Wednesday, March 25, 2009

OUT3 and Classics Challenges plus some Awards

I know I've been posting a lot lately and part of me feels bad about that. But then I think to myself--wait, most of you post every day--sometimes twice a day! I'm not sure why I like to spread out my posts, but I admit that I do. If I read a short book quickly and know I won't finish my next book for at least a week, I'll hold off on my review for a few days so that there isn't a big gap in posts or I don't post too close together. Isn't that the silliest thing you've ever heard?

Anyway, you've got at least one more post from me before the end of the month, AND I'm thinking I might make this Sunday my first Sunday Salon experience! I've always wanted to participate in Sunday Salon and I'm going to try and make it a priority this weekend. Trish has a lot to say!!

On to the purpose of this post--challenges!

CLASSICS CHALLENGE (hosted by me! HERE)

I'm going for the feast, but we'll see how it goes. ;)

Middlemarch - George Eliot
The Time Machine - HG Wells
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
Ethan Frome - Edith Wharton
The Romance of the Forest - Ann Radcliffe
Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
Bonus: Possession - AS Byatt
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ONCE UPON A TIME 3 CHALLENGE (Hosted by Carl V. HERE)
I have to admit that I'm incredibly jealous that 5 seconds after Carl had up his challenge post a million people joined. I guess fantasy/folklore/fairytales/mythology is much more fun than classics and non-fiction. *Sigh* If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Just kidding--I would have joined anyway as I LOVED this challenge last year! This year I'm taking The Journey (just in case I don't finish Jonathon Strange and end up with only 4 books instead of 5).

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - Maguire
The Tales of Beedle the Bard - JK Rowling
The Book of Lost Things - Connolly
The Light Fantastic - Pratchett
Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norrell - Clarke (although I might save this for RIP IV)

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I also wanted to note that Jess and CJ passed on the Sisterhood Award to me. I am incredibly touched by the recognition, especially for such a sweet award. Jess is a new to me blogger, but I look forward to getting to know her more. I've known CJ almost as long as I've been book blogging. She's been an inspiration to me on countless occasions and I really look up to her.

Please go visit these lovely ladies and tell them hello.

I also wanted to pass this award on to a few people. It seems like I've known these ladies for ages and I look forward to their posts on their own blogs as well as their encouraging and loving comments on my blog. You guys are what make blogging so special to me.


I look forward to meeting more fabulous bloggers as the journey continues.

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One more thing (I told you I was chatty lately!):

READ-A-THON!!!!! Who's excited? I AM!!
April 18-19
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! :D

28 comments:

Melody said...

First of all, thank you so much for passing the award to me! I feel so honoured and am also glad to have you as a friend! :)

Now onto the Classics Challenge... I still haven't decide on a list yet, but I'm wondering if Alice in Wonderland count as a classics? I've been dying to read this for ages but am not sure if this fits into the challenge. OK, I hope I don't sound stupid, haha.

bermudaonion said...

Congratulations on your award and good luck with your challenges.

Carl V. Anderson said...

I'm thrilled to have you Trish! I certainly credit the blogging community itself with the sign up numbers for this challenge. All of you great people band together to form this amazing community and it is an honor for me to be able to host an event that so many people enjoy. I can't blame your for signing up for the journey since Jonathan Strange is involved...that is quite the chunkster!!!

Amy said...

Girl, I wish I could post as infrequently as you (though I'd be happy if you posted more frequently) I just can't seem to get it down....I keep trying, though.
Congrats on your award and enjoy your challenges!

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

*Melody - Thank you for being such a great friend. :) Yes, Alice would absolutely count! I actually gave it to my mom last year for the challenge.

*Bermudaonion - Thank you. :) And I'll need the luck!

*Carl - Thrilled to be in such great company. Thanks for hosting again--I've been looking forward to this one.

*Amy - LOL! Actually the recent conversation on your post has made me realize that most of my community involvement is limited to leaving comments on other people's blogs. I love being involved in this community, but I shouldn't limit that to conversation on other people's blogs.

Amanda said...

Aw, thanks for the award! I don't think you should worry so much that you're posting too much. I love reading your posts whenever they come out!

Laura said...

Post away, Trish! I always get excited when I see a new post from you in my reader.

I haven't read the majority of the books in both your lists, so I look forward to hearing about them. I've never even heard of The Romance of the Forest!

Thank you for the award, sista-chick! ;) And as you well know...I am VERY excited about the read-a-thon and some sort of delightful pancake created at 3 am!

Literary Feline said...

I haven't said it yet, but I love the look of your blog. It's very easy on the eyes and welcoming.

Sometimes I feel like I should be posting every day, but it isn't always easy. I don't know why we put that much pressure on ourselves. There's nothing wrong with posting when we are able to, even if that means once a week--or even once a month.

I look forward to hearing what you think of your classic picks. I have only read Tom Sawyer from your list.

You'll fly through The Tales of Beadle the Bard. It's a quick read. :-) I really enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell when I read it, and hope you will too whether you read it now or in the fall.

Thank you so much for the Sisterhood Award, Trish! I think you do a wonderful job with your blog and I appreciate all of your comments.

bethany (dreadlock girl) said...

how can you be soooooo cool!?!? look at your blog! I came to comment on so many things about this post and then you smacked me in the face with your amazing layout! Pretty cool girl!! :)

Okay, so congrats!!! on the award, and you are too kind to give it to me too, you are.

Second I have been reading so many classics lately, and as much as I am bummed that I can't count them yet, it is fine I know that I will have no problem meeting my classics quota.

Third, I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE READ-A-THON!!!!!! You were such a great buddy with me last time and I can't wait to do it with you again!

ps you should really sign up for twitter....I know, not enough time..but I think it will be so good for the read-a-thon.

Stephanie said...

Don't worry. I SUCKED at the Classics challenge last year, but I'm still in for it this year!! I just haven't had the time to sign up. Carl's challenges are amazing like that. I think I happened to stumble on his post a few hours about he posted it, and already there were 20 signed up AND had alread posted about it!! (hmmmm..can I use the word "post" any more times in one sentence???)

I'll have a list by April 1st...and I'm in for the non-fiction challenge as well. It's such a hard genre for me. The only time I really get a chance to read non-fiction is if I make myself. That's too bad too, because I've found some awesome books in this challenge!

Oh...and thanks for the award!! There have been a few days lately I've questioned this whole blogging thing I've been doing. Not that I plan on quitting, but this past week has been a bit tough. Something like this just kind of validates things for me. I really shouldn't need any sort of validation....but it's nice to have once in a while. THANK YOU!

Anonymous said...

I do the same thing with my book reviews. I have three books finished now, but I'm trying to space the reviews out to one a week because I don't have time to read much because of school. So, you're not the only one that spreads out review posts and stuff; if you're weird than I am too :)

Kim

Darlene said...

Thank you so much for the award. You totally deserve it and you're right, it seems we've known each other longer than we have. lol.

I love seeing posts from you so don't think you're posting too much. Although I will hold reviews to post on different days just so I have something to put up.

I see we're both reading Ethan Frome. It looks like it'll be a fast read. I had thought about Macguire for the Once Upon a Time challenge as I have almost all of his and still haven't read them but then I wanted to try something different for me instead like De Lint.

Last, yes I'm excited for the read-a-thon. It'll be my first so we'll see how it goes.

Ana S. said...

I love your lists for both challenges! Possession is one of my all-time favourites, and I really hope you have the chance to get to it. Tom Sawyer was the first classic I LOVED. Middlemarch I want to read too, but it's long and I'm scared to :P As for OPaT, yay for Terry Pratchett and The Book of List Things :D

Thank you so so much for the sisterhood award, Trish :D I always look forward to your posts and comments too.

Anonymous said...

hey.. thanks so much for passing on the award to me.. I have been very selfish lately.. I just put the awards on my sidebar and never really pass it on.. it is such an effort to do that! i should change myself sometime:)

I am excited about your classics challenge. I have finally decided to do an all-out Jane Austen thing.. i am going to read all of her books during this challenge..so hopefully, I am having the classics feast! Lets see how that goes:)

Good luck with your challenges. You are tempting with the non fiction one as well.. i should really think hard about that one!

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

*Amanda - When I think about how some people post multiple times a day, I don't feel as bad about my 10 times a month average. :) And you're welcome.

*Laura - The Romance of the Forest is really old (maybe 1700s?), so I'm kind of nervous about reading it. One of those books that has been on my shelf for waaaaay too long!

*Lit Feline - Thanks about the look--it was an change way overdue! I'm planning on reading Beedle the Bard during the read-a-thon, so I hope I fly right through it! I think I remember you liking it?

*Bethany - LOL--now I just need to add the little tabs on top. I still have that email you sent me ages ago with the directions. I'm thrilled you'll be doing the read-a-thon again! I don't think I'll start twittering any time soon. I know I'm missing out, but I don't want to know HOW mcuh I'm missing out! Too many other things. :)

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

*Stephanie - Non-fiction is a genre that I've grown to love after joining Joy's challenge. It was never my first choice. I look forward to seeing what you pick for both challenges!! This has been a weird week for blogging, so I really wanted to pass on the award to some of my favorite bloggers. You do such a great job and I hope you don't give it up. :)

*Kim - I'm glad I'm not the only one who holds on to reviews to have her posts spread more evenly! And being weird isn't so bad, huh?? ;)

*Dar - I've only read Wicked by Maguire, but I really enjoyed it. I hope you like his stuff! And I'm so excited you'll be doing the read-a-thon this time around! It will be great to have another favorite to visit in the wee hours of the morning.

*Nymeth - I've heard great things about Possession, so I'm really excited for it. Knowing that you loved it makes me even more eager to start! And I'm scared to death of Middlemarch also. I started it years ago as an undergrad (for class) and never finished. Eeeks! I'm bound and determined to finish it this year.

*Ramya - I usually don't pass on the awards either, but I really wanted to show some appreciation this time. You guys mean so much to me. All Jane Austen!! I can't wait to hear what you think of them all! I've only read 3, but I've enjoyed them all.

raidergirl3 said...

I wish I liked Classics more, and I look at that 1001 list now and then thinking of some I could read, because I'd love to sign up. I skipped the last one, so maybe....
The Classic hosted by booklogged was my first challenge ever.

Silly Trish, you should feel free to post whenever you feel like it. Google reader makes it so easy to read posts, whether its one a week or 3 a day. Whatever works for you though.

Corinne said...

OOOHHH!! Middlemarch! I hope you LOVE it as much as I did.

Debi said...

I can't thank you enough for passing on that award to me, Trish. I'm serious, you have no idea how much that means to me! Because I absolutely adore you, and it makes me feel so special that you consider me a friend as well. And you know, as much as I have mixed feelings about the read-a-thon, I think I know now that I could never NOT do it. I would so miss hanging out with you. It's just too much silly fun, isn't it? Remember that goofy little HP video you posted during the last one...I swear Annie still brings that up once a week. She must have played it a dozen times during the read-a-thon after you posted it. And especially being that tired and giddy, it was impossible not to just roll on the floor laughing. Oh goodness, I'm looking forward to it more and more all the time. :)

raidergirl3 said...

OMG, that HP video was such a hit with my kids! They played it over and over, they made their own puppets and sang the song, they played the slower, and even slower and then the fster one.

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

*Raidergirl - I have to work at the classics. I do enjoy them while in the process of reading them or after I finish, but they still really intimidate me! I LOVE that your kids had so much fun with that video. It is hilarious, isn't it? I'm sure it will be making a late night appearance during the read-a-thon. :)

*Corinne - LOVED Middlemarch? Really? You've just given me a big nugget of hope!! :)

*Debi - Oh my goodness you make me laugh. I was actually just thinking about that HP video a few days ago. I'm going to have to bring it back for the read-a-thon--you've made it official. And now I'm going to have that rotten jingle in my head for the rest of the day. Ron. Ron. Ron Weasley. Sheesh!! The read-a-thon will be different this year, but I know it will still be great. And I know that Hannah, Trish, and Ana are certainly working so hard to make it wonderful.

Bellezza said...

I'm feeling the opposite of you: you expressed that you have a lot to say, I have NOTHING to say lately! Except, thanks for the award my friend; I love blogging with you. And, I'm excited about your Classics Challenge. So, thanks for hosting that as well as being my 'sister'.

samantha.1020 said...

Glad to see that you joined the Once Upon a Time challenge as well. It should be lots of fun and I will be keeping my eye out for your reviews. Congrats on the awards :)

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

*Bellezza - I've been missing you around the blogosphere. I go through phases as well where I have a lot to say and then nothing. I got all hyped up this weekend and now I'm feeling again like I don't have anything to say. :)

*Samantha - Well, it just seemed like *everyone* was doing it! :) I love a good challenge and I know this one will be fun.

Michelle said...

Looks like you are going to be pretty busy for a while! I am so excited to start the Classics challenge tomorrow!!!! Thank you, thank you thank you! For the award!

tanabata said...

I thought about joining the Classics Challenge but decided it didn't quite fit into my reading plans over the next few months. I'm definitely in for the Non-Fiction Challenge though, I just haven't had time to post about it yet.

As for your OUAT picks, Jonathan Strange is a fun read, but it is certainly a chunkster. And I'm hoping to finally read The Book of Lost Things, if not for the challenge, at least sometime this year.

Thoughts of Joy said...

I've already responded to this award on my blog, but wanted you to know again that you make blogging special for me! :) Thanks, Trish!

Good luck with your challenges! You've got some great choices.

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

*Michelle - I'm so glad you mentioned the Classics Challenge because it had totally slipped my mind! How does that happen?

*Tanabata - I've heard good things about Jonathon Strange, so I'm trying not to let the size scare me. Can't wait to see what you pick for the NFF!

*Joy - Ooooh! Thank you, Joy. You've made blogging such a wonderful experience for me, and I'm glad that we are booky friends. I still laugh sometimes when I think about how gracious you were to me when I first started blogging--you've definitely helped me along quite a bit. :)