Last two books before November..

I can't believe October flew by so fast... Its like I was so unblinkingly engrossed in the "Anne Series" that the moment I stopped to blink, it was the 30th! Tomorrow is All Hallows Eve- my favourite time of year- and beyond thinking about seeing terrifyingly epic costumes and pumpkins and candy, my thoughts have switched out of reading mode into NANO-mode. in exactly 26 and a half hours I will be officially competing in NANOWRIMO and hopefully beginning the best 50k writing challenge ever. I am going to make it this year... *fingers and toes crossed*

But before I say goodbye to reading for 30 days, I have to post about the last two books I've read in the last 24 hours- a bit of a race to beat the clock... After finishing Anne of Windy Poplars (in 5 days) I realized that there were only two days left in October and considering I'd have to work both days in my church's office, I decided not to begin book 5 of the series.  No, I would simply attempt to read two or more shorter, lighter texts and much to my surprise, I had just two appropriate books in my bookcase :)  

The first novel I read yesterday was...

First Date           By R.L. Stein

R.L.Stein. An Archway Paperback published by POCKET BOOKS, a division
of Simon & Schuster Inc. May 1992

      R.L. Stein is a favourite teens author of mine.. the Fear Street and the Goosebumps series' are very thrilling, especially when your an over-active emotional pre-pubescent under 15 year old *lol*. I hope children today get to enjoy his novels just as much as people in my generation did...viva the 90's!! In this 165 page thriller we meet Chealsea Richards, a very shy 15 year old who is new in town and desperately searching for love.  Her current wish and deepest hope is to be asked out by a boy and finally experience her "first date".  She meets two boys who are also new in town and they both ask her out. One is a dangerous psycho killer and the other a lonely lost boy ( of sorts)... the trouble for Chelsea is figuring out which one is which. Shes so naive and ignorant and desperate, her senses get skewed and she ends up naming the wrong one as dangerous based on appearances.  Now that I've re-read this book again, and i'm ten years older than the first time i read it I cannot believe how scary open trust in strangers can be and how easily young women can fall prey to dangerous men.  I realize that the world of dating and men can be a terrifying place for someone lacking life experience but the more disconcerting thing is that you just never know the people you meet.. it is easy to be trusting, but also just as easy to be paranoid of the "what if's" in regards to strangers.  When your "moonstruck" in love, its even easier to become blind to the dangers that come with letting someone unfamiliar get so close to you.  *sigh* I personally like to take the optimistic road but re-reading this novel reminded me about the wondrous fearful time of young love and "first dates".  This book is for young adults but even at 22 years of age, I enjoyed it.  It was simple and the plot was easy to follow. I read it in 2 hours. It has a happy ending and gives you some hope in Chelsea and portrays her as somewhat intelligent and resourceful in the end which would be a good boost for any teenage girls.. I'm going to hold onto it and maybe my own children will read it one day.

I followed R.L. Stein up with a 200 page novel entitled...

                                           Sweet Dreams      By Robin Jones Gunn

Robin Jones Gunn. Published by Focus on the Family. 1994

      This novel is along the similar lines of teen-aged romance but with Christian over and under-tones. We meet Christy Miller, her best friend Katie who is struggling with letting go of her non-Christian boyfriend and Christy's perfect bf Todd along with his equally God-loving friend Doug. As a Christian I found myself sympathizing with the struggles of Christy and Katie as they endeavor to live their lives according to God's will. The plot provides great examples for the use of living and witnessing the scripture... For instance, Katie and Christy both have to let go of the men they love because they know that God wants different things for them and they find solace in the fact that "God is near the brokenhearted".  Come to think of it, this book has a lot of parallels to my own life and current circumstances around love and relationships... The two girls help each other remember that it's okay to "let go" and to accept that your first love will always will be an important part of your life and will remain with you. It's reminded me that you cannot let the pains from first loves hold you back from loving again but can strengthen you to go forward when looking for companionship and love. Thanks to re-reading this book I feel a little better about my own decisions regarding faith, spirituality and relationships.  Sometimes the best things we can do for other people is pray for them and give them space and let the Holy Spirit guide them uninterrupted. My favourite character in the novel has to be Doug- Todd's best friend- whom the girls nic-name "Mr. Counselor-to-All-Brokenhearted-Women" (Gunn 152).  He seems to be one of those people who live their lives for the greater good of the world and is set on helping the heartbroken find their way back to God... I think Katie said it best on page 149, "I just so happen to think that being near to God is a wonderfully safe place to be" and I absolutely couldn't agree more.  I am happy to find myself safe near the Lord... *sigh*

Sorry, I went all crazy-christian* there... I just really liked that novel- it made me think.. and its definitely one I'm going to hang on to for my kids.. or at least my niece *hehe* 

Anyway, I've decided to take my temporary bookcase challenge rest here now that these two novels have been read.  I'm not as far along as I had hoped but I am too excited for the start of NANOWRIMO to fret about the September 2013 deadline right now :) 

I shall be blogging about my 50k writing challenge on my other blog and I hope you will follow me:
                          
                                                www.cristinabilich.blogspot.com 

I can't wait to start writing though I am sad to have to stop reading for 30 days... I am going to force myself not to break my own rules.. I will not sneak reading a novel in while doing NANOWRIMO.. I just hope I have the strength to resist the wonderful temptation that reading is ;) 

I hope you will continue to read along with me and in your lives.. check my bookcase list and if anything strikes you do look into it.. if you have any questions about whats on my list, feel free to send me an e-mail or drop me a comment- i'll be checking :) 

Wish Me Luck.. See you all in 31 days!!!!!!!! 

Forward.... Write!

<3

**NB** when I say crazy-christian I mean it in a completely positive and good way*

P.s Don't worry.. I'll be back! CB

A Pre-November Summary...

Here's a summary of our current position: we're 50 days down, 315 to go and  I've read 8 books to date.

Now, i'm going to be taking 30 days off of November to write but I am planning on breaking my own rules and sneaking one or two books in during the month... *shhhh don't tell anyone*

There are still 112 books to be read but if I read a new book every 2.5 days (or less) I will finish my bookshelf on time.  

Let's see how much I can get read between now and 11:59pm on the 31st.

Posts on the "Anne Series" still to come!!!!

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The 10 day countdown..

I just finished book three and cannot wait to begin the next one...

                           Anne of Windy Poplars

Its going to be a delicious read I'm sure! This newly finished book had such a wonderfully happy end, I have great expectations for this next book in the series.

And I just realised that in 9 minutes and 10 days from now I will be starting NANOWRIMO!!! But what to write about?? That is the question! L.M.M has made think about writing a story very close to my own life but I don't know if I can be romantic enough without being bias or falling into melancholic memories and nostalgia. Only time will tell I guess.

I've decided to aim to read 3 more of the series by the 31st and if I can do it stdadily I might even sneak another one in... wish me luck!

"Sunbursts and marble halls may be all very well, but there is more 'scope for the imagination' without them." (LMM iii, 244)
-how right you are Anne, how right indeed!

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Snails Pace Reading-Thats What!

100 pages to go before I finish Anne of the Island and can begin book 4 in the "Anne Series". *Sigh* I'm enjoying the pages immensely but much too slowly I'm afraid.  I've got to read at least 6 more books before the 31st.  I'm nervous about making my year deadline and we're only in the second month of this journey... Well nothing to do but forge ahead.

Perhaps I shouldn't have watched the two movie adaptations this week... and read more. But I really couldn't help myself. While I do have a wonderfully detailed imagination, I thought a little visual stimulation might help my will power.  I was able to read 10 chapters last night before bed.

You wouldn't know it from the movies, but Anne goes to Redmond college and meets the "prince charming" or her dreams who suits her ideals of "tall, irresistibly handsome and melancholic" with the bluenose boy named Royal Gardiner. But what happens to her childhood chum Gilbert? Only time (and further reading) will tell!!!

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Book 8... moving slowly but surely on!

Too tired for fancy intro's tonight. I've decided to read through the "Anne Series" before November, which will knock off about 9 books from my list.  And so...

          Book 8 is                     Anne of The Island                  by L.M. Montgomery 

I apologize for any spoiling this may cause to those of you who haven't yet read this series and would like to... I'd like to briefly update you on whats happening in the series so far. Anne has mellowed some from when she first arrived at Green Gables 5 years ago, and She and Diana Barry are now 18.  Anne and Gilbert are now friends and in fact, Gil is pining away for our determined self proclaimed "spinster" [Anne] who, at the end of book two in the series, only just begins to feel a stirring in her heart when he looks at her.  Matthew Cuthbert has passed away and Marilla's eye sight gets worse and Anne decides to stay home another year to teach.   Both she and Gilbert teach for two years before being able to returning to school.  They will begin at Redmond college in book three and this education is scheduled to last about 5 years. Also, Diana Barry is engaged to Fred Wright and is going to be staying in Avonlea to continue making doilies for her house and Marilla has taken the now widowed Rachel Lynde to live with her at Green Gables along with the twins of her deceased third cousin Mrs. Keith whom she and Anne have been raising the past two years.  

Caught up yet? If you feel i've spoiled it for you, I implore you to actually read through the first 2 books in the series because my brief summary of the story line pales greatly in comparison to Montgommery's wonderful writing. 

I'm only on page 5 of this book, but so far I'm enjoying every word.  Anne and Diana - mostly Anne- are discussing the challenges of growing up and how sad growing old can be because so much changes. Anne has renewed her vow to live as an old spinster unless her "ideal man" actually does come along- I'll give you her description of him in my next post- and is feeling a little left behind by Diana who can't stop looking at her sparkling engagement ring and smiling the "little smile which always had the effect of making Anne feel suddenly left out and inexperienced" (Montgomery 4).  They're just about to run into Gilbert and are beginning to feel the sadness of Anne's going away to Redmond the following week.  

Cover of book 3 in the Anne of Green Gables series

Inside cover with epitaph by Tennyson

Epitaph reads:
"All precious things discovered late
To those that seek them issue forth,
For Love in sequel works with Fate,
And draws the veil from hidden worth."
                                  -TENNYSON

L.M.M inscribed book three of the series "to all the girls all over the world who have "wanted more" about ANNE".  Simply lovely :)

I hope you're upcoming week is going to be sunny and lovely, not rainy and dismal as mine is appearing to be... *sigh* thank Goodness for the company of "delightful, unpredictable Anne Shirley" and the wonderfully uplifting words of Lucy Maud Montgomery. 

More to come so check back within a fortnight if you're interested. Drop a comment if you're reading more than the first line of my posts.. 

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Such a failure..

I can't believe that I let 6 days go by since my last post... And I still havent finished Anne of Avonlea yet either. *face palm*

Well no more wallowing about in the depths of despair! Time to get things done. Im going to finish the last half of that novel even if it kills me!

Will post next book choice ASAP!!!

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31 days down... 334 to go... and im slowing :(

I triumphantly finished Anne of Green Gables in 3 days to then have my momentum come to a skidding halt! The last 2 days I've been sitting around kinda mopey from the cloudy, foggy weather not feeling like picking up a book. I even went around with book 2 of the Anne series in my hand but couldn't make myself open a page.

*sigh*

I can't be tired of reading yet can I? no I must just be experiencing a moment of procrastination.. come to think of it.. my academic reading used to slow down around this time of year too.. hmmm..

Well, I'm not going to sit around today.. I've got to teach esl, attend a church group meeting and then play at mass tonight which means I've got to get at least 100 pages read in between.. thankfully the bus rides are long and I will have something to do during the lulls in between my appointments of the day.

So I've decided to read Anne of Avonlea as my next book.. book 8 from my bookcase if I'm not mistaken. I have to get into a groove and finish the book by tomorrow... November doth approach and I can't afford to lose any more reading time between now and then!

if you're interested in the Anne Series, feel free to poke and prod in my comments box or through e-mail.. would love to hear from any of my 4-11 daily page viewers :D

Have a thoughful Thursday!
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Talk about speed reading!

Its been so long since I completed 300 pages in 72 hours without delay and it feels just ever so good!

At 11:49pm I finished page 309 of Anne of Green Gables and I am sad yet pleasantly peaceful to have reached the end...

" ' God's in his heaven, all's right with the world,' " whispered Anne softly.

What a deliciously perfect ending!!

Anne and Gilbert are finally friends and even though they suffer a grave loss (don't worry no big spoiler) at Green Gables, Anne remains joyful and hopeful for the future. While the road stretched out straight ahead of her, time always brings about changes...

but for Anne. . .

".. there was always the end in the road!"

*sigh* can't wait to read another novel from L.M. Montgommery's wonderful Anne series :)

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