Sunday, April 29, 2012

Week in Review (17)

Random Thoughts

It is hard to believe that April is almost over and done with. It seems to have flown by! This last week I have once again struggled with my reading; so I switched to manga and had some fun with that for a few days. I was hoping the change for a week would make me more interested in reading in May. Let's hope it works out that way!

Postcard Project

Those of you that kind of know me know that I collect postcards. The last couple days I have been organizing my collection to see where I stand on certain things. My current goal for 2012 is to get a postcard from every province/territory in Canada and all 50 States. There are some places that I have tonnes of postcards for, but there are other places I only have a lone one or none at all. Then, some of the postcards I have are ones that I got when my grandmother passed on, so I thought it would be nice to get my own postcard from there. So, fellow bloggers, would you be willing to send me a postcard? If so either leave a comment with your email below or email me directly and I will give you my address (kellyreads (at) gmail (dot) com). I took a before picture for the US part:
Left to Right: Back Row: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii. Next Row: Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine. Next Row: Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi (not sure on this one, just the Mississippi River really), Montana, and New Hampshire. Next Row: New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. Next Row: South Dakota (a picture of a buffalo...), Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia (random hotel picture). And Last Row: West Virginia and Wyoming.
Number-wise: If I count everything I have postcards from 9/10 provinces, 0/3 territories, and 32/50 states.

If you want a postcard in return, I would be happy to send you one. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Poetry: Read More/Blog More - A Monthly Event

Thanks to everyone who joined in this month! Just a reminder that we made some changes to the event that you can read about here. This month we will continue to read poems from the list at the Endicott Studios. Be sure and check them out so we can have a bit of a discussion in December. We will also be posting a poem about halfway through May that can be found online and everyone can read together. Keep your eyes open for that! Lu will have Mr. Linky and such in May. Don't forget to post between the 28 and 31. 

Trish's Pinterest Challenge
I have all ready completed one project for her challenge. You can read all about it, and maybe use the idea, here. It is not too late to sign up. Just visit Trish's blog. (She offered invitations. I can also invite you if you need one. Just need your email to do so.)

Challenge News

I read a lot of manga. It was all Historical Fiction, so technically it counts for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I think I will just count each series as one entry: Emma Series by Kauro Mori, Shirley Series by Kauro Mori, and A Bride's Story by Kauro Mori.

Weekly Reads

I was talking to a friend about manga and one thing lead to another. I was never entirely sure if I had read Volumes 9 and 10 of this series. When I originally read it in 2009, I never marked those as read on Goodreads, so I decided to reread what I know I had read and then see about those two volumes. I am pretty sure I did in fact read them, but for whatever reason they were left off my list for that year. I enjoyed the reread, though, and strongly recommend this series. It would be good for Downton Abbey fans, actually. (10 Volumes)





Then, since I was on the manga read, I thought I would read her Shirley one as well. I am sure that in the original language this was great, but it lost something in translation. I was disappointed. (1 Volume)









Then, I remembered that since I read Emma she has had another series released. A trilogy, at least at the moment it is, so I thought I would give it a try. I read the first volume yesterday and it is rather interesting. I will withhold judgement until I have read volume 2 and 3. I will say that the art is fantastic. I really liked it in Emma, but she has progressed a lot since then.







Weekly Posts

Once Upon a Time Meet Poetry - Poetry: Read More/Blog More - Take 4
What are you Listening to Wednesday - Week 18

New Additions

Bought:
Tapping the Dream Tree by Charles de Lint (Buddy Read with Carl)
Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger
My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
Code Name, Verity by Elizabeth Wein
A Bitter Truth: Bess Crawford Series, Book 3 by Charles Todd

Borrowed:
Grave mercy - LaFevers, Robin. 
Children of the Titanic - Welldon, Christine.
Voyagers of the Titanic : passengers, sailors, shipbuilders, aristocrats, and the worlds they came from - Davenport-Hines, R. P. T. (Richard Peter Treadwell)
American rose : a nation laid bare : the life and times of Gypsy Rose Lee - Abbott, Karen
Passage - Willis, Connie.
Leviathan wakes - Corey, James S. A.
Quest for the spark. Book 2 - Sniegoski, Tom.
Daughters of Rome  - Quinn, Kate.

19 comments:

  1. Looks like you already have postcards from the state I'm in but if you want another Minnesota one I'd be more than willing to send you one. Just let me know what you'd like on it (lots of snow postcards, loons, lakes, state mushroom, weird state facts, etc) samantha.oakley@mnsu.edu

    The manga looks awesome. I need to get back into the series I used to read.

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  2. I can't believe April is on its way out either. It's crazy how fast it went!

    I'm not a huge manga fan myself, but I certainly know how switching over to a graphic novel style reading can help things along. It's been entirely too long since I've read comics or illustrated narrative of any type!

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  3. I'm totally willing to send you a postcard from Washington State. Just send me your address! webereading AT gmailDOTcom. :)

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  4. Hey, you need one from Kansas!! Email me. :-)

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  5. I wish this year would slow down! There's so much that I need to do. It feels like time is slipping through my fingers. I started reading Emma but my library only has the first volume. :-(

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  6. Did I send you one the other week from Arizona? It's so fun to see all your piles! Just think of all the cards I could have sent you last summer while on my cross country trip! I should have known!:)

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  7. Your post card project looks like so much fun! I'm from Oregon, so I see my state is already taken care of. :)

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  8. Well I see you have one from Texas already. Otherwise I'd be quite willing to send you a postcard of the Alamo or some half-naked cowboys. Those are the popular ones around here. :D

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  9. I can send you ones from DC, Virginia and North Carolina if you like (just send me your mailing address - cmdaphne(at)tds(dot)net)

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  10. Not US, but if you want a London, UK postcard, let me know :-)

    And I loved your Pinterest project - very clever.

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  11. What a great collection!! Nova Scotia!! My hubby and I want to go there in the next few years!!!

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  12. Would you like one from Rhode Island? Let me know your address and I'd be happy to send you one of the building where I work!

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  13. I'd be more than happy to send you a post card, Kelly. I see you already have from New York though--do you still want one?

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  14. Do you need a postcard from Quebec province?

    Yay on buying Almost Like Being in Love and My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger! Those two are my favorite books!

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  15. I'm trying to figure out where April went as well! This year is flying by so far...I just can't keep up!

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  16. I have to email you about Tapping the Dream Tree! Sorry, my knee gave out on Saturday and I'm just coping.....

    Did you read the Titanic book yet? I've heard good things about it.

    I feel so bad, I signed up for your poetry reading and haven't reviewed any for you! And yet I read some Mary Oliver almost every night before bed! lol

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  17. I didn't know you collected PCs--I just recently joined Postcrossing and Swap Bot and have gotten hugely addicted to them. I would be happy to send you one from Nebraska (just email me your address). I've been slowly collecting map cards, too. Just let me know! :) I think my new addiction has infringed a tiny bit on my reading, but I am hoping May will be a catch up month for me!

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  18. Not sure my email will be visible--I'm at:

    literarycat@hotmail.com

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  19. A fellow postcard collector! I love building my collection, too, and can definitely appreciate trying to reach a challenge! If you would like a postcard from Maryland, I'd be happy to send you one! Just drop me a line at writing.meg [at] gmail.com :)

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