Happy 4th of July!

What an Animal Reading Challenge

Passion for the Page owner Kristi is hosting her first reading challenge! Since it’s books about animals and since I just finished reading The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, I’m joining up!

The rules are simple:
1. Read at least 6 books that have any of these requirements:
a. an animal in the title of the book
b. an animal on the cover of the book
c. an animal that plays a major role in the book
d. a main character that is or turns into an animal (define that however you'd like ;>)).

2. The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)--dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark...dragons, mermaids, centaurs, fairies, vampires...you get the idea...

3. Challenge runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. You can still sign up after July 1st as long as you can get 6 books read by June 30th ;>).
4. Books can be fiction or nonfiction.
5. You may make a list of books at the beginning of the challenge or just list them as you find them.
6. Books may be swapped out at anytime (assuming you made a list to begin with).
7. Crossover books with other challenges is permitted and encouraged.
8. You don't have to blog or write a review, but you can if you want to.

Now I just need to decide what other books I’m going to read for the challenge.

My June Reads

June Books:
Total books read: 16
New Authors: 7
Books in a Series: 6
Mystery: 6
Non-Fiction: 1
Romance: 6

To Catch a Cheat by Kelley St. John
Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
Faking It by Jennifer Crusie
Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel by Judith and Neil Morgan
Runaway Mistress by Robyn Carr
Tempted by Megan Hart
It Must be Love by Rachel Gibson
Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

An Animated Hungry Caterpillar

I’m not sure how many of you grew up reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle but I know I loved it when I was a kid. Not so much for the words but for the beautiful illustrations. I found this on YouTube today:

New Laptop/ Neat Blog

Not much to say today. We got our laptop with it’s super-nifty stuff like the plasma screen (I’m pretty sure that’s what Darren called it, anywho it makes everyone’s blogs look so pretty when I come visit you!) and the fingerprint scanner (instead of passwords) and all kinds of things! I still won’t let Darren play with it that much lol but it’s nice to be able to sit beside him as he watches FRIENDS (we have all the seasons and he watches them over and over, although I loved them at the time I saw them, once was enough for me) and listen to music or watch videos. Which reminds me, I recently stumbled across this blog called Living Read Girl that I really like. Go check it out, you won't be sorry!

Look! Look! Look!

Disney to offer free movies online

Disney will stream full-length movies on its Web site for the first time, as part of its “Wonderful World of Disney” series on ABC, says The Hollywood Reporter. The films are scheduled to stream through August. Finding Nemo is available at Disney.com/WWoD through Friday. Monsters, Inc., Haunted Mansion, and Peter Pan also will be available on the site this summer. The movies will be on Disney.com from Monday through Friday after their ABC broadcast the preceding Saturday night as “Wonderful World of Disney” presentations. Peter Pan will be the last movie to stream, ending its run August 8.
[source]

I've already watched a little of Finding Nemo. All I can say is it's about time!

Recieved a Blog Award!

Remember a few months ago when I came up with the You’re Tink Approved awards? Well some of my favorite blogger liked them so much that they made ones of their own that reflects their own blogs. Today Naida, The Bookworm made hers:

They're really easy to make and I would love to see other people do them too!

Online Reading Groups: June Reads

Here's what we're reading in my online reading groups this month:

Books Into Movies (group I own): Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
The Chick Lit Cafe: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
BookCrossing Reading Group: (A) THE LOOKING GLASS WARS by Frank Beddor (B) AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie
Children's Books of Yesterday: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Witch Novels: Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart
The Reading Loft: The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett
Cafe Libri: Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
Themed Reads: The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

I haven't yet decided if I'm going to read all of the books but I've already finished Relic, The Looking Glass Wars, And Then There Were None, and Rose Cottage. I hope to start Harriet the Spy tonight.

All of the groups are friendly (especially mine!) and we're always happy to have new members so if any of the books above sound like fun please come and join in our discussion!

Cute Wall. E Clip

Daring Book Challenge

I read about the coolest challenge this weekend! By now just about everyone has heard of The Daring Book for Girls, well at the end of the book (that I have requested from the library and will be picking up tomorrow) there is a list of great books. This challenge has four options:

1. Read one book from each category from June 15/08 to February 15/09 (6 books in 8 months) 2. Read any 9 books from the list from June 15/08 to June 15/09 (9 books in 12 months)
3. Read one whole series from this list starting June 15/08. If it contains up to 10 books, by June 15/09, if 20-30 books, by June 15/11 and for the Trixie Belden series and Nancy Drew series by June 15/12.

PLUS

4. Want to work on reading them all? It's an ongoing challenge so take all the time you need. You can do this and still do one of the above.

I think I might try to do either #3 or #4. I couldn’t resist this challenge! To sign up or to just take a look at the list go to The Daring Book Challenge Blog.