Sunday Salon

Well, I joined The Sunday Salon. Kinda, I mean, I signed up with my info. It's something I've been meaning to do for awhile. Even though I'm not officially a member yet, I thought I'd do a post anyway, because I have several blog-related things that I'm thinking about and wanted to share, and it is Sunday, so I might as well, right? Right.

First off, in a non-blog related vein, I hope you had an excellent Thanksgiving, for my American friends who celebrate such things. I had oral surgery last Friday to fix a blocked saliva gland that resulted in 8 stitches, several of which are on the underside of my tongue. While it's not nearly as painful as it sounds like it should be (and the full description of events sounds rather painful) it does mean that I started eating solid food again... today. So my Thanksgiving involved Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream. And pumpkin pie filling. The rest of my week has involved me surviving on pudding, ice cream, jello, and apple sauce. Who knew that was a diet I would grow tired of really quickly? What is wrong with me?! But, given that today's breakfast involved toast (TOAST!) Dan's ordering me pizza for dinner. I think I could live off pizza. I've seriously considered making a pizza smoothie this week, because I missed it sooooooooooooooo much.

In the annals of geekdom: One thing I love about my neighborhood is that we can walk to a second-run movie theater that serves food! While you watch the movie! It's located by the local branch of our library, so last night, while walking to a late show, I made Dan and our friend Curtis detour so I could return a bunch of library books. Why yes, I do return my books at 10pm on a Saturday night!

In blogging news, this week will be Cybils week! Instead of only posting my Cybils reviews on Nonfiction Monday, I thought I'd post at least one a day this week. And probably the week after that, too, but I don't want to promise anything I won't be able to deliver on.

Are you excited for my birthday party next weekend? I AM!!!! Seriously guys, awesome prizes await. Dan's already tried to steal the Starbucks gift cards, but I told him to put them down and back away very slowly. Plus, I have a ton of cool things from Tartx, piles of books that need to no longer be in my house, and some bookmarks. And maybe some other things. And Dreadlock Girl is hosting a 24-hour Read-a-Thon that weekend!!! Maybe I'll do both? You can definitely do both!

Now, some new reading challenges that I've signed up for!

Marg from Reading Adventures is hosting a Terry Pratchett 2010 Challenge. I loved Nation and read my first Discworld novel this fall, which I also loved. I want to read many, many more and was thinking of hosting a Terry Pratchett challenge myself, so I was happy to see that Marg beat me to it! I've signed up for the Death's Apprentice Level, which has me reading 10-12 books.

The Marple Poirot Holmes Challenge. Pretty simply, read 2 Miss Marple Mysteries, 2 Poirot Mysteries, and to Sherlock Holmes Mysteries in 2010. I've never read any of them, so why not give it a try?

My Friend Amy's Christy Awards Challenge. I've only read a few Christian fiction books and feel like reading some more. It's a popular genre where I work and I want to know more about it. Plus, I've been really into issues of faith lately. I'm signing up for the Baby Steps level, which has me reading 3-4 books that have been nominated for the Christy Awards before December 1, 2010.

Deborah's Nancy Drew Challenge. Can I read all 56 yellow-spined Nancy Drews in 2010? Let's find out!

RYOB (Read Your Own Books) Challenge. Every year I vow to read 50 books I already own, so why not make it a little more formal?

I'll also be signing up for the TBR Challenge again, but I need to wait to see what I get read before the end of the year before I make my list.

Now, there were some other challenges I found that I knew that I could easily do. Things I'd do without needing a challenge. I mean, some will be knocked out in January. Did I still want to sign up for something that wouldn't even be a challenge? Didn't that defeat the purpose? But on the other hand, reading challenges are about fun and community and all that, so why not join the ones I'll do anyway?! So, I've also signed up for these:

Becky's Young Readers Challenge, which has me reading 12 books for kids (so, middle grade in the confines of this blog) in 2010.

J. Kaye's Young Adult Reading Challenge-- I signed up for the Super Size Me level, which has me reading 75 YA books in 2010.

J. Kaye's Support Your Local Library Challenge-- I signed up for the Super Size Me level, which has me checking out and reading 100 library books in 2010.