You can see other Sunday Salon posts and join in on the fun at The Sunday Salon.

At first, this post was going to be called my favorite reads of 2009 but then I decided I really wanted to list the books that stuck with me the most throughout the year. Sometimes, these books might not be rated as high as other books, but then, as time passes, I realize how much the book touched me. So here they are (in no particular order):

1. Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl, by Stacey O’Brien, 229 pages
2. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, 311 pages, March 9
3. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, 288 pages, June 11
4. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, 374 pages, June 14
5. Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld, 425 pages, June 19
6. The Blue Notebook, by James A. Levine, 210 pages
7. Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka, by Jon Scieszka, 106 pages, August 14
8. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, 233 pages, October 2

This is a short post today because I’m spending some time with my family. Next week I will be posting about 2 giveaways that I won! The dogs had so much fun with one of them.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

I enjoyed partipating in this challenge. I had planned to read 5 books but I didn’t get to finish the anti-bullying book. This is what I had planned to read and what I actually read during the challenge:

• The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown – Completed 9/30
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling (I might try listening to this. I heard the audio was fantastic.) – Completed 11/17
• Preventing Bullying at School, by James Bitney and Beverly B. Title
• The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro  Completed October 31
• something of the DCF List – Savvy, by Ingrid Law, 342 pages, Completed November 15

I loved listening to the Harry Potter book. It was the first audio book I could enjoy. I ended up not reading as many books this fall. I’m hoping winter ends up being a better season for reading! I already have a ton of books ready to go with me to my parents’ house while I’m on vacation. There is something about a snowy day that makes me want to curl up and read.

This video clip came through on one of my dog lists. I just love it!

I’m so excited to be joining the 2010 Chunkster Challenge. What is a chunkster?

• A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or nonfiction) … A chunkster should be a challenge.
• If you read large type books your book will need to be 525 pages or more … The average large type book is 10-15% longer or more so I think that was a fair estimate.

I will be joining at the Chubby Chunkster level.

Goal: 3 books of 450 pages or more

Dates: February 1, 2010- January 31, 2011

I have started to get into graphic novels this year, so I was excited when I saw this challenge listed. Graphic Novels Challenge 2010 is being hosted by Nymeth from things mean a lot and  Chris at Stuff as Dreams are Made On.

I’ll be joining at the Intermediate level.

Goal: 3-10 books

Dates: January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010

• by James Dashner
• October 6th, 2009 by Random House
• 374 pages

The Maze Runner tells the story of a group of boys and one girl, who are trying to solve the mystery of the maze. These kids live together in the Glade, a large walled in area surrounded by a giant maze. At night the maze is crawling withe creatures that try to kill the boys.  Every few weeks, a new boy is sent to join the group. Everyone in the Glade has their own job such as cook, gardener, and runner. The runners are the kids who spend everyday running through the changing maze to try to map it out and find an escape. Newcomers have no previous memories and no knowledge of where they came from.

I was expecting to zip through this book and love every minute of it. Unfortunately, I had a very tough time getting into the story. One part of the story that was tough for me was all the slang. It was very distracting at first and it took me quite awhile to get used to it. The author may have used the slang so that we could better relate to Thomas. Thomas was the last boy to arrive in the glade. He was confused and had trouble understanding what was going on around him. That is how I felt with all the slang going back and forth between the kids. I really wanted to get lost in this fictional place, but I just couldn’t get that deep into the story.

Once I was half way through the book, things changed.  I found myself suddenly invested in the characters and wanting to find out what would happen next. I read the last half of the book in just 2 days because I was  much more into the story at that point.

I bought this copy of the book at the book store. The sequel to this book (The Scorch Trials) comes out in October 2010. I don’t know if I will buy the sequel or if I will take it out of the library. I do know that I will be reading it.

Here is an  interview with James Dashner on Barnes and Nobel’s Meet the Writers Podcast.

Challenges:

• 100+ Books Challenge
• 2009 DystopYA Reading Challenge

You can see other posts and join in on the fun at The Sunday Salon.

I love, love, love giving books as gifts. Maybe it’s because I love getting books as gifts. Maybe it’s because I want the person who’s receiving the book to enjoy the book as much as I did. Maybe it’s because I feel a book is something the reader will enjoy for awhile (during reading and savor after reading). Anyway you look at it… I love giving books.

I don’t think any of the people who are getting gifts from me read my blog so I can share with readers of this blog the books I’ve bought so far. Maybe you can even give more suggestions!

This year, I had one person on my list who did not receive The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein last year. This was my favorite book of 2008 and I gave it to just about everyone last year. I’m so glad I still get to give this book to someone this year.

Other books I’m giving are The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collines and 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Now I do have an odd book pick that I’m giving to 3 different people. It’s Big Pumpkin (with the CD) by Erica Silverman. Yep, it’s a Halloween story but it’s so good… my class and I listen and sing along to the CD all year long. I’m giving this to 2 of my co-workers and to one of my young cousins.

A book I’m thinking of giving is Homer’s Odyssey: a Fearless Feline Tale or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat, by  Gwen Cooper. I haven’t read this one, but I’ve read reviews that people who loved Dewey will love this book. Has anyone read it? What do you think? I have a few family members who are big readers and love cats.

I’m hoping to go to Barnes and Noble today and spend some time going through the books for kids around 4th grade. I want to get a good book for my nephew, but I’m not quite sure what to get. He loved Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka and he loves the Bone books by Jeff Smith.  I know I will get both of my nephews a gift certificate for the bookstore, but I also want to get them each a good book so we can all curl up and read together.

What books are you giving this year? Are you giving the same book to multiple people or different books?

You can see other posts and join in on the fun at The Sunday Salon.

I just can’t believe it’s December! I’ve been having a blast doing my Christmas shopping and getting ready for the holidays. Today I am going to the bookstore to buy a bunch of gifts for people. There is nothing better than getting a good book as a gift.

November wrap up:

How can another month be over? And… we are now in our last month of 2009!

I read 5 books in November:

1. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, by Alison Bechdel, 240 pages, November 2
2. Savvy, by Ingrid Law, 342 pages, November 15
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, audio book, November 17
4. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, by Marjane Satrapi, 153 pages, November
5. The Sims 3 World Adventures Prima Guide, by Catherine Browne, 224 pages, November 28, 2009

I got 3 reviews up (from books I read in October!):

1. The Giver, by Lois Lowry, 180 pages
2. The Strain, by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hoga, 401 pages
3. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, 233 pages

I also was finally able to start exercising again! I’m so glad to be able to be active without coughing.

Here are how my challenges are looking:

• 100+ Books Challenge -53/100
• 2009 100 Mile Fitness Challenge - 24/100
• DCF Challenge - 11/30
• 2009 DystopYA Reading Challenge – 1/3
• Fall into Reading Challenge 2009 – 4/5
• Harry Potter Reading Challenge – 1/7
• Support Your Local Library Challenge - 32/50
• Suspense and Thriller Challenge – 11/12
• Take a Chance Challenge - 3/10
• What An Animal II Challenge – 4/6

How was your November?

The 2010 Social Justice Challenge sounds so interesting! Here is what it is all about:

We have chosen to focus each month on a different area of social injustice in the world. During that month, we are asking that you read something from the list of resources or watch something suggested by that month’s host. That will complete step one of this challenge: Learn.

Throughout the month we will also be posting ways you can make a difference in this area. Don’t worry, we will provide several different options at many different levels of commitment. The important thing is to take an action step towards doing something to change things! That fulfills step 2–Take Action.

This challenge is close to my heart because I teach at a school with high poverty, homelessness, and a large refugee population. The things many of the kids in my class have been through are amazing. It is a testament to the human spirit how resilient kids can be. Check out the Social Justice Challenge website to see all the themes they will be covering throughout the year.

With American Born Chinese, I’m trying to say something about my experiences growing up as an Asian-American by telling three different stories. The first stars the Monkey King, folk hero of Chinese legend; the second recounts the struggles of a Chinese-American boy trying to fit into a predominantly white suburb; and the third is a sit-com starring everybody’s favorite racial stereotype, Cousin Chin-Kee.

Pick up this book and give it a read. Then come back and talk with  me about it.