11K in 2011 - Harry Potter

I WILL hit my goal of 11,000 pages by the end of this year!  I may have just over a week, but it's GOING to happen!!!!

The back of the Book:

Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground.  He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.  All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley- a great big swollen spoiled bully.  Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.  But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry- and anyone who reads about him- will find unforgettable.  For it's there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter.

The Bibliography:

Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  New York, New York: Scholastic Press, 1997.

You can find it here, or at your public library.  Support the libraries!!!

Total Pages: 309

Total Pages read in 2011: 10,147

Total Pages Remaining: 853

The Back of the Book:
The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.  But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.  And strike it does.  For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny. But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone- or something- starts turning Hogwarts students to stone.  Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever?  Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told?  Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects... Harry Potter himself!


The Bibliography:
Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  New York, New York: Scholastic Press, 1999.


You can find it here, or at your local library.  Support the libraries!!!!!


Total Pages: 341
Total Pages for 2011: 10,488
Total Pages Remaining: 512  or 52 pages per day.  I can do this!!!!

Did I Mention that I Had a Baby?

As I'm typing this my poor husband is trying to soothe a tired 2 month old so that she just might go to sleep early tonight.

Wow, she's 2 months old.  She'll be 10 weeks on Wednesday, and in less than 3 weeks I return to work.  Which makes me want to puke, but I will write more on that later.

So let's see... she's growing like crazy, and is truly a fun little firecracker most of the time.  She has a gorgeous little smile that melts your heart.  She's very strong.

I am constantly stunned at just how little I can get done during the day.  It's even worse since we're having trouble with naps.  As in, she doesn't nap unless she is sleeping ON ME.  This is obviously a big problem.  If anyone has any advice, please let me know.

For example, there are 3 loads of laundry that have been washed, but not folded.  I was happy that we were able to get out and pick up the Christmas cards that I ordered online.  Might I mention that it's only 2 weeks until Christmas?

Romeo has been a champ.  He hasn't yet acted out, although he might be a little clingy.  He loves Maddie.  He gets upset when she's particularly upset.  He cuddles with us when we're napping.  He holds it when he's gotta go but she's nursing.  He has even learned which toys are hers and not his.  :)

At the beginning of January I will be returning to work, which means Maddie will be starting daycare.  I'm utterly terrified.  I'm second guessing my choice of care, even though I know I looked at several before choosing.  I'm worried that she won't adjust easily, that she'll be left crying when she has a hard time sleeping.  She's been well loved, and won't be used to being put down a lot.  I'm really hoping it works out well.  

We've made it over 2 months breastfeeding!!!  :)  And it's going very well.  So well that before I had considered not pumping and giving her formula while I work.  Now I'm actually going to attempt pumping.  Heaven help me.  My employer is very willing to let me and even help me do this.  My actual job, however... we'll see.  I work hard.  LUNCH was a challenge.  Lunch and pumping twice a day?  It's gonna be interesting, that's for sure.

11K in 2011 - Destined

SPOILER ALERT!!!

This book is the next book in the House of Night Series.  The back of the book gives away what has happened in previous books.

The Back of the Book:

"Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side and preparing to face off against Neferet - which would be a whole lot easier if the High Council saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is.  Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together - if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow.

But there are new forces at work at the House of Night.  An influx of humans, including Lenobia's handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability.  And then there's the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous teen boy who is actually more- or possibly less- than human.  Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon.  But Zoey can sense the part of his sould that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling.  And there's something strangely familiar about him...

Will Neferet's true nature be revealed before she succeeds at extinguishing Light? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox's humanity in time to protect them all?  Find out what's Destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series."

The bibliography:
Cast, P. C. and Kristin.  Destined.  New York, New York: St Martins Press, 2011.


Total Pages: 325
Total read in 2011: 9,838
Total pages remaining: 1,162 or 59 pages per day

11K in 2011 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Ok, so the rules never once mentioned not reading your favorite books over, right?


I've read this one a hundred times.  I should consider reading the others again, though.  They were pretty fascinating in themselves.


Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  New York, New York: Scholastic, Inc, 2007.


We all know this book, so I'm not including the description.  It's also upstairs in my bookcase and I'm too lazy to go retrieve it.


Total pages: 759
Total pages for 2011: 9,513
Pages remaining: 1,487


23 days remaining, so that's what... 65 pages per day?  Oh boy... Wish me luck.  Wish a baby, it's difficult!

11K in 2011 - An update

OF COURSE I haven't stopped reading!  haha.  My infant only sleeps on my chest during the day, and honestly doesn't sleep much at night any more.  I've done quite a bit of reading lately, actually.  Nothing too interesting, though.  So here's just an update instead of a 1 by 1 post.


Your Pregnancy week by week - 6th edition.


Curtis, Glad B and Judith Schuler.  Your Pregnancy week by week.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Da Capo Press, 2008.


I'm counting this book twice because I read most of it twice, and I've also read lots from other informational books that I'm not counting, so I know that I'm probably low-balling my page estimate this way.


600 pages- read twice = 1200!


Where the Heart Is.


Letts, Billie.  Where the Heart Is.  New York, New York: Warner Books, 1995.


Read on my Kindle!!!!


384 pages according to Amazon.com


Twilight


(Yes.  I love the series.  I re-read all of them, as is my custom for any movie release.  PS- I loved the movie.  Much much better than the others!)


Meyer, Stephenie.  Twilight.  New York, New York: Hachette Book Group, 2005.


498 pages


New Moon.


Meyer, Stephenie.  New Moon.  New York, New York: Hachette Book Group, 2006.


563 pages.


Eclipse.


Meyer, Stephenie.  Eclipse.  New York, New York: Hachette Book Group, 2007.


629 pages.


Breaking Dawn.


Meyer, Stephenie.  Breaking Dawn.  New York, New York: Hachette Book Group, 2008.


754 pages.


I've also read countless Dr Seuss books, Berenstein Bears books, and various other children's stories.  I'm conservatively estimating 250 pages.  This is definitely a low estimate, only because you know how many words are on those pages- not as many as the other books I've read!


Grand total- 1200 + 384 + 498 + 563 + 629 + 754 +250 = 4,278.


Total pages read in 2011: 8,754
Pages remaining: 2,246


Holy WOW!  I think I caught up quite a bit!!!  I still have a lot to read in December, but I think it's manageable at this point.  Earlier in the year I would have sworn I could never catch up.  Looks like I've done a pretty good job!!!


36 more days left.  So if I can read 63 pages a day, I can make my goal!!!