Updates...

Wow haven't posted for 3 weeks... work is still keeping me busy so I just don't feel like writing (but I'm still reading.) or using the computer when I get home... Plus I'd been watching some DVDs (Hoarders: Season 1 and LOST: Season 6 (finally!)) so that cut into my reading time.



Read (yet to do reviews):

Fiction

• The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee
• Still Life by Joy Fielding
• The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Non-Fiction

• The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang
• Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
• Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale, an Activist Finds Her Calling and Heals Herself by Rachel Lloyd

Did Not Finish:

Non-Fiction

• In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene
• Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year by Anne Lamott

Currently Reading:

• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
• Lost in Shangri-La: The Epic True Story of a Plane Crash into the Stone Age by Mitchell Zuckoff

Reading Goals:

• One of my reading goals was to read about 50-50 fiction and non-fiction. I think so far I have read 14 fiction and 11 non-fiction, so not too bad.
  
  
• Another goal was for me to read out loud with the Husband (I like print, he likes audio). I am aiming for 5 books. We completed one! It was Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. We both enjoyed the experience and it was great that we could discuss the book together. Our second book together is Lost in Shangri-La: The Epic True Story of a Plane Crash into the Stone Age by Mitchell Zuckoff and we both enjoyed it so far. I guess we actually started this reading together last year when we took Dave Ramsey's class - part of the homework was to read some chapters of his Peace University book, and I read aloud to him then. When the class finished, I thought it'd be a good idea for us to keep going!
  
• Oh in March received our look list to pick our selection for our local book club! I was so excited to receive the list (yeah I'm a nerd :p) We'll return our vote in April, and will find out in May what we'd be reading from August 2011-July 2012. Can't wait to find out, there were some good ones there (okay I confessed I suggested quite a few titles, but I didn't vote for all my suggestions, even though we got to pick 15-20 titles! So I am glad I found some new authors!)
  
  
• I forgot to mention, I won a copy of Table of Contents: From Breakfast with Anita Diamant to Dessert with James Patterson - a Generous Helping of Recipes, Writings and Insights from Today's Bestselling Authors by Gelman Judy from Kristen Book Club Classics recently. To my surprise, Kristen included a very pretty note card with the book with the book wishing that I'd enjoy it as much as she did. What a nice touch! I haven't read it yet but took a quick look - it included many authors, and each of them answered a few questions such as Inspiration, Readers Should Know, Readers Frequently Ask and Authors Who Have Influenced My Writing, and then of course their favorite recipes. Some of the authors (whose books I'd read) included Lisa Genova, Sara Gruen, Janice Lee, Laura Lippman and James Patterson. I can't wait to read more about the other authors I hadn't read before to see if I'd discover some new (to me) authors! Thanks Kristen!
  
  
• I kept meaning to write more personal posts, or have more discussions posts (been "collecting" some questions). Guess I need to be more discipline about blogging... or rather, have better work/life balance... so much to do (and read) and so little time... Any tips on how to do that better? And to think that we don't even have kids... what would life be like if we do?