Top Ten Tuesday - Blogging Goals and Resolutions

This week's TTT theme over at Broke and Bookish is Blogging Goals/ Resolutions.

Both my blogging and reading rates plummeted this year. Even though I reached my 2013 GR reading goal of 450 books, I scaled it back to 400 because I was facing radiation and could already feel myself slowing down. Did not make 400, didn't even make a book a day. I am not grieving my failed goals, rather, I chose to celebrate the fact that I could read those 352 books.

Reading goals: 
1. Scaling back my total yet again, back to 365.

2. I didn't read a ton of YA in 2014. While I upped my non-fiction and middle grade reading, picture book and YA reading declined. 

3. I need to read more in the genres I don't really enjoy - mystery and horror. 

4. I need to play less 2048 and Bejewelled and read more. I am woefully behind. The TBR is threatening to Collierize me.

5. Read more with my ears. For some reason, I read fewer audiobooks this year. 


Blogging goals:
6. Review more of what I read. There was a time that I reviewed each book I read. Once I committed to a book-a-day, that fell away but now I am lucky if I review even the books I adore. My energy stores are not back and writing takes me so dang long. Segue to #7.

7. Write faster and smarter. Sometimes I cringe when I look back and reread something I posted. This leads me to...

8. Write the post but don't publish it for a week. Reread then. Hopefully, I won't be cringing so much then.

9. Comment more on blogs I follow. And respond to folks who take the time to comment on mine. I used to be religious about that. 

10. Accept whatever output (reading/ blogging) for what it is and enjoy it. 2015 is going to be a great year.

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

StS is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got.

Ensnared by A.G. Howard. Splintered #3. Abrams/ Amulet Books, January 6, 2015. 9781419712296.

Publisher synopsis: After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She’s determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world—a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts.

In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that’s gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?

Friday Memes - Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen. 339 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc. February 24, 2015. 9780545562034.

Publisher synopsis: Jennifer A. Nielsen, author of the NYT and USA TODAY bestselling Ascendance Trilogy, has woven an electrifying tale of greed and power, magic and destiny, and one boy's courage at the heart of it all.

When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing the lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds much more than gold and gemstones: He discovers an ancient bulla, an amulet that belonged to the great Caesar and is filled with a magic once reserved for the Gods -- magic some Romans would kill for.

Now, with the deadly power of the bulla pulsing through his veins, Nic is determined to become free. But instead, he finds himself at the center of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and spark the Praetor War, a battle to destroy Rome from within. Traitors and spies lurk at every turn, each more desperate than the next to use Nic's newfound powers for their own dark purposes.

In a quest to stop the rebellion, save Rome, and secure his own freedom, Nic must harness the magic within himself and defeat the empire's most powerful and savage leaders.

First Line: In Rome, nothing mattered more than the gods, and nothing mattered less than its slaves.

Page 56: Strange as may sound, except for Livia, I had rarely seen any girls my own age. Girls who were born into the mines were quickly sold away, and the few women who were kept there to cook and tend our wounds were usually widows of older miners. Livia only stayed because of Sal's fondness for her. So although I tried not to stare at the girl, I wasn't doing a very good job.

I seriously enjoyed Ms. Nielsen's Ascendance Trilogy (here, here and here) and am eager to read this over the holiday break. Thanks to Scholastic for putting this arc in my brunch bag.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share the titles of books we are eagerly anticipating.

The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry. 224 p. Disney-Hyperion, May 5, 2015. 

Publisher synopsis: In this hilarious novel, written in the voice of eighth-grader Wyatt Palmer, Dave Barry takes us on a class trip to Washington, DC. Wyatt, his best friend, Matt, and a few kids from Culver Middle School find themselves in a heap of trouble-not just with their teachers, who have long lost patience with them-but from several mysterious men they first meet on their flight to the nation's capital. In a fast-paced adventure with the monuments as a backdrop, the kids try to stay out of danger and out of the doghouse while trying to save the president from attack-or maybe not.

I learned of this from Betsy Bird a few weeks back. Click here to read a short interview. My day immediately brightened (despite the fact that it was before six in the morning and still dismally dark). I fondly recalled the time Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson visited my school while on tour for Science Fair about six or seven years ago.

What are you waiting on? Leave a link in the comments.

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

StS is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For review:

Hissy Fitz by Patrick Jennings. 112 p. Egmont USA, January 6, 2015. 9781606845967. 

Publisher synopsis: A popular middle-grade writer moves to chapter books with this humorous tale about a cat that makes Grumpy Cat seem cheerful. Perfect for fans of Geronimo Stilton and Dog Diaries.

Hissy Fitz lives with some two-legged creatures who are destined to serve him in every possible way and understand his every whim. Sadly, these creatures are sorely lacking in their skills. For one thing—they touch him when they want to touch him. Don't they know that the two-legged are there for him to touch when he wants to—meaning when he wants food? Petting wakes him up! They speak to him—don't they know the two-legged should be seen—so Hissy knows where to order food—and not heard?! It's becoming intolerable. What is this irascible cat to do?

Emmanuel's Dream: the true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson & Sean Qualls. 40 p. Random House Children's Books, January 6, 2015. 9780449817445.

Publisher synopsis: Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah's inspiring true story—which was turned into a film, Emmanuel's Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey—is nothing short of remarkable.

Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people—but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled.

Thompson's lyrical prose and Qualls's bold collage illustrations offer a powerful celebration of triumphing over adversity.

Includes an author's note with more information about Emmanuel's charity.

Astrotwins: Project Blastoff by Mark Kelly with Martha Freeman. 201 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers/ Paula Wiseman Books, March 24, 2015. 9781481415453.

Publisher synopsis: A team of middle schoolers prepares for blastoff in this adventure from the author of the New York Times bestsellingMousetronaut, based on the childhoods of real-life astronauts Mark Kelly and his twin brother Scott.

It’s a long, hot summer and Scott and Mark are in big trouble for taking apart (aka destroying) their dad’s calculator. As a punishment, they’re sent to their grandfather’s house, where there’s no TV and they have to do chores. And Grandpa is less tolerant of the twins’ constant bickering. “Why don’t you two work together on something constructive. What if you built a go-kart or something?” Grandpa suggests.

But it’s not a go-kart the twins are interested in. They want to build a rocket. With the help of Jenny, nicknamed Egg, and a crew of can-do kids, they set out to build a real rocket that will blast off and orbit the Earth. The question soon becomes: which twin will get to be the astronaut?

That's what's new with me. What's new with you? Leave a link in the comments section.

Katie Friedman Gives Up Texting (And lives to tell about it) by Tommy Greenwald

Katie Friedman Gives Up Texting (And lives to tell about it) by Tommy Greenwald. 227 p. Roaring Brook Press, February 17, 2015. 9781596438378. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher)

Charlie Joe Jackson's best friend, Katie Friedman gets her own book because she has a story to tell. Don't worry, CJJ fans, Charlie Joe is involved. It was a text that Katie thought she was sending to Charlie Joe and inadvertently sent to Nareem that started all the drama. 

Readers of Charlie Joe's earlier books will already know that his best friend, Katie has been dating Nareem. She likes him enough, but doesn't think she like-likes him anymore. When she tries to discuss the problem with her friends at lunch, they are all so involved with texting and instagramming and updating social network statuses that no one pays attention. This totally annoys her, but when she tries to call them out on it, they point out that she's a huge offender as well. 

Later, during math, she decides that she'll break up with him during study hall even though she's very tempted to do it via text. She sends Nareem an illegal text saying that she needed to tell him something and is surprised to receive one from him saying the same. Wait a second. Katie wonders if he's going to break up with her!

One look at his face in study hall tells her that he's not. It turns out he has tickets to Plain Jane, only Katie's favorite rock band. On top of that, his dad has arranged for back stage passes! How can she break up with him now? 

So she doesn't. And she goes to the concert and it's amazing and Nareem is amazing. She gets to meet Jane backstage and Jane is amazing. So, where does this errant text fit in? What drives Katie to part with her precious phone for a week? Will she be able to convince her friends to do so as well? Sorry. You've got to read this fast-paced exploration of being hyper-connected to find out.

This one requires a willingness to suspend a bit of belief, something young readers will have no difficulty doing. I stuttered for just a moment before diving right in. Tommy Greenwald has a keen eye for tween life, a flare for dialogue that rings true and a knack for creating gently humorous situations reflecting a variety of issues kids face without heavy-handed messaging. He respects his audience and trusts they will draw their own conclusions. This is why the shelf containing multiple copies of his books in my library is always empty from September through June. It's why I've had to replace stolen copies. His books make non-readers readers. His books make all readers laugh as they recognize themselves or friends within the pages. I can't wait to booktalk this.

Waiting on Wednesday - Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share the titles of books whose release we are eagerly anticipating.

Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai. 272 p. HarperCollins Publishers, February 17, 2015. 9780062229182.

Publisher synopsis: This remarkable novel from Thanhhà Lại, New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award–winning and Newbery Honor Book Inside Out & Back Again, follows a young girl as she learns the true meaning of family.

A California girl born and raised, Mai can't wait to spend her vacation at the beach. Instead, though, she has to travel to Vietnam with her grandmother, who is going back to find out what really happened to her husband during the Vietnam War. Mai's parents think this trip will be a great opportunity for their out-of-touch daughter to learn more about her culture. But to Mai, those are their roots, not her own. Vietnam is hot, smelly, and the last place she wants to be. Besides barely speaking the language, she doesn't know the geography, the local customs, or even her distant relatives. To survive her trip, Mai must find a balance between her two completely different worlds.

Perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia and Linda Sue Park, Listen, Slowly is an irresistibly charming and emotionally poignant tale about a girl who discovers that home and culture, family and friends, can all mean different things.