Friday, January 11, 2008

What did you read?

Sometimes the best laid plans just don't happen.

I was all excited, have been for weeks, to cuddle up with a book after the kids went to bed. But then the unexpected happened.

Suddenly two boys became even more excited for research projects they had. There is no clear due date so it wasn't like we were rushing to finish it for today. But I could not stop, nor didn't want to, the drive for knowledge.

  • Did you know that it takes nearly 29 1/2 year for Neptune to circle the sun?
  • Or that Saturn has 20 known moons and there may be more?

And they kept working on their projects, using books (phew) and the NASA web site, until they fell over exhausted. I couldn't stop the passion. It was exciting, and tiring, to watch.

But instead of plopping in front of the computer to write a post, or visit some blogs, after they finally went to sleep, I plopped into bed to read. While only twenty minutes, it was twenty minutes inside a book.

So, what did you read?

Jodifur is reading both The Wonder Spot and I am America, So Can You

Mariposa's Tales has her "book report" submitted about Veronika Decides to Die

On Dragon Flies Wings read The Giver

Painted Maypole finished To Kill a Mocking Bird and started Jane Austen's Emma

not THAT different finished google sex mp3 britney+spears world+cup

Goofball's World is reading Jan Leyers' De weg naar Mekka (The Road to Mecca)

Bonnie's Books wrote about ALL the things she read yesterday including The Distinguished Guest

Rocking Chair Rumination read the newspaper from cover to cover

The Little Stuff of Life gave suggestions for children's books including The Little Prince

Cats....Books....Life is Good spent her lunch hour reading Bartimaeus' Ptolemy's Gate instead of blogs

A journey of 1000 stiches begins with just one talks about many books including those by my family's friend, Peter H. Reynolds.

Something to Say: About Life in the Netherlands writes about strongarming waiting patiently for her 14 year old son to finish the Philip Pullman books and enjoying art with her 4 year old son in I Spy Animals in Art.

I was asked what I read. Look below. I'll write about it when I finish. I learned my lesson not to disparage a book until I'm done. Although I'm a bit disheartened right now...

25 comments:

Jen said...

I had a similar, insane day, and ironically, read less than usual! I read The Great Gatsby for my reading. I must say, I'm really loving it this time around, dated or not.

Anonymous said...

Well, at least it was for a good reason. How can you not be excited when kids arer interested in school work?

I did read yesterday and got the most out of it. Sadly, MJ was on nap strike, but happily that strike was accompanied by a day of independence. She wanted nothing to do with me yesterday so I was able to sit in the rocker in her room and read while she played by herself most of the day.

Life As I Know It said...

I love it when my son gets excited about a project and I end up learning things I had forgotten.

I'm reading the Alchemist right now...I try to read every night before bed. It's my little escape!

Anonymous said...

I have to admit that all I read was my new camera manual :( I am trying. I really should have set some reading goals this year.

I curled up with the kids and read 10 books for them. But that is an average to low day for us :)

Cool about the planets project, I still cannot get over the loss of pluto!

Heather said...

I read every night before I go to sleep. (trying to get my reading in before baby comes and I don't read for a year)

Last night I finished The Time Traveler's Wife. I don't know how she managed that plot...I'd never have kept it straight. What a great book though.

Candy said...

I read at work, on my lunch hour. It's a blissfully quiet 40 minutes (less commuting to get the food and actually eating). I am currently reading some Nora Roberts trash, but that's what I like. If I had to read the Great Gatsby at lunch, I would probably lose 15 pounds because I wouldn't want to GO to lunch.

Hey....

Sai Hijara - Ferraris said...

I have been reading since Dec bec I know I can't finish one good material in a setting come Jan. 10, then I got sick, so I have to stay in bed...but that is not a constraint to reading...so I finished 1 book...in like 2 weeks...my book report, as I would call it for now is now up!

the dragonfly said...

I read The Giver (again). I wrote about it here:

http://ondragonflywings.blogspot.com/2008/01/i-survived-without-my-computer.html

(sorry I don't know how to put a link in comments...but you can copy and paste!)

I had a great day. The Little Mister is teething, so I spent a lot of time comforting him too...but I still enjoyed my book!

painted maypole said...

but what book did you read???

(and it looks like you learned a lot reading with your boys)

I wrote about it today - I finished To Kill a Mockingbird and started Emma

Flower Child said...

I failed miserably yesterday. After an all-day meeting I went to a concert (read the concert program!) then fell into bed exhausted.

However, I did read the Economist this morning which was highly educational.

Love the NASA stuff! And also sad about Pluto.

Goofball said...

my book report is up!

jodifur said...

I commented before but it didn't show-

my post is here-

http://jodifur.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-are-you-reading.html

Bonnie Jacobs said...

Here's my "book report" on what I read yesterday:
http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com/2008/01/book-report-day-to-read.html

Wholly Burble said...

I'll post what I read yesterday as soon as I get supper and Friday night church managed.

My day didn't go as expected either--which falls in the category of "the best laid plans of mice and men" which you had to read of Mice and Men (or cheat and see the movie) to know LOL.

Hey, you were involved with books, and reading informative websites with the kids--that counts in my book!

Jan Ross said...

Well, I can't believe I missed this day being the insane reader that I am. I have been immersed in watching Season Five of Gilmore Girls, so I didn't read yesterday but I will get back to one of the books by Elizabeth Peters about Amelia Peabody an archeologist in Egypt at the turn of the century. I didn't realize I had missed a couple until I recommended her to someone and had to recheck on the title of the first one. It's "Crocodile on the Sandbank" if anyone is interested in a great romance/mystery series.

Stephanie said...

Funny, I didn't read much either, but the fact that it was the Day to Read did inspire me to go to the library, which will in turn inspire me to read over the next couple days. :)

I posted about the Day to Read with children's books suggestions here and confessed my lack of reading here.

Mary Beth said...

I got your Day to Read idea from On Dragonfly Wings. I read Ptolemy's Gate (The third in the Bartimaeus Trilogy) and some of Mario Batali. You can read all about it here ...

marybeth494.blogspot.com

Great Idea!

Brandie said...

Thank you =) I did read - Amanda Bright @ Home as well as some good books with the kids! Thanks for doing this =)
(my post is here

Jolyn said...

Hey! I found out about your idea here through "Dragonfly" and just wanted to add my two-bits, too, and say that I read Amy Tan's "The Hundred Secret Senses". I also highly recommend her memoir "The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings" if Amy Tan fans have not already read it...

Unknown said...

Sorry you didn't get to read as much as you hoped, but the important thing is you tried and you got the word out!

Unknown said...

Oh, and my friend Trees in OK took up this challenge too!

Jenn in Holland said...

My report is slightly late, but up all the same. We had a great day to read around here. My own was a small struggle since I can't find my reading glasses (yes, I am THAT old) and had to hold the book at arms length to properly focus.

I love that you were swept away by the boys' project. I think that is an awesome way to spend the day!

Yahoo,Day to Read!

Real Life Drama Queen said...

Be grateful yours gets excited, my swears he is being tortured. LOL

I read Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood. I am a romance junkie and I love love love her books.

Stephanie said...

Hi again! Yesterday I forgot to mention what I read. Not much, but here it goes: a little of Clean Eating magazine, a bit from Ezekiel (part of my attempt to read through the Bible), and assorted excerpts of books as I was browsing through the library.

Speaking of the library, I got an email from someone who also decided to go to the library because of the Day to Read. So yay! :)

Unknown said...

I didn't start my Day to Read until 8:00 p.m., when the kids finally went to bed (after a harrowing day of doctors and hospitals...). But, thanks to you and your crazy reading idea, I got into some books which I ended up reading obsessively and insanely until I'd finished them all, abandoning my husband and children and church responsibilities until I was done reading... which was this morning at 2:00 a.m. Yeah... I blame you. Hahaha. I'll write an actual post about tomorrow. Thanks again for the brilliant idea. This was great fun.

And I'm 29 and a half years old, almost exactly. It's so nice to have Neptune celebrate me like that...