Thursday, February 25, 2021
Cat Thursday - Unappreciated #cats
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Cat Thursday - Shenanigans #cats
Monday, February 15, 2021
The Classic Meme 2.0 - Favorite Classic Character
For my answer, I share parts of a post from the weekly Favorite Fictional Character meme Ryan used to host at Wordsmithonia. Of course, I do have many favorite classic characters if I am to be honest, but here I go with my first favorite.
As you will read, it's Jo March from Little Women. I count her as my favorite for the reasons below, and because she was a part of the first classic novel I read as a child.
Jo, and the story of Little Women, show us that family is the most important thing on this earth. But also the importance of being an individual and following your dreams. And the March family know the true meaning of Christmas...the spirit of love and giving. If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, you should do so immediately! It's a great story any time, but especially at Christmas.
Who is your favorite classic character?
Thursday, February 11, 2021
#CatThursday - #Authors and #Cats (100) Gillian Flynn
The second Cat Thursday of each month is Authors and Cats Thursday. Each time I will feature an author (with a birthday during the month), pictured with their/a cat(s), or guest posts by cat loving authors who also (sometimes) write about cats.
Yes, I'm late...AGAIN!!!
We all (probably) know who she is, but I did not know she was a cat lover. She even coined a quote with a cat in it (see below). Her birthday is February 24 so she's our author this month.
Her book has received wide praise, including from authors such as Stephen King. The dark plot revolves around a serial killer in a Missouri town, and the reporter who has returned from Chicago to cover the event. Themes include dysfunctional families,violence and self-harm.
In 2007 the novel was shortlisted for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar for Best First Novel by an American Writer, Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie, CWA New Blood and Ian Fleming Steel Daggers, winning in the last two categories.
Flynn, who lives in Chicago, grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated at the University of Kansas, and qualified for a Master's degree from Northwestern University. (Goodreads)
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Cat Thursday - You have encountered an error
Seems I forgot something today...
Thursday, January 28, 2021
Cat Thursday - It's not over yet!
Sorry, I had to. 😹😹😹
Saturday, January 23, 2021
Yearly Remembrance - Heath Ledger #gonetoosoon
I'm a day late! Sorry, Heath.
"I'm not good at future planning. I don't plan at all. I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. I don't have a day planner and I don't have a diary. I completely live in the now, not in the past, not in the future."
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
#CatThursday - Home is where the heart is #cats
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
2021 Reading Challenges
Once again, I'm signing up for reading challenges that I may never finish. My thinking is...what's fun about not trying...again? I'll be tracking my challenge progress in the 2021 Reading Challenges page in the blog menu up top.
First up, I'm joining the challenges I'm hosting myself. I'm pretty excited about this first one, new for this year.
I'm hosting this one at Castle Macabre since it is horror. Here are the prompts and levels:
- Winter theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.)
The Ascent, Ronald Malfi - Ghosts or spirits
- Psychological
- Monster or monsters
- A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title)
Cradle Lake, Ronald Malfi - Really scary book cover
- Woman on cover
Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia - Written by a woman
- Written by a best-selling horror author
- Written by an indie author
- Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author. Example: The Historian, Mexican Gothic, Interview with the Vampire)
The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova - Folk horror (Ideas: https://tinyurl.com/yy8jj56a)
Chilling: Read 12 Books from all 12 categories
Frightful: Read 2 books from each category for a total of 24 books
Horrifying: Read 3 books from each category for a total of 36 books
I'm doing the Chilling level. I've added a few of the books I'll be reading for this one (currently reading The Ascent). Full details and sign-up here.
Les Misèrables by Victor Hugo: July through December 2021
Not Ready to Let Go: read at least one (1) book made into a movie or series in 2020
Pretty self explanatory. I've compiled a list of movies/shows coming out this year (although that can change due to the current situation).
My participation will be...
The Enthusiast: Read 1-3 books with movies/shows releasing in 2021
My tentative list - The Woman in the Window, A.J. Finn, Wicked, Gregory Maguire, The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan (first book in the series), Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, or Dune, Frank Herbert
To be determined
Living in the Past: read at least one (1) book made into a movie in previous years
To be determined
The Movie Was Better (What!?): watch the movie(s) for the book(s) you read.
To be determined
The basic concept of this challenge is...
- Go to your bookshelves, or stack on the floor, or on your nightstand, etc. Pick out a book that you've been wanting to read on a particular shelf.
- Now continue down that line of books on the shelf (in order) until you have 12 books. (See my shelf for the 2021 challenge below as an example.) There are a total of 19 books in my chosen shelf. I have already read three of the books by Ronald Malfi so that brings my total to 16 books. That gives me four alternates.
Here's the picture of my chosen shelf
Now, on to challenges hosted by others...
My list:
The Ascent by Ronald Malfi
10 points... Read a book you have been meaning to re-read
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
10 points... Read the first book of a series you have never read before
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
15 points... Read a book with a mostly green and/or pink colour cover art
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
20 points... Read a book with a male relationship word in the title, i.e. Father, Grandfather, Husband, Uncle, Brother, Son or Nephew.
Uncle Silas by Sheridan Le Fanu
20 points... Read a book set in a place that's on your bucket list of places to visit - Suggested by Carly
The Witch’s Trinity by Erika Mailman
25 points... Read a book that reminds you of 2020, for eg (but not limited to - home, lock, down, president, mask, etc.) You can be creative with it, but please let us know how it relates to 2020 if it isn't obvious) - Suggested by Deborah
Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
30 points... Read a book written by an LGBTQIA+ author. This can be an autobiography, memoir, or even a fiction...edit: or have an LGBTQIA+ theme.
The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice
30 points... Read a book with the name of a bird in the title, or the word bird/birds in the title.
The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland
35 points... Read a book where the protagonist has a questionable profession, for example, mafia don, assassin, govt agent gone rogue, etc...or edit: questionable way of life (an addict, a computer hacker, a vigilante, for example) - Suggested by Debdatta
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
This is a private Facebook group. You can check it out and join here. Next challenge starts July 1st.
My list (I may change some of these):
1. A 19th century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899
Uncle Silas by Sheridan Le Fanu
2. A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only exceptions are books which were written by 1971 and posthumously published.
Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande
3. A classic by a woman author.
If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda Ueland
4. A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a language that is not your primary language. You may read it in translation or in its original language, if you prefer.
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read.
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read.
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
8. A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird).
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
9. A children's classic.
The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson (Published March 12th 1963 by Random House Books for Young Readers)
10. A humorous or satirical classic.
Emma by Jane Austen
11. A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an adventure.
The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles
12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category.
Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot
11. A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an adventure.
The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles
12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category.
Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot
Books to be determined.
I'm doing Fortnightly | 26 books One category from each topic--you can choose one wildcard
That's it! What challenges are you doing this year? Whatever they are, I wish you luck! Send some my way as well. I'm going to need it!
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