Is there an app for that?

I got an iPhone for Christmas and I’m loving it! I was wondering if anyone can recommend an app for keeping track of your exercise goals. I’m doing the Get Moving Challenge and I thought an app would be such a convenient way to keep track of what I’m doing. When I searched the app store, I saw a lot of  apps that create your workouts for you, but I know what I’m doing… I just want a handy app that lets me record what I do and maybe makes it into a graph… I do love a good graph!

Get Moving Challenge

The 100 miles challenge has been reformatted to… The Get Moving Challenge! Go on over the challenge website to sign up and join in on the fun.

My goal:  100 miles by March 31.

12 in ’12 Reading Challenge

The 12 in ’12 Reading Challenge is a challenge from the Books on the Nightstand podcast. You can interpret the challenge anyway  you like (there are lots of ideas on the website or in the Goodreads Group. I’m just adding 12 books to the total of books that I read this past year. I read 36 books in 2011 so my goal this year is 48 books.

Goal:  48 books

1. 1. 11/22/63 by Stephen King, 849 pages NOOK
2. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer, 326 pages NOOK
3. Learning to Swim: A Novel, by Sara J. Henry, 304 pages, NOOK
4. Defending Jacob: A Novel, by William Landay, 432 pages, NOOK

2011 Wrap Up Post

Happy New Year!

2011 was a great year of reading, but not a good year of blogging for me! I read some wonderful books, mostly due to the 2011 Books on the Nightstand Book Retreat. I did not quite meet my goal of 41 books, only hitting 36 books.

My favorite reads of the year (in no particular order):

• The Last Werewolf, by Glen Duncan
  
• The Night Strangers, by Chris Bohjalian, 400 pages, October 2011, NOOK
• Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline, 391 pages December 22, 2011 NOOK
• Something Missing, by Matthew Dicks
• Kings of the Earth, by John Clinch, 393 pages, February 22, 2011
• House Arrest, by Ellen Meeropol
• Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, 398 page, January 19, 2011
• Looking for Alaska, by John Green, 178 pages, January 25, 2011 (e book)
• Unexpectedly, Milo, by Matthew Dicks

I did not too well with my reading challenges. The only 2 challenges I completed were the e-book challenge, reading 17 books on my NOOK, and the Books on the Nightstand Retreat Author Reading Challenge.

I’m looking forward to another year  of good books. Since I’m going to the 2012 Books on the Nightstand Booktopia event again this year, I know I will have pile of new books and authors to read.

What were some of your favorite reads of the year?

Read-a-thon: Updates

I’m updating the read-a-thon in this post. Scroll down for earlier updates.

Hour 14

I’m still loving Ready Player One but I think I need to turn in for the night. I may be able to get in some more reading in the morning.  Happy reading everyone!

 

Hour 13  Mid Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now? Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – I’m loving it! It’s so different from anything I’ve read before, with lots of references to the 80′s.
2. How many books have you read so far?  I haven’t finished any books! I’ve read parts of 2 different books.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I’m hoping to continue reading Ready Player One.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? No, it turned out to be a day that I was going to be home.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? A few interruptions, I considered them breaks.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How fast the day has gone by!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Love it!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I did both this year, and I’m not sure what I would do differently. Oh I know, I wish I had some graphic novels.
9. Are you getting tired yet? Yes, I”m not sure how much later I’ll be up.
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? Have fun!

Hour 9:   I thought I should take some time and update how I was doing on the read-a-thon. I ended up taking a few breaks and having more interruptions that I expected but I’ve been enjoying my relaxing day. I started out by reading 120 pages of Solar by Ian McEwan. Then, I felt that I needed a break from that and I started Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I’m only up to page 35 in this one, but it looks really good.

I also took some time to cheer on some of the other readers which  was a lot of fun. And… I won a prize for being one of the cheer leaders. Woo hoo!

The dogs have been very cuddly and I’ve enjoyed my soup and a few snacks. I may need a little snooze in a bit, but Ready Player One is calling me right now.

Read-a-thon: Introductory Post

It’s the start of the Read-a-thon! Woo hoo! The timing is perfect for me because I have a dog who had a lump removed yesterday and is still woozy from the sedative. So, a quiet day of reading works out well for us.

1)Where are you reading from today?

I’ll be alternating between my chair and couch in my cozy living room in Vermont. I’m sure my chocolate labs will curl up on my lap throughout the day.

2)Three random facts about me…

• My favorite colors are green and black.
• I made a yummy soup yesterday – I will be snacking on it off and on all day today!
• I’m the team captain of my family’s American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life team.

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

I took 2 books out of the library yesterday, but I also have a couple on my NOOK I haven’t gotten to yet and a few other real books on my nightstand waiting to be read. So… I guess the pile keeps getting bigger.
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
My goals are to enjoy the day reading and for the first time I am also cheerleading.

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?

Have fun!

Dewey’s Read-a-Thon October 2011

My first post since school began back at the end of August! Woo hoo! I’m finally keeping my head above water and I’m hoping to post more regularly.

Next weekend is Dewey’s Read-a-Thon. I’m looking forward to a weekend of curling up with good books on the couch. I’ve only finished one book since school began. I’m hoping the read-a-thon will give me a good block of time to read an additional book or two. Soon I’ll be heading over to the library to get a pile of books to choose from. I know I want to grab  a couple of graphic novels, a young adult book or two, and a novel. I have a book on my NOOK I’ve also been wanting to read… but digital library books keep coming in so I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. What books do you have planned for the read-a-thon?