Sunday, February 22, 2009

The 4x10 Reading Challenge Update #2













I'm on a roll! I've finished three more books on my 4x10 Reading Challenge list. I can't believe I didn't read Betsy-Tacy when I was younger, but I think it may have something to do with the fact that I read all of the Carolyn Haywood's Betsy series instead. Perhaps I just couldn't start another Betsy series. What if I didn't like this other Betsy? Well, for whatever reason I didn't read Maud Hart Lovelace's series, I'm glad I picked it up now. I know these will be books that I will read to Tess when she's older. I think I will try to read the whole series this year to make up for lost time.
Stephanie loaned me her tattered copy of In Grandma's Attic by Arleta Richardson probably a year ago, maybe longer. Unfortunately, it sat on Luke's nightstand all this time. She kept asking me if I'd read it yet, but the answer was always no. I guess we were always reading something else. Anyway, I started reading these short stories to Luke and I discovered that these stories are absolutely delightful. Author Arleta Richardson grew up with her storytelling grandmother. She enjoyed her grandmother's stories so much she started to write them down. Every object in Grandma's attic has a story and each story contains a lesson or moral. Had I known about this series when I was younger, I wouldn't have been so disappointed when I finished the Little House series. I would have joyfully embraced Grandma with her warm and light-hearted storytelling. Now, I must read both More Stories from Grandma's Attic and Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic. Normally, I don't usually like short stories because I like diving into a long novel, but for some reason, I'm not really disappointed by these particular short stories. They don't seem spare at all, quite the opposite. The stories are full of life and make for a joyful reading experience.
I reviewed The Duggars: 20 and Counting! on my GoodReads page. If you've seen the show, there's not much new here except for maybe the recipes and well, the recipes look awful! I know that they have to feed their large family on a budget, but there is no need for so much Velveeta!
On a related subject, I received an MP3 player for my birthday last August. I really wanted the ability to listen to books. I thought this would be great for the times that I didn't have an actual book handy. I suppose I fear not having something to read at all times (or I fear boredom). Well, I've discovered some things about myself because of my MP3 player. I always thought I was a good listener, but I realize that I have to rewind a lot because I start thinking about what I need to add to the grocery list or whatever. Trust me, I'm listening to some engaging books, but I get easily distracted. I probably have ADD or something. I've also discovered that listening to a book at night has the same effect as a lullaby. I can't stay awake! Listening to a book is quite different than actually reading a book! What's great about an MP3 player? Well, it's hard to nurse Tess and hold a book at the same time. My Zune totally fixes that problem! More book adventures to come...

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