ON BOOKS ~ 2010 Year In Reading Match Game...

In the past year I said goodbye to my grandmother, added an editing job to my writing foray, experienced the loss of a beloved kitten, visited a new city and met a fellow blogger in person, welcomed an adorable niece into the family and won our Fantasy Baseball League. Oh - and I managed to read 29 books, matching my total from last year. My goal is always to read one more than the year before, but if I can't do that, keeping pace with previous results is the next best thing. Here's a look back at my year of reading.

I read 21 works of fiction and 8 non-fiction. That is the same split as last year's collection. I always feel like I've read more non-fiction than I really have. I think this is because the non-fiction takes more focus and results in greater introspection, permeating longer in the dusty recesses of my addled brain. Of those 8, half were categorized as memoirs. They are my favorite thread of the non-fiction genre so I am glad to see I devoted a fair chunk to them.

On Goodreads' rating scale of 1 to 5 stars, I gave 2 books the highest rate of 5 and none received the lowly 1. Most fell into the 3 star range. It was a very mediocre result of selections for me this year. My two 5 star reads were both re-reads. One was my 5 star barometer, To Kill A Mockingbird. The other was The Handmaid's Tale. Both were read along with others who had not experienced them before. I am always jealous of another's virgin read of one of my favorites! My overall selections this year came from an interesting cross section of styles - ranging from classics, thrillers and memoirs to prize winning fiction, best sellers, sci-fi and historical fiction. My reading ruts fell across all categories and 6 of them garnered only 2 stars.

I read a total of 10,572 pages (almost 400 more than last year), turning the average length of my reads into 365 pages. On average I was able to read 30 pages a day - most of which was accomplished at the gym during the week. Very little was done at nights, on weekends or vacations. Generally I was able to complete a book in about 2 weeks.

I read 6 books specifically for group discussions on Goodreads. Some of them were books I had suggested from my own list and others were new suggestions to me. I read 6 other books as less structured read-alongs among online friends. Two of them resulted in collaborative cross-posting: a series with Stacy on War & Peace and joint interviews with Margot of Toni Teepell and her book A Truth Worth Tellin'.

I managed to read 3 classics (although another 3 I didn't classify that way but could be placed under that umbrella), but the overwhelming majority of the rest were written in the last decade. Collectively they covered the world from 1812 to today, and beyond.

I read the most books in January and October. They encompassed some of my best rated reading of the year. When I get into a groove, my reading turns voracious. I also noticed that I save my lengthier selections for the cooler months when I am hibernating. I pulled myself out of a bummer of a slump by attending my first book festival in October. It likely sparked that great month of reading.

4 were books that I won on blogs. 14 were from the library. 2 were loans from family. 3 were gifts. 1 was from my personal library. 4 I bought at library sales. And 1 I bought for myself new. Here they all are - can you match the descriptions to the titles?

DESCRIPTIONS:
1. A cat's healing of a broken family
2. Immature man runs from his pregnant wife and child for greener pastures, that aren't really any greener
3. A history of Smyrna, Detroit and hermaphrodites
4. WW2 Poland's woods are the setting for an old fairy tale's retelling
5. Irish American alcoholic's death reveals the truth behind a first love's mystery
6. The ultimate complaint letter
7. Little girl lost in the woods clings to Red Sox radio broadcasts to survive the scary beasts of the dark
8. Little girl clings to her mother's good days amidst the schizophrenic ones
9. Dystopian society where women's rights have taken leaps in the wrong direction
10. Inside scoop about the man behind the art
11. Little girl and her brother share lessons in tolerance
12. Discovery of how family history can carry genes of doom
13. How baseball and food made great parallels in one family
14. Evil doings at an institution for the criminally insane during a wallop of a storm
15. Homeless guy teaches rich guy what should really be valued in life
16. Serial killer of serial killers
17. Using roommates to heal the wounds of divorce
18. The plight of the sharecropper
19. Dark tale of prejudice, evasion, murder and survival in the old deep south
20. Overcoming rape, eating disorders, death and divorce in search of love
21. Futuristic tale of cloning and dictatorship in the name of a chaos free world
22. Name dropping stories disguised as a how-to manual on asking the right questions
23. Interviews with the entertainment world from a real pro
24. Fortune seekers, social climbers, cults, soap opera love triangles and Napoleon
25. Man branding, computer hacking and a missing person mystery
26. Whodunit mystery of a psychopathic estranged husband's murder
27. Who needs high school when you can just watch the movies?
28. Math and baseball become poetry from the mind of a memory challenged man
29. View from above of those left behind in tragedy

TITLES:
A. The Handmaid's Tale - M. Atwood (5*'s)
B. To Kill A Mockingbird - H. Lee (5*'s)
C. Middlesex - J. Eugenides (4*'s)
D. Light In August - W. Faulkner (4*'s)
E. Life With Picasso - F. Gilot (4*'s)
F. Same Kind Of Different As Me - R. Hall (4*'s)
G. She's Come Undone - W. Lamb (4*'s)
H. Shutter Island - D. Lehane (4*'s)
I. The True Story Of Hansel And Gretel - L. Murphy (4*'s)
J. The Lovely Bones - A. Sebold (4*'s)
K. War And Peace - L. Tolstoy (4*'s)
L. Let Us Now Praise Famous Men - J. Agee (3*'s)
M. Open House - E. Berg (3*'s)
N. Cleo - H. Brown (3*'s)
O. The Film Club - D. Gilmour (3*'s)
P. All I Did Was Ask - T. Gross (3*'s)
Q. Brave New World - A. Huxley (3*'s)
R. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - S. King (3*'s)
S. Darkly Dreaming Dexter - J. Lindsey (3*'s)
T. The Housekeeper And The Professor - Y. Ogawa (3*'s)
U. Mostly True: A Memoir Of Family, Food And Baseball - M. O'Neill (3*'s)
V. A Truth Worth Tellin' - T. Teepell (3*'s)
W. Rabbit, Run - J. Updike (3*'s)
X. The Art Of The Interview - L. Grobel (2*'s)
Y. Janeology - K. Harrington (2*'s)
Z. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - S. Larsson (2*'s)
Aa. Charming Billy - A. McDermott (2*'s)
Bb. Dear American Airlines - J. Miles (2*'s)
Cc. Eyes Of A Child - R. Patterson (2*'s)

ON MOVIES ~ Movie Marvels...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Comic Books...

Have you heard about Broadway's most dangerous show, Spiderman? Where the performers fly above the audience's heads to the sound of Bono & The Edge's music? Where sometimes the performers' safety cables snap and send them crashing down to serious injury? Perhaps they should have left the live comic book portrayals to the movies. Film does the world of comic books proud. Here are some of our favorite examples. Share on your blog those comic book characters and collectors in film that you prefer, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Unbreakable (2000) - Samuel L. Jackson plays one devoted comic book collector who believes the superheroes exist as a parallel to gifted folks in the real world. Bruce Willis is the man with remarkable luck who Jackson discovers and tries to convince of this theory. Shyamalan wrote and directed this curious movie.
• Sin City (2005) - A movie that truly looks like a comic book come to life. Incredible visual graphics, great cast and a talented collection of directors, including Frank Miller himself, present a collection of his work inspired by his comics.
• Dick Tracy (1990) - Visually another wicked cool portrayal of the comic book world. Great make-up and costuming made this movie truly feel like the familiar comic. The color scheme even stayed true to the print colors. Combine that with an all-star cast led by Warren Beatty and featuring Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman and Madonna, and it became a blockbuster.
• Batman (1989) - This is a nostalgic favorite. Another cast of heavy hitters, a great script and cool costumes. I was honestly shocked that Mr. Mom Michael Keaton pulled off a perfect Bruce Wayne. Such a big to-do over his physique! Tim Burton created a masterful entry into this chain of films based on the Dark Knight.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Like Counting Sheep...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Catching Some Zzzz's...

A curious thing happens here in the Bumbles' abode. If a movie of any genre is popped into the DVD player beyond 9PM and Andy gets horizontal on the couch, he falls asleep instantly. I end up watching many movies by my lonesome while Andy provides a soundtrack of snores. It happened this weekend yet again. That Bumble can sleep through action and adventure, romance, mysteries, comedies, musicals and dramas. But the ones guaranteed to bring on the zzzz's are subtitled films. His droopy eyes just give up on him.

The result of all of this is that Andy remembers the beginnings of lots of movies but never stays awake to see them. And therefore he assumes that they must not have been all that interesting or he would have found a way to stay awake. So I roll my eyes and rent what I want to watch.

Not many movies can put me to sleep. Just as I rarely quit on a book, I have a hard time doing the same with a movie. I force myself to stay awake even if it is boring me to tears. I just can't shut it off and then pick up where I left off later - that ruins the whole flow. Even if the flow was non-existent.

I do recall one movie that put me to sleep however. It was The Grifters. I thought it was bizarre, disappointing considering the cast, and not very engaging to my sleepy brain. I woke up at some ungodly hour with the TV still on and the movie thankfully over. With Andy snoring away next to me. One of the few films we've really bonded over ;0)

Has a movie ever put you to sleep? Share on your blog the ones that have caused you to doze off, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON BLOGGING ~ When It's Okay To Be A Tease...

How much thought do you put into your post titles?  Think about the blogs that you visit.  Or all of the blogs sitting in your Feed Reader.  How do you decide which items to read, delete or skip?  You skim.  The items that stand out in skimming are the post's title and any lead image.  If neither of those are eye-catching, a post will blend in with all of the others fighting for attention.

When I am reading a blog directly and not within my Feedly reader, I always look for the list of recent posts to see what I have missed out on in the last week.  All I have to go by are the posts' titles.  That's a very minimal amount of information to make a decision with, but I do it all the time.  Not just with blog posts, but with magazine articles, book titles, TV listings, movie rentals, newsletters and pretty much any other printed collection of information vying for my attention.

You can go one of two ways with your title.  Informative or witty.  If you get lucky, sometimes you get a magic blend of both.  The informative approach seeks to tell the potential reader exactly what the focus of the post covers.  "Review of War & Peace."  There is no question what that post is about.  And if you are a lover of classics, Tolstoy or lengthy reviews then you would be drawn right to reading that post.  Otherwise, you would likely skip it and look for something else that suits your interests.

If you went the witty route you would use something like "War, What Is It Good For?"  You don't know exactly what this post is about.  It could be a political commentary, or a stroll down musical memory lane or a funny post about that Seinfeld episode.  Few would probably guess that it is a book review of War & Peace.  This unclear post title appeals to a broader audience because of its ambiguity.  More people are likely to decide to read and find out what it is.  Many of them may bounce away as soon as they understand it is a book review of Tolstoy.  But some may stick around in spite of that because of the quality of the post's writing.

Basically, a title can be a tease to trick people into reading something they might normally assume was not for them.  Or it can alienate people who get smart to your misleading titles and don't appreciate the "trickeration."  Informative, clear titles help people find a post easily on a specific topic.  Someone searching for War & Peace reviews is more likely to turn up the informative title than the witty title.

I don't ever get lucky and create the magical combo title of informative and witty.  Maybe something like "Reviewing War & Peace, What Is It Good For?"  If you are lucky enough to be able to adjust your post title's URL (I don't think you can do this on the free Blogger platform) you can write a witty visual title and then edit the URL to capture the informative words that make it more logical for search engines.

If you aren't so lucky, you need to make a choice.  Who is your audience?  Do you care if people are drawn to what you write?  Do you like to extend the creativity to the title too?  I prefer to write the post and then discover the witty title that emerges naturally.  Or I get tired and throw an informative title up there because it is time to go to bed.  Teases be damned.

ON FUN ~ Keepin' It Real...

Last week, when I explained my reduced posting schedule so that I can enjoy other things in my life, such as watching Survivor, old pal Stacy suggested I share my thoughts on this season's show.

I remember when Survivor first came on the scene. I honestly thought it would be a fad - not just Survivor, but the entire "Reality TV" scene. Boy was I wrong. It has been on the air for almost 11 years now. The original Reality TV show, The Real World - on MTV - began almost 17 years ago. Those original seasons seem fairly quaint now. The producers, participants and viewers hadn't yet figured out that there was a golden "formula." The rich person, the lovable naive one, the hard knocks fighter, the brainiac, the goofball, and of course, the minority/gay person to see how everyone else will react to them. It isn't all that different from high school cliques when you think about it.

Reality TV started as basically a sociology experiment. Make a documentary more interesting by manipulating the environment and activities to ensure that action worth watching happens. Put people under stress, in contact with people outside of their comfort zone, from places they've never been, from classes they've never experienced, with age differences they would usually avoid - and see how they get along, or don't. Convince them to do this by holding a carrot of prize money, scholarships or job opportunities in front of them.

With the success of the early Reality TV shows, more and more were created. Many were flops. Several others found their own footing in the niche and survived in mainstream. But what has also happened, is that Reality TV created a sub-segment of Me TV. Shows filled with people who just want to be on TV. They want to make a scene and be remembered - even if they will be ashamed of their actions when and if they grow up. And there are plenty of people willing to watch these shows. Like not being able to take your eyes off of the car wreck.

I tend to enjoy the Reality TV shows that are competitions or contests - like behind the scenes game shows. Survivor, The Amazing Race. I also like The Apprentice, even though it is generally just a bunch of annoying people - I still like to judge who should or shouldn't be fired. The Biggest Loser makes me worry for the contestants. I'm not sure that these people are given the tools to live a healthy life after they get the weight off. Some of them seem to be teetering to the opposite extreme of eating disorders, obsessed with ounces of weight.

Dancing With The Stars or American Idol are more like talent shows to me - reminders of Star Search. They end up more as popularity contests than judgments of the best talent for the right reasons.

I do have to admit though, I have my guilty pleasures on E! - I watch Real Housewives of Orange County. I have been watching these nut jobs from Season 1 and feel like I know them. I tried watching one of the spin-offs but it felt like I was cheating on the real thing. Even Andy likes the show. I suppose it makes us feel better to know we are better off than the rich and reality famous.

As for Survivor, it is tops for me. It has the mental aspect. Coming up with a plan, thinking multiple steps ahead like a chess game. It also has physical challenges. Strength and determination along with that inner reserve of pure will that we are capable of when we want something badly enough. And finally, it has the social aspect. In order to win, you have to have treated people well enough to give you the grand prize even though you had a hand in voting each of them out before you. Lots of contestants make it to the end on strategy and strength, but they lose because they forget that in the end, a big key to success in our society, and Survivor, is how you make people feel about you and themselves.

This season's cast of contestants hasn't been all that inspiring, or smart. Too much of Me TV wannabes infiltrating a show better off without them. But I do have my favorite for the end. This dude named Judd - aka Fabio. He is strong. He is funny. He is sweet. And he finally seems to be coming up with a strategy. He hasn't pissed off anyone directly. So I'll be rooting for him on Sunday in the finale. Or Monday. The Patriots are playing Sunday night. I will have to DVR my Reality TV for reality.

ON MOVIES ~ All In The Family...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Family Dynamics...

You're only as interesting as the family you come from. Many of us spend a lot of time hiding those "interesting" family moments! The movies are filled with dynamic families creating all sorts of food for thought and sources of laughter. Amy of The House of the Seven Tails suggested this topic to us. Here are some of our favorite families from film. Share on your blog the families the movies portray that struck a chord with you, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• The Griswolds - Vacation (1983), European Vacation (1985), Christmas Vacation (1989), (Vegas Vacation excluded)
• Gaylord Focker & The Byrnes - Meet the Parents (2000)
• The Sycamores - You Can't Take It With You (1938)
• The Von Trapps - The Sound of Music (1965)
• The Corleones - The Godfather (1972), Part II (1974), Part III (1990)
• The Tenenbaums - The Royal Tenenbaums (2000)

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON BLOGGING ~ Because Sometimes I Just Want To Watch Survivor...

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Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.

Last week I asked why you started blogging and why you keep blogging. I got lots of different answers to suit all of your different interests and personalities. Lynn (who someday will inspire me enough to learn how to use our stove) wanted to know OUR answers and that seems like a fair request.

I started this blog in order to interact with a book meme that I found when poking around on Google for an online book community. This was before I was introduced to Goodreads. If I had found Goodreads first, I probably never would have bothered to start a blog. It was a bit daunting, and somewhat scary, to put our information out there and see what happened. And per usual, I just went ahead and dragged Andy into things without telling him about it ahead of time. He was the one with the cool Bumbles nickname after all.

I continue blogging (with Andy as my muse) because I really enjoy writing. I also really enjoy having a place to connect with the friends I have found online. I also like getting free stuff in the mail. But sometimes, I wonder if I am overdoing it.

I wear myself out every now and then - getting so excited about this idea or another that I volunteer for lots of projects and collaborations that I leave little time for our own space here. I rarely run out of things to say. I just tend to run out of time to say it.

I also have a feeling that some of you run out of time for reading all that I might find time to say on a daily basis. I know I have minimal time for visiting all of the entertaining and terrific posts you create out there. So, I think I am going to change my posting frequency for the New Year.

I have been posting daily for two years. That sounds like a lot doesn't it? It has never felt like work to me because I am writing what I want to write. But I need time for other things, like watching Survivor for example. So I plan to post 3 times a week going forward. Maybe more if I have something fascinating to share. But I think 3 is the magic number. It allows time for me to do other fun things, and it doesn't overload your feed Reader either.

I'm curious to see how it will change my blogging too. Will I become more creative? Longer winded? Or will I drift away a little bit more as time goes by, having let go of my daily habit? Whatever the result, I'm sure I'll blog about it!

How often do you post? What are your preferences from the bloggers you follow? Is less really more? Or do you forget they are out there sometimes? Have you ever changed your blogging ways?

ON BOOKS ~Talking (Book) Shop ...

Just a reminder that this Friday night, 12/10, at 8:30PM ET we will be having our monthly Bumble Town Chat.  The topic this month will be the best books that you have read in 2010.  They don't have to be new books released in 2010 - just books that you read during this year.

I mentioned recently how I suffered through some reading slumps this year and am looking to get back on track in 2011.  So I hope some of you will stop by throughout the evening to share your favorites and add to our to read lists.  And in exchange, we'll have some that may be new to you.

You don't need to show up on time or stay on the entire time.  Pop-ins are welcome.  We are generally chatting between 8:30 - 10:30 so if any time during that window works for you, come on in and share, or get suggestions for books to buy as holiday gifts.

2011 will be an exciting year for me on the book front.  In addition to vowing to select at least half of the books I plan to read because they have been ones I really really want to read, I am also going to play some modified book Bingo, courtesy of fellow blogger Tami, and try to venture into some genres I otherwise would not try.  And finally, I am working on an actual book blogging venture with some friends.  A place to formally join the world of book bloggers!  When things are ready to move forward on that front, I'll be sure to let you know all about it.

So come on by this Friday night and share your favorite reads of 2010.  It will be extremely helpful for my 2011 reading plans.  And it will be fun to wind down from another crazy week with some blogging buddies talkin' books.  And remember...the next month's chat topic is always set by the current month's chat attendees!  Stop on by to have a say in what will be discussed in January.

ON FUN ~ Can You Top A Leg Lamp?...

Image courtesy Stockvault

So over the weekend we got ourselves a fake - er I mean "artificial" - tree. I used to abhor the idea of a fake tree. Probably because they used to look fake. But now they don't. Now there are some really nice ones. And there's no fussing with light strings. No needles to sweep up every two seconds. Nothing to be watered. No fuss, no mess, all joy. And no need to go out in the cold and buy a tree that was killed for our convenience each year. The only thing missing is the evergreen scent, and you can get that in a candle these days.

So as I sit in my comfy chair and write this post while gazing at our beautiful fake tree, I now am trying to come up with gifts that are no fuss, no mess. Easy, yet amazing. I encounter a big blank slate each Christmas with my Dad.

Why are fathers so challenging to shop for? Probably because they are happy with a handful of things. And once they have them they are pretty set. My dad golfs. Therefore over the years, we have all procured for him every golf related item known to mankind. He could open his own golf shop at this point with all of the stuff we've given him. That hobby is all set. He is retired now, so he just goes out and buys whatever those few other things are that he wants. Which leaves slim pickins for the rest of us.

One year, while at a Patriots game, I overheard the people sitting behind us talking about a replica leg lamp from the movie "A Christmas Story" that they had ordered as a gag gift for someone. Well. If there is something that my father loves more than golf and his family, it is that movie. I found the lamp, complete with a shipping box stamped "FRAGILE," and gave him the best present ever. He loves that lamp. My mom lets him display it front and center during the holidays - she gets a kick out of it too. We all do. But now I am forever doomed. Nothing I give from this day forward will ever top that damn lamp.

So I need to know - what is the best present you ever gave your Dad? It could be that your awesome gift is something I haven't thought of yet. Something that would be perfect for my father this year. Maybe it isn't quite leg lamp caliber, but at this point I need all the help I can get.

ON MOVIES ~ Don't You Just Hate That...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Movie Theater Pet Peeves...

I don't think I have been inside a movie theater in over a year. There are lots of reasons for this. Expense. Time. Motivation. But usually I make a point to go see something special on the big screen. The problem is, there are lots of things that can spoil that special movie going event. Here are our biggest pet peeves about the process. Share on your blog your biggest theater pet peeve, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

MOLLY'S CHOICE:
BIG HEADS. I am short. I prefer the term Petite. Andy is not Petite. He is almost a foot taller than I am. So why is it that the tall person always sits in front of me and the short person always sits in front of him? This means that I will spend the entire movie scrunched to the side of my seat trying to see through a slit of big heads. It is annoying to have to switch seats with Andy just when we have gotten settled with our snacks. Not to mention that we are now screwing up the short/tall seating arrangement for everyone seated behind us now. There is only one way I know of to prevent a tall person, or anyone for that matter, from sitting directly in front of you. Tell them with a sad face that the seat they are about to take in front of you has gum on it. Works every time. And they are thankful for your assistance.
ANDY'S CHOICE:
CHATTY CATHY'S. People who talk at the movies drive Andy nuts. I asked him if he meant the strangers who babble to each other having conversations during the movie, or the people he is with who might ask questions about the movie while it is playing. He said both are equally annoying. I remember many years ago, long before we began dating, spending much of the beginning of Terminator 2 asking Andy to fill me in on the plot since I had not seen the first one. Note to self - don't ask Andy questions during the movie anymore.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON PHOTOS ~ Drink, Drank, Drunk...

06-02-200 - Damage at the Harpoon Brewfest - Boston, MA

(click photo to enlarge)

Visit

to post or VOTE for this (Bumbles) or other interpretations of this week's challenge

ON BLOGGING ~ Just Curious...

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Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.

Two quick questions for you this week. One I am sure you have been asked many times before. The second, perhaps not. I'm curious to see your responses and if they get you thinking...

WHY DID YOU START BLOGGING?

WHY DO YOU KEEP BLOGGING?

ON BOOKS ~ Maybe Next Year...

Image courtesy semuthutan via Flickr

Although I am approaching my goal of reading one more book than the year before, I must say that it has not been a very enjoyable journey this year.  A large percentage of books that I read did not resonate with me.  At all.  Which is a major bummer and sucks all of the reading mojo right out of me.

Now thankfully, I just finished reading a wonderful book that got me excited about books again.  It is amazing what a good read can do for motivation.  I started thinking about how I came to read those books that I disliked so much this year.  Most of them were not on my To Read list to begin with.  I picked it up randomly, or because it was a prize or it was suggested for a group discussion.  It is true that I have also come across some real gems through random reading too.  But the fact of the matter is, I have a very long list of titles that I spent time considering before adding to my wish list.  And I'd like to use my quality time reading them.

So for 2011, in addition to continuing to read one more book than the year before, I would also like to make half of them books that I have really been wanting to get to.  I am going to spend the next month going through my list on Goodreads and moving the ones I am most excited about reading to the top of my rankings.  And then I am going to read WHAT I WANT, WHEN I WANT.  And I hope that my instincts are correct.  I am looking forward to an incredible year of reading.  How about you?

Now's your chance - join our monthly Bumble Town Chat NEXT Friday night, 12/10, at 8:30PM ET right HERE and chime in about the best books you've read this year.  Maybe we can share some titles and create 2011 book lists to die for.