't read before, so at the very least I'll have accomplished that. Reading this back, I seem so defeatist which I don't mean to be. I'm not giving up yet, I reckon it's still just about do-able!


Song of the Day: Blame It On The Weatherman by B*witched. Because it is absolutely tipping it down.


Currently reading: Need you even ask? I Dreamed of Africa

Day Nine: What I'm reading

I worked the day shift today, then washed up and tidied up when I got home, then had a shower, then ate, then watched Prison Break and then South Park and then I finally remembered I hadn't done a photo today. So that's why this is so late.

[One]

[Two]

[Three]

[Four]

[Five]

[Six]

One and Two: What I am currently reading.


Three: What I will read next. I love the cover, it's so pretty.


Four, Five and Six: What I have read.


Song of the Day: Renegade Cavalcade by Ash

I am bad at reading

Sorry for my silence, but now I've committed myself to including what I'm reading in every blogpost, I was embarrassed to update because I'm still reading The Hobbit. Please don't shout at me. I've only picked it up once in the last week. I'm so ashamed. But the good news is I'm planning on finishing it in the next couple of days, so that I can move on to another book. Hooray!


In other news, I went out with some friends on Friday night. I very rarely go out on the town anymore, so whenever I do it's usually a good night because it's such a novelty. It was fun. My friend and I were getting some drinks when some guy standing near us vomited all over the bar and was then surprised that a) they wouldn't serve him and b) that he was escorted out by a bouncer. It was disgusting, but hilarious.


Also, Daf and I have been watching Prison Break on Netflix, and it makes me have vivid dreams that I am either in prison, or I'm being pursued by the FBI for breaking out of prison. It's all very entertaining. Plus it means that Wentworth Miller features heavily in my dreams, and that can never be a bad thing.

[source]

Song of the Day: History Book by Dry the River


Currently Reading: The Hobbit

Happy Birthday, blog

Today is the first birthday of my blog. And to celebrate, I'm going bowling later. (Although to be honest, it's more of a coincidence that I'm going bowling on my blog's birthday - my blog can't come with me). I haven't been bowling for about five years or something so I'm excited. However I can get ridiculously competitive sometimes and can see myself sulking if it turns out that I suck at bowling and I lose.


It's going to be great.


I've added a new page in the sidebar bit over on the right somewhere which will keep you updated on my 30 books target, if by any chance you're interested in my progress. So far I've read the whole Hunger Games trilogy, so that's 3 books done so far. I think I'm on track. Daf's currently reading The Lord of the Rings and has been giving me condescending looks because he's reading an 'intellectual' book whilst the font in my book is apparently too large to be considered anything other than a children's book.


Here's a photo of some of my 30 books. I don't actually have all 30 at the moment, I think my parents have some of them in Saudi.

I hope you're impressed that I've managed to write a blog post more than two sentences long. Also, I'm bringing back song of the day.


Song of the Day: 1996 by The Wombats

30 Books Update

I have finished The Hunger Games so I'm now one book down, twenty-nine to go. It was so good, not the best written book I've ever read, but I loved the storyline and the suspense and I'm so glad I have the rest of the trilogy! I've already moved on to the second one.


I've also watched the trailer for the movie version about 12 times now, and March can't come quickly enough, it looks fantastic.

30 books

With considerable help from my mum, I've finished my 30 books list. 


30 Books to read in 2012:

 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Starter for Ten by David Nicholls
 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
 It by Stephen King
The Shining by Stephen King
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
 Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
1984 by George Orwell
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
 I Dreamed of Africa by Kuki Gallman
 Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally
 The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
 A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
 The Shipping News by E. Anne Proulx
 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
 We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

I'm not going to read them in the order I've written them in; I'm starting on The Hunger Games and then I'll just go from there, and pick and choose what I want to read. Fingers crossed I'll be able to finish them all by the end of the year!

Happy New Year!

2012 already, I can hardly believe it. So I've been M.I.A again for a while, but I've been busy either working, or enjoying all the festivities that December brings.


Want to see what I got for Christmas? Of course you do.

Not pictured: a Cookie Monster t-shirt, and some cute little measuring cups.


I am writing this blog post on my brand new laptop, and so I am a very happy bunny.


Yesterday I spent a little while writing a list of New Year's Resolutions, which I'm not going to bore you with, but one of them is to read at least 30 books this year, including 10 classics. I originally wanted to do 50 books, but then I realised that was almost a book every week and I decided I didn't want to set out to fail. 30 it is. I've started making a list of the 30 I want to read but I'm only on about 15 so far, so when I've finished the list I'll post it here. Once it's on the internet it'll mean I HAVE to do it because I will have witnesses.


To update my blog more is not on my list of resolutions, because I don't want it to become a chore, and hopefully I'll have more blog-worthy things to say this year than I have lately.


So anyway, my brand new Shaun the Sheep calendar is up, I have a Winnie-the-Pooh pocket diary to organise my life, and I have had a relatively decent January the 1st. Bring on 2012!