WINTER 2013/2014 READING CHALLENGE

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "I have been a King fan since I read The Stand when it first came out. Its still my favorite."

the stand is a great book.

[Rachel]

Josh wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Josh

how are those games? was dino month a success? :)"

Games I got for Christmas that I have beaten: 4/7

Resistance: Burning Skies (Vita) is a really great game for a portable sh..."

sounds like video games have come a long way since i played long ago-glad you're having fun.

congrats on beating 4/7- good luck with the other 3 :)

[Rachel]

Josh wrote: "Ohh. I totally missed the dinosaur month question. Nope, I totally and utterly failed with it. Read about halfway through Raptor Red got my Vita and stopped reading it. But have no worries I will m..."

if you do another dino month let me know- i still have to read Jurassic Park- it's been years since i read Michael Crichton- loved Disclosure and Congo

[Josh]

Rachel wrote: "Josh wrote: "Ohh. I totally missed the dinosaur month question. Nope, I totally and utterly failed with it. Read about halfway through Raptor Red got my Vita and stopped reading it. But have no wor..."

I'll let you know for sure! I love Crichton. A Case of Need, The Andromeda Strain, The Terminal Man, The Great Train Robbery, Eaters of the Dead, Jurassic Park,The Lost World, and Prey were all really AWESOME and all the ones I have read so far. Congo is the next Crichton book I will read, most likely.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Goodness! I had written down that the Challenge was ending on February 8th. Luckily, I double checked here and saw it ends February 28th - very happy :-)

Question: Can I count a book that takes place on an Iceberg as a story set in part on an Island (task #5) ?Please! I am finishing Icebound by Dean Koontz today and I would like to count it for this challenge. Thanks!

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Goodness! I had written down that the Challenge was ending on February 8th. Luckily, I double checked here and saw it ends February 28th - very happy :-)

Question: Can I count a book that takes pl..."

well since an iceberg is surrounded by water-i guess it's kind of like an island of sorts so count it. also, considering the fact that it's a dk book at least one character probably feels like an outcast so it would count either way :)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

This wasn't a typical Koontz book though :-)

[Jenn]

I'm still trying to find 2 more books to read that will meet the challenge requirements. I got 7 books from a book sale yesterday so maybe it will be one of them.

[Josh]

My next book will be Treasure Island for the ummm... ISLAND challenge. Just wanted to update on my challenge. I am still reading The Story. I am going really slow on it. =/

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Josh wrote: "My next book will be Treasure Island for the ummm... ISLAND challenge. Just wanted to update on my challenge. I am still reading The Story. I am going really slow on it. =/"

Good Luck Pizza Boy!!! :-)

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update Josh :)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Well I read another bizarre outcast story. Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger. Wow! 2 stars.

[Josh]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Well I read another bizarre outcast story. Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger. Wow! 2 stars.

"

I have another book by that author. The Time Traveler's Wife. I havent read the book but the movie is quite good.

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Well I read another bizarre outcast story. Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger. Wow! 2 stars.

"


thanks for the update DC :)

to say that book sounds strange would be an understatement lol.

i do have Her Fearful Symmetry and The Time Traveler's Wife on my tbr-have heard good things about both but i haven't read anything by this author yet.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I watched the movie for The Time Traveler's Wife - I love anything dealing with time-travel :-)

I read Her Fearful Symmetry and I believe it's worth reading again. My kind of story! :-)

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I watched the movie for The Time Traveler's Wife - I love anything dealing with time-travel :-)

I read Her Fearful Symmetry and I believe it's worth reading again. My kind of story! :-)"

i definitely want to read her fearful symmetry soon-sounds very strange and very interesting.

did you ever see the movie frequency- we talked about it a really long time ago- i think you would love it -it's an older movie starring dennis quaid & i think jim cavezial- where a son finds a way to talk to his deceased father in the past and because they are talking things in the present start to change-it's a great movie

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Yes :-) I've seen that film and enjoyed it. Have you seen The Lake House?

[Rachel]

i haven't-is that the one with sandra bullock?

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Yep. That's the one. There is a new time traveling movie called About Time. Anything about time travel or alternate realities - I just eat that stuff up! :-)

[Rachel]

me too :D

[Josh]

Okay, I wanted to tell EVERYONE, I lied about what I am reading next. I am not reading Treasure Island next anymore. I am reading a book by my newest favorite author,The Evil And The Pure by Darran Sha.... I mean Dash, Darren Dash. I have been making that mistake all day. lol. Actually to be truthful, its Darren Shan's newest pen name that he is using for all of his new line of adult E-Books. I am super excited to read it!!!! =D

[Christine]

I am so behind on this challenge. Only 27 more days left!

[Josh]

Christine wrote: "I am so behind on this challenge. Only 27 more days left!"

I am too... I haven't even read a book all the way through in two months... though I do blame video games for that.

[Christine]

I have been watching a lot of TV and haven't read as much as I usually do. I am reading11/22/63 as my time travel book. Its good but long.

[Josh]

I usually can't watch a lot of TV simply because I get bored of watching it quickly. Its a quirk of mine. lol

The preview of The Evil And The Pure is really cool. It reeks of the Shanness that I know and love! =D

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "I have been watching a lot of TV and haven't read as much as I usually do. I am reading11/22/63 as my time travel book. Its good but long."

what shows are you watching? i can't seem to get interested in many tv shows although i love the big bang theory and the blacklist.

also really excited that hannibal is back after the olympics. that show is so creepy but i think it's really well done-love the actor who plays hannibal.

[Rachel]

Josh wrote: "I usually can't watch a lot of TV simply because I get bored of watching it quickly. Its a quirk of mine. lol

The preview of The Evil And The Pure is really cool. It reeks of the S..."

thanks for the update Josh- hope you enjoy his new books :)

[Josh]

Rachel wrote: "Christine wrote: "I have been watching a lot of TV and haven't read as much as I usually do. I am reading11/22/63 as my time travel book. Its good but long."

what shows are you w..."
At this every moment, Absolutely nothing. I watched the first episode of Sleepy Hollow, I missed the rest. I watched the first few of Shield but then started missing it because my sister is a TV hog... considering the fact we only have satellite on one TV, it gets really hard to watch shows when I never get to the TV. I take that back I have watched Tiny Toons Adventures and Animanics recently while making dinner which are classic cartoons from my childhood! =D

[Josh]

Rachel wrote: "Josh wrote: "I usually can't watch a lot of TV simply because I get bored of watching it quickly. Its a quirk of mine. lol

The preview of The Evil And The Pure is really cool. It r..."
I just bought the full E-Book, like 5 minutes ago. =D I can use it for the Outcast challenge. =D

[Christine]

Rachel wrote: "what shows are you watching..."

I like Big Bang Theory too. I think my favorites right now are Downton Abbey and Parenthood. I also like Sleepy Hollow and Almost Human. Old favorites are Supernatural and Bones.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I LOVE TV ON DVD!!!!! I like New Girl because I am in love will Zooey Daeschnell and will watch anything with her in it. I'm currently watching Doctor Who and Breaking Bad. I will also watch Supernatural and The Mentalist. My favorite show that is still on the air is American Horror Story but I wait for DVD in the fall to experience it. Other favorites that are completed series include The X Files, Fringe, V, Six Feet Under, United States of Tara. For lighter material, I like The Golden Girls, I Love Lucy, Enlightened, Hot in Cleveland, Pushing Daisies, Samantha Who etc.

[Jenn]

I loved American Horror story this season.
Sleepy Hollow I also dvr to watch for the weekend. Castle is my Monday night favorite.
Super fun night gives me a few laughs too.
I still need to watch the very last season of Breaking Bad.

[Josh]

Supernatural, X-Files, Buffy, Angel, Digimon, Zoids Chaotic Century, Trigun, Full Metal Alchemist, and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood are some of my favorite shows... granted Supernatural sucks now for the most part with the only exception of a few episodes here and there.

[Christine]

I love that we don't have to be slaves to the TV anymore because of DVRs and DVDs. It makes watching a show you like so much better. Nothing is a better waste of time than TV bingeing. My favorite show to binge on is Battlestar Galactica.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Christine wrote: "My favorite show to binge on is Battlestar Galactica. "

Perhaps I should give that one a try :-)

[Rachel]

i love the golden girls-haven't watched that in a while-i've lost count how many times i've watched the series.

i really have to check out breaking bad-love that the funny dad from malcolm in the middle played such a different role. i also still have to check out angel & buffy-i seem to be more interested in old shows than new lol

i've never watched battlestar galatica but i used to really like the original star trek.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Go Broncos!!!! :-)

[Jenn]

Dustin, ever the optimist lol

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Jenn wrote: "Dustin, ever the optimist lol"

I try to be :-) It's a good way to live, but reality is Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks!

It's a sad day in Colorado :-(

[Christine]

I truly expected it to be a closer game. Its going to be crazy here in Seattle area.

[Christine]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Christine wrote: "My favorite show to binge on is Battlestar Galactica. "

Perhaps I should give that one a try :-)"

You definitely should.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Christine wrote: "I truly expected it to be a closer game. Its going to be crazy here in Seattle area."

You're living in SEATTLE now then? :-)

[Rachel]

how were the commercials?


(not a sports fan so i didn't watch the game)

[Christine]

Rachel wrote: "i've never watched battlestar galatica but i used to really like the original star trek. ..."

In my opinion, BSG is better than original Star Trek plus you have Edward James Olmos as Admiral Adama, better than Captain Kirk any day. It gets a little iffy with Captain Jean Luc Picard, my favorite of the TV Enterprise captains.

[Christine]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Christine wrote: "I truly expected it to be a closer game. Its going to be crazy here in Seattle area."

You're living in SEATTLE now then? :-)"

Close to it.

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "Rachel wrote: "i've never watched battlestar galatica but i used to really like the original star trek. ..."

In my opinion, BSG is better than original Star Trek plus you have Edward James Olmos ..."

i always think of edward james olmos as castillo (from miami vice :)

[Christine]

Rachel wrote: "how were the commercials?


(not a sports fan so i didn't watch the game)"

The Budweiser ad with the puppy and the Clydesdale horse was my favorite. The Maserati ad was pretty good, Audi and Jaguar, too. The Doritos ads were creative but not overly funny. I liked Bruno Mars in the halftime show but wasn't happy with the Red Hot Chili Peppers breaking in on the act. I felt it didn't go together.

[Josh]

I went to a super bowl party, Seattle totally devastated Denver. My team beat yours Dustin. To be honest, I was surprised with how Denver played. They just sucked, I know they normally play better than that.

On other news, the best commercial was of Optimus Prime riding Grimlock.... I mean how could anything else beat a giant robot RIDING a Tyrannosaurus Rex robot. NOTHING!!! Not even Seattle winning. XD

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Josh wrote: "I went to a super bowl party, Seattle totally devastated Denver. My team beat yours Dustin. To be honest, I was surprised with how Denver played. They just sucked, I know they normally play better ..."


I don't even watch football :-) I just live in Colorado and I like the colors Orange and Blue. Did you get your pizza job?

[Josh]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Josh wrote: "I went to a super bowl party, Seattle totally devastated Denver. My team beat yours Dustin. To be honest, I was surprised with how Denver played. They just sucked, I know they normally..."

I just went to the party to hang out with a friend and eat good food. I also played my PlayStation Vita a little. I of course geeked way over Optimus Prime riding Grimlock, the Tyrannosaurus Transformer!!! Dino bots RULE!!! lol Blue and Orange were ironically my Highschool's colors. lol

If the hirer liked me from the first interview he told me he would call me in for a second interview. I'll let everyone know if I do get called in for a second one. They don't open until April so its still a bit away from opening.