My Challenges (timed)


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Completed 8 of 9



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Completed 2 of 3



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Completed 2 of 4



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Completed 71 of 81



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Completed 9 of 10


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Completed 34 of 50



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Completed 1 of 2



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Completed 1 of 2



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Completed 1 of 5



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Completed 3 of 5



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Completed 5 of 100

My Challenges (perpetual)

100 SHOTS OF SHORT
See my list of stories read here

CHECKIN’ OFF THE CHEKHOV
See my list of stories read here

THE COMPLETE BOOKER
See my list of books read here

MARTEL-HARPER CHALLENGE
See my list of books read here

MODERN LIBRARY'S 100 BEST NOVELS

See my list of books read here

NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS
See my list of books read here

THE PULITZER PROJECT
See my list of books read here

TAMMY'S BEYOND BOOKS CHALLENGE

New York Times Book Review: 6/40
New Yorker: 0/36
New York Review of Books: 0/20
Vogue: 1/16
Email: 841/1373

Friday, December 28, 2007

Booking Through Thursday -- December 27




"It’s an old question, but a good one . . . What were your favorite books this year?

List as many as you like … fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, science-fiction, business, travel, cookbooks … whatever the category. But, really, we’re all dying to know. What books were the highlight of your reading year in 2007?"

This is an interesting question for me to start my BTT series with, there are so many from this past year. I don't want to make my answer too narrow and leave out some great books, but I don't want my response to go on and on and on, either. Maybe if I categorize and/or give just a short blurb on each...

Classic novels that deserve to read and reread:

1. Beloved by Toni Morrison
2. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
3. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
4. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
5. Moll Flanders by Daniel Dafoe
6. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackerary

I don't read many modern novels, but I did enjoy:

7. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Stand out non-fiction:

8. A Dog Year by Jon Katz: a must-read for dog lovers, Katz has a great sense of humor and obviously loves his dogs as much as I do mine.

9. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner: very interesting application of economic principles to prove that what is often conventional wisdom is wrong.

10. The Innocent Man by John Grisham: everyone with an opinion on the death penalty should read this (along with Grisham's novel, The Chamber). What needs to remain in the forefront of the reader's mind is that this book is a true story and that the person described was not only real but could have been executed for no crime whatsoever. A disturbing indictment of our legal system.

11. Integrity by Stephen Carter: I wrote in my review of this book, and I again stress, everyone should read this book. Anyone with even a hint of a conscience, moral center, whatever you want to term it, will take something meaningful away from this one.

12. The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn: I think any Christian, Catholic or not, would get a fuller understanding of the Eucharist (a/k/a Communion) from this book. Of the several books I've read by Dr. Hahn, this one ranks as one of my favorites. I also highly recommend Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn for anyone even remotely considering entering the Catholic Church.

13. One Year Off: Leaving It All Behind for a Round-the-World Journey with Our Children by David Elliot Cohen: the subtitle says it all.

14. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes: makes me want to pick up and move to an Italian farmhouse.

And just for laughs:

15. Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson: an author that is always, always a good choice.

16. Any Sweet Potato Queen book (and if you can get the audiobook, even better, because then you get it with the proper accent).

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

101 things in 1001 days

I found this online and thought it sounded like a great idea. My 101 Project will start January 1, 2008. My goals are listed on the right side of my blog -- when I complete a goal, it will be stricken through. Several of them are multi-part goals, so the numbers following the goal indicate the number of tasks completed compared to the total number sought.

For more information on getting started with your own challenge or to read other people's lists, check out http://www.triplux.com/dayzero.




Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Books read in 2007

This post is mostly for myself, so that I can get rid of my book list sidebar but still keep a record of the books I've read this year. I plan to remove the sidebar the 1st week of January to make room for a new list for 2008. I'm keeping the links in case anyone wants to explore more about a particular book (the link will take you to the book in Amazon, as will clicking on the book titles in any of my sidebars).

The list:

740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building by Michael Gross

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Austenland: A Novel by Shannon Hale

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

The Blind Assassin: A Novel by Margaret Atwood

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Decision: How the Supreme Court Decides Cases by Bernard Schwartz

A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me by Jon Katz

An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England by Venetia Murray

The English: A Portrait of a People by Jeremy Paxman

Essential Catholicism, Dynamics of Faith and Belief by Thomas Bokenkotter

A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway

First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity by Scott Hahn

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God by Scott Hahn

A History of Everyday Things in England, Volume II: 1500 to 1799 by Marjorie and C.H.B. Quennell

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham

Integrity by Stephen Carter

Islam: A Short History by Karen Armstrong

The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth by Scott Hahn

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson

The New Question Box: Catholic Life for the '90s by Fr. John J. Dietzen

Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine

One Year Off: Leaving It All Behind for a Round-the-World Journey with Our Children by David Elliot Cohen

Paradise of Cities: Venice In the 19th Century by John Julius Norwich

A Passage to India by E. M. Forster

Praying by Hand: Rediscovering the Rosary As a Way of Prayer by M. Basil Pennington

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Rockefeller Billions The Story of the World's Most Stupendous Fortune by Jules Abels

Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism by Scott and Kimberly Hahn

A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings by Stella Tillyard

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen

Surprised by Truth: 11 Converts Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic compiled by Patrick Madrid

The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner) by Jill Connor Browne

The Sweet Potato Queens' Wedding Planner/Divorce Guide by Jill Connor Browne

The Truth of Catholicism: Ten Controversies Explored by George Weigel

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

An Unfinished Woman: A Memoir by Lillian Hellman

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

Washington Schlepped Here: Walking in the Nation's Capital by Christopher Buckley

The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had by Susan Wise Bauer

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell