Monthly Archives: December 2015

A Reading Challenge for 2015

I found this challenge a little late in the year, but I still did pretty well.

A book with more than 500 pages: Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
2.A classic romance: Daisy, Judith Krantz (1980)
3.A book that became a movie: Insurgent by Veronica Roth (2012)
4.A book published this year: Bon Appetempt: A Coming of Age Story (with Recipes), Amelia Morris (2015)
5.A book with a number in the title: 8 Laws of Change: How to Be an Agent of Personal and Social Transformation, Stephan Schwartz (2015)
6.A book written by someone under 30: The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, Deb Perelman (2012)
7.A book with nonhuman characters: Dead Men’s Boots, Mike Carey (2009)
8.A funny book: Eating Rome: Living the Good Life in the Eternal City, Elizabeth Helman-Minchilli (2015)
9.A book by a female author: Blood Red by Mercedes Lackey (2014)
10.A mystery or thriller: Make Me, Lee Child (2015)
11.A book with a one-word title: Gut (The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ), Giulia Enders (2015)
12.A book of short stories:  Sun in Glory and Other Tales of Valdemar, Mercedes Lackey (2004)
13.A book set in a different country: A Tiger in the Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family, Cheryl Lu-lien Tan (2011)
14.A nonfiction book:  The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating An Extraordinary Workplace, Ron Friedman (2014)
15.A popular author’s first book:  In Conquest Born, C.S. Friedman
16.A book from an author you love that you haven’t read yet:  From A High Tower, Mercedes Lackey (2015)
17.A book a friend recommended: Midnight Riot, Ben Aaronovitch (2011)
18.A Pulitzer Prize-winning book:
19.A book based on a true story: Blue Plate Special: An Autobiography of My Appetites, Kate Christensen (2013)
20.A book at the bottom of your to-read list: The Gastronomical Me, M.K. Fisher (1985)
21.A book your mom/family member loves: Harry Potter series
22.A book that scares you: anything by Stephan King (and no, I don’t read books that scare me)
23.A book more than 100 years old: Little Women, Luisa May Alcott (1868)
24.A book based entirely on its cover: 1602, Neil Gaiman
25.A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t:
26.A memoir: This is Who I Am, Roseanne Olson (2008)
27.A book you can finish in a day: Shattered, Kevin Hearne (2014)
28.A book with antonyms in the title:
29.A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit:  Lion of Ireland, Morgan Llywelyn (2002)
30.A book that came out the year you were born: The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1(65)**
31.A book with bad reviews: Witches of America, Alex Mar (2015)
32.A trilogy:  The Morgaine Saga, C.J. Cherryh (2000)
33.A book from your childhood: Foundation, Isaac Asimov
34.A book with a love triangle: Mona Lisa Darkening, Sunny
35.A book set in the future:  Second Foundation, Isaac Asimov
36.A book set in high school: Skulduggery Pleasant*, Derek Landy (2007)
37.A book with a color in the title: Dress Her in Indigo, John MacDonald (1969)
38.A book that made you cry: Shattered, Kevin Hearne
39.A book with magic: On A Pale Horse, Piers Anthony
40.A graphic novel: 1602, Neil Gaiman (2004)
41.A book by an author you’ve never read before: Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore, Robin Sloan (2012)
42.A book you own but have never read: 
43.A book that takes place in your hometown: Hunting Ground, Patricia Briggs (2011)
44.A book that was originally written in a different language:
45.A book set during Christmas:
46.A book written by an author with your same initials:
47.A play:
48.A banned book: the Harry Potter series
49.A book based on or turned into a TV show: The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Ree Drummond (2012)
50.A book you started but never finished: Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer (2014)

* Granted this is stretching it a bit. But the protagonist does go to HS as part of the story.

** within 2 years of my birth, that’ll have to be close enough.

Ok, so I failed to accomplish only 8 of the tasks. Pretty good, if I do say so myself!

Joyous Solstice to All!

The house is quiet. The house is dark.
All of the electronics are unplugged. All of the drapes drawn over windows shut tight.
It is late, so there is no traffic on the streets outside.
My household sleeps, safe and warm.

Outside, the recent rain has stopped for a bit.
The clouds have parted.
Stars dot the velvet sky,
bright jewels.

The wind is so cold
while ragged fingers run
across the moon’s
pale face.

I wait.
Shivering.
I wait.
Growing numb.

. . .

Almost too slowly
the dark lightens
black becomes steel
grows rosy

All hail the return
the return of the sun!
Light returning
as the world wakes up around me

~12/22/15