Final books of 2010

I haven't gotten around to reviewing these books yet-but I did read them this month:
Unless by Carol Shields, Be Good by Stacey May Fowles, and Resurrection by Tucker Malarkey.

...which means in 2010 I read 72 books-down a bit compared to 75 in 2009 and 77 in 2008!!

Reverb 10: Core Story

December 31 – Core Story What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.)

My response: Hmmmmm. Well The first 3/4 of 2010 were very much about me, enjoying old and discovering new hobbies and more sports/physical activity. However the last few months have really been centered around our family and our future. We're expecting our first child, my husband will have a new job, and we will be moving to Alberta-and although all these things will happen in 2011, all the decisions behind them happened in the last part of 2010. How do I share it with the world. By talking (and blogging) about it to anyone and everyone! I am basically an open book, so if it's going on in my head, I'll be talking to someone about it shortly!


I have to say that 2010 has been a truly wonderful year, but 2011 has so much excitement to offer!  I know 2011 will be challenging but I also know that it will be totally worth it and can't wait to see how it will all unfold!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

Booking Through Thursday: Annual Review

Booking Through Thursday December 30, 2010: What’s the best book you read this year? Worst? Favorite?

My answer: EASY QUESITON!!
Best AND favorite: Lev Grossman's The Magicians
Worst: Jonathan Franzen's Freedom

How about you?
Also, stay tuned for my Top Ten Books of 2010!!

Reverb 10: Gifts

December 30 - Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What's the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

My response: I don't really like this question. How about I just say that I have been thoroughly enjoying hanging around in my some very cozy Christmas gifts-homemade knit socks, moccasins, and cat pyjamas!!

Reverb 10: Dec 21-29, 2010

I was in Winnipeg for Christmas for the past week and am thus behind with Reverb. I don't want to spend an hour typing so I will give some shorter answers for the ones I have missed:

December 21 – Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)

My response: I almost answered this before I left on vacation but couldn't think of a good answer....how can you give yourself advice for the future? I don't have any!! I would tell my younger self that although it felt like university took forever and cost way too much, it was all worth it!!

December 22 – Travel How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?

My response: I went to the Dominican Republic with my sister, camping along Lake Erie with my husband and friends, took a road trip to Montreal, and  back to Winnipeg to visit family in the summer and for Christmas. Next year I will be moving to Red Deer, Alberta sometime in the spring so I hope we get to travel around that area and explore our new surroundings!

December 23 – New Name Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?

My response: I wouldn't. I like my name and I don't like to pretend to be someone I'm not.

December 24 – Everything’s OK What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?

My response: Hmmmm...I feel like my life motto could be that things always work out for my husband and me when they need to" , but if I had to pick one moment, I guess it would be when he was offered a job in Red Deer, Alberta, and even though we'll be apart for a little bit, we know he will have a stable income and an excellent job so that when the baby comes EVERYTHING WILL BE OK, and I can be on maternity leave!!

December 25 – Photo – a present to yourself
Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.

My response: I love this picture because it shows me doing one of the things I love best-playing baseball!! I hadn't played for 9 years and joined a co-ed slo pitch team with a friend from work and had so much fun!! The pictures was taken by Jenn! THANKS JENN!! If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have reconnect with an old love!! (BASEBALL!!!)

December 26 – Soul Food What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul?

My response: This is a really hard question because for the past 3 months I really haven't felt like eating anything!!I am surprised because I thought with pregnancy I would be eating my face off-especially sweets and I can barely stand the sight of chocolate! Let me think back.... I had the most amazing tacos at a mexican place on the danforth...I think it was tacos barbacoa...Marcia or Bronwen if you read this please correct me if I am wrong!! Also there were some delicious margaritas involved-another thing that I can barely stand to think about without feeling icky!!


December 27 – Ordinary Joy Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?

My response: Ummmm...I think every single time I looked outside while at Lake of The Woods this summer brought me joy! I love that place!!Also playing in the waves with my husband while camping on Lake Erie-SO FUN!

December 28 – Achieve What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

My response: Honestly-I want to be a good mom!!I don't know if I will achieve it or if I do if I will recognize it!! I can't really experience that feeling until the baby comes soooo.......I guess we'll have to just wait and see!!

December 29 – Defining Moment Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.

My response:  Hard question!! I guess when my husband and I decided that he would take the job in Red Deer. As I mentioned before I will be here for a little while so I can try to go on maternity leave, but other than that, we are really excited to start our new life there-especially with a baby on the way! 

Reverb 10: Beyond avoidance

December 20 - Beyond avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn't because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?)

My response: I can't think of anything...can you think of something I avoided for the above reasons?

On an unrelated note- ONE MORE DAY OF WORK AND THEN I'M ON HOLIDAYS!! Winnipeg here I come!!

Reverb 10: Healing

December 19 – Healing What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?

My response: I'm not sure if my response will qualify as needing to be healed,but it's the best I can come up with. My husband is amazing. He really is. Even more so since I've been pregnant. At almost 14 weeks I have been battling exhaustion for a good 7 weeks at least. I don't just mean tired! I am always more tired at this time of year and can always use more sleep. I am currently getting between 10-12 hours of sleep a night and my body is still exhausted. And trust me-it's not because I am getting too much sleep. And no, exercise will not help because I am pretty sure I would just crumple to pile of dust on the floor if I have to do more than climb up the subway stairs!! As far as the healing is concerned my husband is fully supporting my basically constant need for sleep and has been cooking ALL of our suppers (all of the ones that we eat at home at least!), pretty much does all our laundry (which can be up to 8 loads and you have to go down the main lobby where there are only 4 machines for 11 floors), cleaning, back massaging, foot rubbing, pretty much anything and everything. If it wasn't for him I honestly don't know how I'd get through the days right now! Thanks love!!

Reverb 10: Try

December 18 – Try What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it?

My response: What do I want to try next year...parenthood!!! And it's happening!! Something I tried in 2010...playing on a co-ed softball team after not playing ball for 9 years. What happened? We won the championships!! It was awesome!!

Reverb 10: Lesson Learned

December 17 – Lesson Learned What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

My response: Hmmmmm....The lesson I learned this year is that I can do anything I set my mind to as long as I give myself a way out if things don't go well. This doesn't mean being a quitter, it means accepting that sometimes things don't go as planned and that it's ok to stop/change/do something different. By setting myself a timeline "i.e. two days, months or years" I know that I can try something new and if I am not happy then I have given myself permission to move on to something else!

Booking Through Thursday: Character

Question for December 16, 2010: If you could be a character from any book, who would you be? And why?

My answer: Hmmmm this will take some thought......I kind of always wished I could have been one of the Pevensies from The Chronicles of Narnia Series, maybe Lucy because she and Edmund get to go most often! The whole idea of being transported to a different world with your siblings and getting to be the kings and queens, mythical creatures, and fight great battles....how exciting!!!

How about you? If you could be a character from ANY book, who would it be and why??

Book Review: Children of God

I am feeling lazy and hoping to be in bed by 8pm, so this is a cop-out review for Mary Doria Russell's Children of God.

From Amazon.com: "Children of God is the sequel to Mary Doria Russell's 1996 The Sparrow, which saw a Jesuit mission to the planet Rakhat end in disaster. The sole survivor of that mission, a priest named Emilio Sandoz, returned a beaten and broken man, having suffered rape and mutilation at the hands of enigmatic aliens. Now the Jesuits want to go back to Rakhat, and they want Sandoz aboard the new mission. But Sandoz has renounced his priesthood and even found a measure of happiness with his new wife and stepdaughter. Meanwhile, on Rakhat, contact with the humans has thrown the local culture into turmoil, precipitating a war between Rakhat's two sentient races. As forces conspire to send Emilio back to Rakhat--and toward a possible reconciliation with God--the planet verges on genocidal destruction. Children of God is a more polished novel than The Sparrow, and the story is equally compelling."

More polished, I disagree. I actually found this book sort of boring. It dragged on and on, and I almost didn't finish it because I kind of didn't care. But since I loved The Sparrow I thought I would finish it. The most interesting thing about this book is that the coy I got from the library was sort of falling apart when I got it and in the end the last 20 pages and the  back cover flew off while I was on the subway-it was sort of embarrassing.

Reverb 10: Friendship

December 16 – Friendship How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?

My response: This question is intense! How do you pick just one friend?? Ok I pick Marcia. I hope you're blushing when you read this!! I suppose it isn't new to this year specifically but Marcia is one of the nicest people I know!! She has shown me that no matter what is happening in your own life you can always be there to support your friends 100%!! From shopping trips,  joining a class with a friend (knitting or Spanish) to coming to watch me at my Dragon Boat race or play baseball, to teaching me how to appreciate (And I mean APPRECIATE) wine and all it's glory-Marcia is always there for me and all her friends! She has taught me how to be less judgemental about other people and how to find a smile every morning no matter how grouchy I am by looking at her cat a day calendar!! Thanks Marcia!

Reverb 10: 5 minutes

December 15 – 5 Minutes Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.

My response: No thanks. I don't want to have to pick and choose. And the thought of losing my memory is too much like the awfulness of Alzheimer's to be honest with you. I want to remember everything and come across those memories from time to time! So I will be opting out of this one.

Reverb 10: Appreciate

December 14 – Appreciate What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

My response: One thing? I am going to go with friends. I've really appreciated the friendships I have here in Toronto. From work, to dragonboat, baseball, and book club, I've met some really amazing people. My friends are fun, funny, understanding, supportive, generous, they let me be me and love me for it! Right?? So thanks to all my Toronto, well I guess GTA friends....you are irreplaceable!!

Reverb 10: Action

December 13 – Action When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?

My response: Next step-GO TO BED and get a good night's sleep!

Reverb 10: Body integration

December 12 – Body Integration This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

My response: I was taking a pilates class from October 2009-around May/June 2010 given by my friend Meghan. I stopped at that point because I was also doing dragonboat and baseball, and it was getting to be too much in my schedule, and then summer came along and then I didn't end up going back and I miss it. Pilates definitely helped me have a better connection between my mind and body and I felt more alive and stronger in multiple ways after each session. I was also following a few Stott Pilates videos once or twice and week and felt more connected to myself. Since I haven't been going I can feel a difference in my "mind-body balance" (Stott words!) and I miss is, unfortunately I really don't have the energy for it these days because ***get ready for it*** I AM PREGNANT!! I think all of my close friends and family know this (but if you don't please forgive me!!) . I'm about 13 weeks, due in June and have been utterly exhausted for the past 9 weeks basically! And NO doing some exercise will NOT make me feel better-my midwife even said so herself!! SO with that being said, I expect to also feel  more cohesion between my mind and body in the months to come!

Reverb 10: 11 Things

December 11 – 11 Things What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

My response: As I was thinking about this post I wasn't sure what to put down...I feel like the wording of this is negative, I'd rather do the opposite and write about 11 Things I NEED in 2011. These are things that I need from others and things that I need to cultivate in myself. 

1. Support
2. Understanding
3. Patience
4. Strength
5. A washer and dryer (seriously!!)
6. Time to make my own mistakes and learn from them
7. Community
8. Health
9. Kindness
10.  Love
11. Sleep

Reverb 10: Wisdom

December 10 – Wisdom What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

My response: Hmmmm.... I didn't answer this question yesterday on purpose because I wanted to think about it. I have been and will be making some big decisions in the next week or so, which will hopefully be my/our wisest ones of the year (or ever), but I don't really want to get into that on here just yet.

Instead, I will maybe talk about another decision that I am really happy about and that was playing baseball again after 9 years!! I joined a mixed slo-pitch team with a friends from work this summer. I used to play fast-pitch softball fairly competitively in high school and at the  beginning of university, and had never played slo-pitch or on a mixed team. I was a bit nervous about the fact that I hadn't played in 9 years, and about playing with men!! During one of my first practices I was pitching to my friend;s boyfriend and he hit a hard core line drive at my face-I managed to get my glove up right away but it was so hard it knocked me over and split my glove!! I am really happy that I started playing again because it was so much fin, and the team was really supportive. To top it all off we ended up winning the championship game beating the team that has been undefeated for 2 years and in playoffs for like 6 years!!

Booking Through Thursday: Crappy

December 9, 2010: Inspired by this post: Do you ever crave reading crappy books?

My answer: Yes! Although I don't know if I would use the term "crappy". Maybe "chick lit" or mindless reading. Sometimes I want to read a really easy book that doesn't make me think to hard or learn any lessons! I've always enjoyed Maeve Binchy books because I find them to be very quick reads that are generally enjoyable and don't make me feel sad. I don't, however, enjoy the "Shopaholic" type books because I find them to be way too similar and the female characters always seem sort of pathetic to me.

How about you?

Reverb 10: Party

December 9 – Party  What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.

My response: My (step) sister-in-law got married in Winnipeg this summer and boy did I have a good time. I new it would be enjoyable but since I didn't know a lot of people there I didn't think it would get too crazy. Boy was I wrong!! My husband, sister-in-law, brother-in-law and his girlfriend spent the entire night together interspersed with the bride and groom and my other (step) sister-in-law. We had sooooo much fun, danced all night, roamed around The Forks, and drank WAY TOO MUCH!!! My husband and his sister were dancing on the chairs, the groom put the bride's veil on my husband (at least I think that's how it got there), my brother-in-law's girlfriend (the first time we met her!) caught the bouquet, all in all one of the most fun nights!! My mother-in-law picked us up from the wedding and had to take care of not just me but also my husband! Fairly embarrassing but did we ever have a good time. The wedding itself was beautiful, the dinner delicious, and the speeches were good too!! I almost forgot-we had flown in the night before and my luggage ended up in Vancouver and they were able to get it to Winnipeg like an hour and a half before the wedding!!

Reverb 10: Beautifully different

December 8 – Beautifully Different Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.

My response: I asked my husband for help on this one and he said "Well, your smile lights me up" and that I have "..a happy personality and you're generally positive". What a sweetheart. The "generally" is true because I can sure be grumpy!! I can be stubborn in my opinions, but I like to think that I try to see both (or multiple) sides of a situation. I think I'm really good at being the devil's advocate at least when it comes to other people's lives! Although I don't know if that makes me more or less beautiful to others :) I think I can be fun and funny, and I'm never at a loss for words (again this may make me more OR less beautiful!). I also like to read A LOT, like A LOT!  I'm not sure if this makes me "different" but it's what makes me ME!

What makes you different and lights people up?

Reverb 10: Community

December 7 – Community Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

My response: I have discovered the blog community this year or the "blogosphere" as it is sometimes referred to! I also engaged more with my book club in "real life". I'm not too sure about which community I'd like to connect with in 2011...if I think of something I will come back!!

Reverb 10: Make

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

My response: The last thing I made was a scarf. Technically I started it February (see here) when I took a knitting class but I just finished it a few weeks ago-it's awesome. It's made from a 50% acrylic 50% wool blend of Mille Colori Big yarn and it looks like this:

My next project will be a blanket. It's not so much that I need to clear some time but that I need to go buy the wool!

Reverb 10: Let go

December 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

My response: Hmmmmm.....I think I was finally able to let go of the need to finish every single book I started to read. I always said that because I read so quickly and so much, it's  not a big deal to stick it out through a not so good book. I also kind of equated it with giving up and I do not like to be a quitter. But then I realized that it doesn't matter!! Why am I wasting any of my time doing something I don't love doing if I don't have to!!I mean sure, there are responsibilities like cleaning, and laundry that I don't love doing but I NEED to do those things, I don't NEED to read a crappy book!!

 As for next year (although this isn't part of the question but I think it should be), I need to let go of what I can't control. I can't control other people's thoughts and actions, I can only control myself and how I respond to others! This is quite honestly something I've been thinking about over the past year already, but I hope to put a bit more effort into it next year!

Reverb 10: Wonder

December 4 – Wonder
How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

My response: I didn't initially like this question-and this time it's not due to grumpiness. I thought about for a while and then went to the Reverb 10 website to peek at what some other participants wrote. So I am borrowing an idea.
I don't know that I necessarily "cultivated" a sense of wonder, but where I definitely felt its presence was during some traveling this year. In March I went to the Dominican Republic with my sister and it was beautiful. We went on a speed boat tour to Paradise Island and through the mangrove trees that grow from the coral out of the water, as well as did a bit of snorkeling-it was amazing!! I also feel a sense of wonder whenever I am at Lake of the Woods-it's so beautiful and relaxing!! Finally, over Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving) my husband and I took a road trip to Montreal and we were dazzled (yes I said dazzled) by the city! So that is how I cultivated or experienced wonder this past year!!

Book Review: Girls of Riyadh

The Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Al-Sanea was recommended to me by the same friend who suggested Room. Jennifer S. you have good taste in books!!!The Girls of Riyadh is told in emails sent to a listserve of people in Saudi Arabia by an unknown woman describing the lives of her four best friends. These emails are seen as incredibly outrageous as it portrays what Al-Sanea as an author, and then  unnamed narrator would consider a more realistic impression of what life is like for "some" Muslim women in the Middle East-specifically Saudi Arabia. The Girls of Riyadh was definitely intriguing (I think I use this word a lot when describing books!!). It's hard not to judge the lives and choices these women make without comparing them to the Western world and I don't think that's fair, religion, culture, and society are different, which doesn't necessarily mean better or worse, just different!
The Girls of Riyadh is kind of like Sex and the City meets the Muslim world (I think my friend might have described it that way to be honest), and definitely had me thinking about friendships, relationships, men, love, and relationships!

Friday Fill-Ins #202

It's time for Friday Fill-Ins (<----click here to go to the website/blog). My answers are in red!

So...here we go!

1. The best thing about a birthday celebration is Jeanne's cake.

2. I can't get over how quick the passage of time.

3. I went shopping recently and the most interesting thing I bought was Cinnamon Green Tea.

4. My favourite child's game was Candy Land and we never had it-I used to make my cousins play when I babysat and the kids when I worked at a daycare!!

5. The reason is because I said so.

6. I don't miss Winnipeg's snow and cold.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to eating Kenzo Ramen, tomorrow my plans include maybe Christmas shopping and Sunday, I want to sleep and read!

Book Review: Sacred Hearts

Sarah Dunant is well known for her Italian Renaissance novels the Birth of Venus and In the company of the Courtesan-what YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THESE BOOKS!!! Well you should! Incidentally The Birth of Venus was the VERY FIRST book review I ever did!! I just reread it and I was apparently not as in love with it as I remember...but I think that's because it reminded me of another book I had just read, so that isn't actually Dunant's fault :)

Sacred Hearts is Dunant's most recent novel Sacred Hearts is even better than the last two!! It is set in the convent of Santa Caterina in 16th century Ferrara Italy.  I am feeling lazy and don't feel like writing a more detailed synopsis of the book so I will borrow one from the author's website:

"Serafina, a willful, emotional & furious girl, has just been ripped from her proposed marriage and sent by her noble family to Santa Caterina. During her first night inside, such is her violent, incandescent rage that the dispensary mistress, Suora Zuana, is sent to her cell to calm her with a draft of herbs. Thus begins a complex relationship of trust and betrayal. And while outside the convent walls the forces of the Counter-Reformation push for ever more repressive changes, Serafina's rebellious spirit challenges not only Zuana but many other nuns who have made peace with the isolated life."

If you think a novel set in a convent could be boring YOU ARE WRONG!! The novel begins with "Before the screaming starts, the night silence of the convent is alive with its own particular sounds". I was hooked!! would I recommend it-YES!

Reverb 10: Moment

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

My response: I had to think about this one for a little bit but it finally came to me!! The moment I felt most alive this year happened while we are at Lake of the Woods. My husband, sister, and parents were at the cottage/island of family friends and between the 8 of us we put on a $900 fireworks show (I blogged about back in September). My husband and my sister's boyfriend organized and set-off the firework show and we got to sit back and enjoy as they shot off the dock over the lake. It was unbelievable. We had at least 2 going off at a time and many had 50+shots so they sky was filled with fireworks and we could here them echoing back at us. At one point we could hear cheering coming from somewhere down the lake because our show was so spectacular. The air was crisp and smelled like smoke from the fireworks. The part where I think I felt most alive was just after one of the 100 shot fireworks tipped over in the barrel and started shooting back toward us over our heads. I remember jumping up and knocking my sister's glass of wine all over her as I dove behind my mom's lawn chair because I thought they were coming right for us. Nobody else was too concerned besides me and my sister but I remember that each time we thought it as over  another series of loud crackling fireworks would shoot over our heads. Our hearts were pounding as we laughed and laughed over how I spilled all of her wine in my attempts to save myself and get out of the way when we weren't really in any dangers. It was so good to be with my family, and Lake of the Woods is my favourite place to be!!

Do you have a moment where you felt most alive this year? I'd love to hear it!!

Booking Through Thursday: First

Booking Through Thursday December 2, 2010 question: "How about First Editions? Are they something special? Or “just another book” to you?"

My answer: Disclaimer-In my previous post today I mentioned that I was feeling grumpy. I still am -this may have impacted my answers. First Editions-who cares! Not me. I don't collect books so to me it makes no difference. Wait-unless we're talking about scholarly material, then the 1st edition is the oldest and there is likely newer more relevant information available in which case I will take the most recent edition thank you.

Reverb 10: Writing

December 2 Writing.
What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?

My response: I would like to start this post off by letting you know I am grumpy. My day started off with the subway power shutting off for 1/2 of my ride and had to walk from Castle Frank Subway Station to Donlands Station-about 20 minutes of brisk walking in increasing wind and snow with no shuttle bus in sight. Not cool. Then on the way home everyone around my smelled like they had just rolled in an ashtray and now I feel super icky.

With that being said...here is my response to the above question: I don't like this question. I don't actually think it's a particularly good question to be honest (I said I was grumpy!). This doesn't really encourage reflection or send out "reverberations" for next year!! And unless you consider yourself a writer (which I don't) I don't think this is a very accessible question (that's not exactly the right way to say it I know, but remember--->GRUMPY). I "write" when I want to and not when I don't. There isn't anything holding me back and nothing I would eliminate in order to "write" more. That's all I have to say on the topic. Maybe I should come back to this on a less grumpy day...

Reverb 10: One word

My December goal: Reverb 10 "... is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10, we'll do both."

December 1 One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

My response: My word for 2010 would be CREATIVITY. In the past two years I have been exploring my creative side, but I feel like I've really embraced it this year. I've taken a knitting class, done some beading (for jewellery-and the garland for our Christmas tree), tried to take more pictures and actually print them and put them in albums, as well as starting this blog. I wanted to do some writing for a few years now and realizing that I'm not a good writer I thought a blog would be a good start and so Reading, Beading...and more Reading was created on January 17, 2010!

My word for 2011....hmmmm...I would say EXCITING. I am expecting a few significant changes for my husband and myself next year and I am very much looking forward to what 2011 has to bring :)

What are your words? (Mom I know I can count on you for this one...but who else will play along?!?!)

Canada Reads Independently 2011

As I mentioned yesterday, Kerry Clare at Pickle Me This is hosting Canada Reads Independently 2011 and put up her selection today. I am in! Here it is:

• The Book: Play the Monster Blind by Lynn Coady The Champion: Sheree Fitch
• The Book: Truth and Bright Water by Thomas King The Champion: Nathalie Foy
• The Book: Still Life With June by Darren Greer The Champion: Chad Pelley
• The Book: Home Truths by Mavis Gallant The Champion: Carrie Snyder
• The Book: Be Good by Stacey May Fowles The Champion: Robert J. Wiersema 

 Luckily for me all books are available at the good old TPL! I have put all of the Canada Reads  and Canada Reads Independently 2011 books on hold-don't worry they are all inactive so they won't come all at once! I think I will try to read one book from each list at the same time/alternate between the two lists.

First up to become "activated" (that means I want them NOW!) are:

• Canada Reads: Unless by Carol Shields
• Canada Reads Independently: Be Good by Stacey May Fowles