This year I’m participating in Zoe’s Xmas Read-a-ton of books contest. I’ve started looking through the second hand book stores to find things I’d be interested in reading. If I find myself falling into the world of the written word, I can spend all night reading. This isn’t such a great thing when it comes to being awake and ready to handle my work day, but I’ll have a few days off between the 20th and 31st to get some long evenings of reading in.

The contest doesn’t begin until the 10th, so I have a few days to get my books in order. Unfortunately, I can’t imagine a day without reading, so there will be some books that I’m reading that won’t make the cut. I’ve just finished a collection of short stories titled Dracula in London, this week. Prior to that I was reading Kathy Reichs’ Deadly Decisions.

Neither of these books will make my qualifying list since it’s not yet the 10th. Maybe I should be tracking how many books I read between the time I first learned of the read-a-ton and when it begins?

So far, the list of books I’m planning to read is pretty short. I expect I’ll be adding to it every few days.

1. Mistral’s Kiss – I’ve already pre-ordered this book. It’s due out from the publisher on the 12th and I’ll be dropping whatever I’m reading to pick it up the minute it arrives.
2. Book of the Dead – If this book shows up in the house, it’ll be on Christmas morning. I expect some bribery will need to come into play if Santa gives it to the hubby instead of me. I do read faster than him, so maybe I’ll get lucky and he’ll let me have first dibs. It’s been a while since I read the first two books in this series, so I expect I’ll re-read Brimstone and Dance of Death before Christmas morning arrives.
3. ISD from the Ground Up – I got this book a few weeks ago, but haven’t had a chance to read it. I’ll definitely get to it over the next few weeks.
4. American Idle – I’ve heard this book is a fun and easy read. I’m looking forward to a few hours of basking in chic lit.
5. Something written by Ian Rankin – both of my parents used to read his books. I figure I’ll finally sit down with one and see what the hullabaloo is all about.
6. It’s time to catch up on my Terry Pratchett – I have Monstrous Regiment and Going Postal in my office that I haven’t read yet. He’s also got a number of other young adult books in the series that aren’t on my bookshelf yet that I’m going to try and hunt down. If I can find them before the new year, they’ll be added to my reading list as well.
7. Goal Analysis and Preparing Instructional Objectives – My New Mager Six Pack arrived last week. I don’t expect to get through every book in the series, but I’m definitely planning on reading these two books in the series in the next few weeks.
8. On the Run – I know that she’s written newer books, but I tend to read this semi-series when it’s out in paperback. It’s easier to get a used copy at a second hand store in paperback than in hard cover.

Technorati Tags: books, read-a-ton, reading

Zoe over at Bubbles In My Head is running a blog contest I can sink my teeth into. She’s challenging her readers to a contest designed to determine who can read the most books over the next few weeks.

The contest will begin on the 10th of December and last till the 31th. In those the 21 days all participants are to try to read the most.

I’ve got a few days to gather up some books and get ready to read. Zoe is planning on posting an update on her blog every 4 days. I expect I’ll be posting updates as I finish each book. I’m an avid reader, but I don’t know how much actual reading I’ll be able to complete once my mom arrives on the 19th. Since she’s staying through to January, I may only manage a few books a week.

One of the cool things that Zoe has added to her challenge is the requirement that we leave a comment on her blog with our updated list of books read and a little snippet of thought upon each, including a rating or why we did or didn’t like the book. This will slow my reading down, but gives me a good break point to sneak in some blogging.

If you’re interested in joining the read-a-thon head on over to Zoe’s site and sign up.

Tonight my mission will be to pick out the books I’d like to read over the next few weeks.

Technorati Tags: reading, books, review

I wasn’t really a big fan of the show at first, but the hubby has successfully managed to get me hooked on Bones. I knew the series was based on the books authored by Kathy Reichs.

As much as I love to read, sometimes I really need a good push to pick up a crime/mystery novel. A while back I was at Zellers and they had a few of Ms. Reichs books on sale for $4.99. Needing something to read, I bought them. Since I knew the TV series was based on a character from the book I figured I might enjoy the books too.

For those that don’t know, the Temperance Brennen of TV is quite different from the Temperance Brennen of the written world. I quite like both characters – when I can stop comparing them…

What I can’t stand in the books is the occasional reference to Quebec Province. I’ve also come across the phrase while surfing blogs and each time I read it my body reacts as if I am hearing someone dragging their fingernails down a chalkboard. Reading or hearing Quebec Province is just wrong in my world.

I have never in my life called any Canadian province or territory “XX Province”. I don’t know a single Canadian who does. Sure, we often just say the name of the province – Quebec, Ontario, Alberta – or will say “the province of Quebec”.

Another word that’s driving me bonkers recently is the continual use of pleaded in the news media (print and TV) when referring to justice issues. I don’t know when this trend started but I can’t stand hearing or reading its use in reference to entering a plea in court. In my world, it’s pled guilty. Sure, according to dictionary.com both forms are technically correct but that doesn’t mean that they both fit the proper flow of language – especially the spoken word.

Say the following sentences out loud (you know you want to) to get a better sense of what I mean:

• He pled not guilty on the charge of armed robbery.
• He pleaded not guilty on the charge of armed robbery.

Since pled sounds so much better than pleaded I just can’t figure out why the talking heads on TV news insist on using this phrasing. I’ve heard the phrase come out of the mouths of the newscasters at CTV, Global and CBC. I’ve seen it written in community papers, online news sites, and the local papers (Sun and Journal). Please; someone stop this madness!

For the sake of all that’s holy and for my sanity, I’m begging the local newscasters to change their phrasing. Keep the use of pleaded to a minimum and use it in the following manner: “He pleaded with the judge for leniency” rather than to describe the plea entered at trial.

Wrap Up

• Quebec province = bad
• province of Quebec = good
• pleaded = bad
• pled = good

Technorati Tags: semantics, language, word choice, Canadian province names, bones, Kathy Reichs

In an effort to expand my minuscule Learning & Development library at home, I’ve been culling through lists of recommended books, checking out chapters and purchasing those I find on sale. The problem is, it’s not often that a decent educational title hits the sale racks at amazon.ca or chapters.ca. I’ve added cheaper ones to my Christmas wish lists and cashed in my airmiles for Chapters gift certificates.

Now I remember the most costly part of university education – the texts. Sure, tuition and residence cost thousands of dollars, but so did a lot of the textbooks I purchased over the years. To fill a single shelf on my bookcase with the seminal volumes in Adult Education, Instructional Design, and Cognition, it would likely cost more than $1500. The cost of the books is staggering which probably explains why this new section of my library has been mostly ignored.

The more I think about it, the more disheartened I am by modern education. I’m set to start classes (once again) for the next piece of paperwork I’m pursuing in a few months and am having a hard time developing any real motivation to do any pre-reading. The degree has a number of required courses which hold no interest for me. You’d think that after three times through the hoops I’d have more transferred credits to fall back on. It seems to me that too little consideration is given to prior learning and too much emphasis is placed on pre-determined formal curriculum.

In my perfect world, I’d be able to pick and choose the courses I want from a variety of universities and be able to slap them together to create a degree that meets my needs and interests. I’d be able to skip the required advanced math course and parlay my previous life as a web designer and programmer into transfer credits for the mandatory computer courses.

It’s disheartening. Quick, someone motivate me 😉

Can anyone say catch-22? In order to continue developing and expanding my understanding of the field I work in, I need some contact with others in the field in a formal learning environment. In order to move forward in my career, I need the additional pretty pieces of paper that indicate I know what I’m doing (despite the fact I’ve been doing it for years).

Have I mentioned that I have to juggle work and school? This expands a four year degree program into six years as a part time student – assuming I complete classes all three semesters. I work full-time in the field so I’m not about to quit my job to speed up the process. Ah, the traditional adult learner – no motivation to learn without a WIIFM statement and motivated by a current need to expand my knowledge and skills for work purposes…

Technorati Tags: textbooks, cost of education, adult learning, prior learning, instructional design, ID, ISD, informal learning, motivation

I adore reading. I’m forever grateful that my husband equally shares in my worship of the written word. We often share books, but once the books are read we struggle to find a place to put those we’d like to keep and re-read later.

I’ve written about bookcrossing.org here before. To date, we’ve registered 33 books and released 23 of those into the wild. Only one has been picked up and journaled. I’m not sure if the rest of the books made it into the hands of other readers. I do hope someone has found them and is reading them. If not, I hope they’ve passed them on to someone else who might enjoy them. I’m very curious to know what’s happened to the books I’ve released over the past few months.

My book geek is peeking out from behind the curtain. These days I’m hard pressed to find anything more exciting than reading someone’s journal entry for a book you’ve released.

Technorati Tags: bookcrossing.org, books