Once Upon a Read-a-Thon: Favorite Fictional Characters Mini Challenge (2)

For this Once Upon a Read-a-Thon Mini Challenge, the folks at the Eager Readers blog asks, "What is your favorite fictional couple?"  One couple should be from a book and another couple should be one that you create from two different books. Kinda like a main character blind date, right?

My first couple comes from a lesser-known YA book called I Had Seen Castles by Cynthia Rylant. I teach it in summer school, and kids pretty much love it universally. It's a story about a teen boy named John who is just old enough to enter into WWII after Pearl Harbor is attacked. He has all of the machismo and lives a pretty privileged life, though he takes that for granted. Basically, he's a pretty typical teen boy living in a big city during the 1940's. He's a good character.

But, then there's Ginny. Ah, Ginny. I just love her. She and John meet when he bumps into her on a trolley and she gives him a little what-for. She's vibrant and cool and interesting and beautiful. But, she comes from the "other side" of Pittsburgh--And Johnny does not. She does not see going to war as a rite of passage, and she has struggled more in her 17 years than Johnny has ever dreamed of.

There is this one scene, right before Johnny goes off to war, where he and Ginny get drunk on vodka. I almost cry just thinking about it. Okay, so maybe you think I'm crazy and that I shouldn't use this with teens, but come on! They get drunk and Johnny gets vulnerable and it's sweet and desperate and as real as any YA book comes. These two are not fated to be together forever, but just for a while. And, that's what gets Johnny through the next few years of combat. I love these two kids.

For my blind date, I'm going to set up Edward Cullen from Twilight with Miranda from Life As We Knew It. This sounds like an odd match, and indeed it is. I feel like Edward likes to be in control and plays a sort of savior role toward Bella in the Twilight series.

Unlike Bella, Miranda truly needs someone to save her! She's dying from lack of food after the moon basically crashes into the Earth and leaves our planet without sunlight. So, Edward could help her find food or, if that doesn't work, he can make her into a vampire and they can feed off of survivors until they are the last "people" left. Edward will end his accursed life and Miranda won't starve to death. It's perfect!

Hope you liked my couples. Off to see who you're all choosing!

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon (1)

Though I am (kinda) busy teaching summer school and taking a couple of graduate courses, I am fairly certain that I'll have at least a few hours each day to devote to reading. Here's what I hope to accomplish:

-Read The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results by Douglas B. Reeves for a class I'm taking (I'm sure you can tell by reading the title why I've procrastinated in reading this book!)

-Finish reading The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare for the Book It Forward ARC Tour (It's amazing so far! I'm only about 100 pages in, but I had to force myself to put it down last night!)

-Finish reading The History of England by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens (Not as boring as it sounds. It's actually kinda funny. And I love learning about history!)

That is a good starting list. I'm sure that I'll get most of this accomplished quite quickly, and that I'll add to my reading list as this Read-a-Thon progresses.

The HUGE TBR Readathon: Finish Line

Okay, so I did not read five books. I did not accomplish all of the goals that I set for myself at the beginning of this challenge. But, I did read three books and I lived a whole lot of life in the past three glorious sunny summer days.

Honestly, when my internet router stopped working on Thursday, I had a bit of a what-am-I-ever-going-to-do-without-tech meltdown. That lasted for about three or four hours before I decided to just go with it and live like it was 1985 all over again. I had done everything that I could do: called the cable company, spent an hour on the phone, arranged for a new modem to arrive early this week.

So, I lived life for the entire weekend without any internet. I did have moments of lack-of-tech frustration, like wanting a phone number to order take-out and needing directions, but other than this there were no significant problems. In fact, there were several bonuses: I spent the weekend with friends and family and traveled and gardened and read and never felt the need to update my status, so to speak. It was wonderful.

I read three of my TBR books, all of which were entertaining and fabulous in their own way:

1. Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
2. Marcello in the Real World by Francisco Stork
3. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

I also started another TBR book:

1. Folly by Marthe Jocelyn

Hopefully, I'll be able to write some of these reviews soon. I won't have internet service for another day or two, so maybe I'll just enjoy a couple more of these sunny summer days.

The HUGE TBR Readathon: Update (Day 3)

Day three allowed for some sustained reading of Jo Knowles' Jumping Off Swings. I was still reading at 11pm, which is deadly when you have to get up at quarter of six to administer and correct finals. But, trooper that I am, I managed to almost finish this ah-mazing book. I cannot wait to write the review for this book and share my thoughts!

Now, I am officially done with regular school (I start summer school next week). I should have lots of time this weekend to read and relax! Happy readings, readathon-ers.

The HUGE TBR Readathon: Update (Day 2)

Due to some unexpected (but welcome) dinner guests, I did not have time to read last night. I did, though, have time to write a review for Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I've been meaning to write this review (and several others) for about a week now. I still have a few more to write, so we'll see how much I can get accomplished this week.

Okay, back to grading finals and entering grades!

The HUGE TBR Readathon: Update (Day 1)

I'm going to *attempt* to give a daily update concerning my progress in the HUGE TBR Readathon (hosted by Kristen at Bookworming in the 21st Century). As I've said before, this is finals week for me, so there's a whole lot of assessment and goodbyes and craziness to be had. And, I'm moving classrooms. Not just because it's fun to move (because it's not) but because the little outbuilding that I teach in is getting demolished as soon as school gets out. Sad, but necessary in order for our new, shiny school to be built!

In and amongst the chaos, I plan to read 5 books from my TBR list/ book shelves. I am not going to pre-plan these titles; I'd rather just see where my reading interests take me.  Last night, I started my first title for this readathon. It's called Jumping Off Swings and it's written by Jo Knowles. And, it's amazing. I am incredibly hooked and saddened and in love with this book. And, that's only after reading about 75 pages.

So, I haven't read a ton for this challenge, but I will be able to put in more time as the week progresses (and school ends) I should be able to reach my goal!