Celebrate This Week: Clarity & Courage

This winter break has been a good time to reset and work on some personal goals. One of those goals has been to reorganize my home and do away with clutter. When I get busy, I create piles. When I don't have time to sort and discard things, I become overwhelmed. During this past two weeks I decided to tackle this issue head on by tackling one room at a time. A few months ago, I turned a storage closet/pantry into a laundry room.  As a result, I lost a lot of storage and I had piles of stuff cluttering up the dining room/living room space. Just before break, a thin layer of my living room ceiling came down further resulting in stuff being moved and more piles being created. If the first set of piles from the displaced objects from the pantry weren't enough, now I had even more chaos. And when I have that much chaos, I never feel like I can relax. Even reading wasn't interesting because I was overwhelmed by the need to organize and could not relax enough to enjoy reading. This was a big problem. 

So, as I head back to work on Monday, I have a newly decluttered kitchen and an organized laundry room. I have bags to take to Goodwill for donating, and I have a few boxes heading back to work. Even a few things to share with teachers. I also have a plan for tackling the other piles that are crying for attention.

While I celebrate making significant headway with this winter break goal, I am also thinking about my "one little word".  I have pondered using the word "declutter", but that doesn't seem to feel right.  The word "clarity" popped into my head. I like it because with clarity comes focus and hopefully some direction. 

However, I have also been toying with the word "courage".  I have been feeling blocked in a number of ways for the past couple of years and I sense that fear of taking some big risks may be a root cause to the stagnation. Courage is the opposite of fear. Now, I have a bit of a dilemma since the goal is to have one little word not two. I have been trying to see if there is a connected word that overlaps clarity and courage?! 

For this week, I will celebrate crossing a few things off my "to do" list. I will celebrate the start of 2016 with an eye towards clarity and a focus on courage. And next week, I will hopefully celebrate one little word. 

Happy New Year!

Thank you Ruth Ayres for hosting Celebrate This Week!

Happy New Year 2016!

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am straightforward and direct when I talk about things. So, if I am being direct, 2015 was a particularly challenging year on so many levels, and that is the polite way of describing the year. Were there good things? Of course. However, most of the year felt like I was in some kind of weird alternative universe. So, though I can't predict what 2016 will bring, I am hoping that it will be a bit gentler and kinder to everyone. 

As much as I would like to be spontaneous, I do better with goals and structure. Here is some of the "structure" for 2016...

Bullet Journal:
I first learned about Bullet Journaling from a post by author, Kate Messner in a facebook post here. Additionally, she has a longer blog post that you can read here.  As a result, in November I started exploring the best way to keep a bullet journal. After two months, I think I have an idea of some of the ways to best set up mine. I am ready to dive in fully with Bullet Journaling for 2016.

Blogging:
I will continue to blog this year.  My goals are simple...

• To return to regularly posting to "It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA"

• To continue hosting the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge on Wednesdays and maybe expand what I am doing with nonfiction.

• To alternate posts on Early Chapter Books and Graphic Novels on Thursdays.

• To regularly participate in Celebrate This Week on Saturdays. 

• To participate in the March Slice of Life Challenge.

Beyond that, we will have to see.

Reading:
Last year, I didn't set a goal on GoodReads for reading. Though I realize that there were a lot of factors why my reading life was off, and they had nothing to do with setting or not setting a goal on GoodReads. I have decided to set that goal. To borrow an idea from Carrie Gelson, I am setting sub goals (see below).

2016 Reading Goals:

Goodreads Challenge: 500 Titles

2016 Chapter Book/MG Titles: 75 Titles

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 150 Titles

Graphic Novels in 2016: 50 Titles

One Little Word (OLW):
I am currently exploring a one little word for 2016. Last year was the word mindful, and I was probably as far from mindful as you can possibly be. Maybe there was a message in there for me to learn, but I am still working on it. One thing I do know is that the focus for this year is different. Not sure what yet, but I know that there is a different focus than last year.

As for the rest of the year, I will see what it brings.

Happy New Year everyone and may the year be filled with hope and purpose and the strength to take the risks to grow!

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: 2016 Releases to Look Forward to Reading

Next year will celebrate my 5th year of hosting the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge. If you are thinking of joining in again for more nonfiction reading and sharing, stop by next week for the sign-up post.  I am hoping that by sharing some of the titles that will be released in the next few months will entice you to join in again.

Here are some 2016 Titles that I am looking forward to reading:

Build, Beaver, Build!: Life At the Longest Beaver Dam by Sandra Markle; Illustrated by Deborah Hocking (Millbrook, January 1, 2016)

When the Sun Shines on Antarctica: And Other Poems about the Frozen Continent by Irene Latham; Illustrated by Anna Wadham (Millbrook, January 1, 2016) 

Hillary Rodham Clinton: Do All the Good You Can by Cynthia Levinson (Balzer & Bray, January 5, 2016)

Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls Are Born to Lead by Michelle Markel; Illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Balzer & Bray, January 5, 2016)

Radioactive! How Irene Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World by Winifred Conkling (Algonquin Young Readers, January 5, 2016)

To the Stars! The First American Woman to Walk in Space by Carmella Van Vleet, Dr. Kathy Sullivan; Illustrated by Nicole Wong (Charlesbridge, January 12, 2016)

Living Fossils: Clues to the Past by Caroline Arnold; Illustrated by Andrew Plant (Charlesbridge, February 2, 2016)

Now You See Them, Now You Don't: Poems About Creatures That Hide by David Harrison; Illustrated by Giles Laroche (Charlesbridge, February 16, 2016)

Platypus by Sue Whiting; Illustrated by Mark Jackson (Candlewick Press, February 23, 2016)

Among the Fireflies by Helen Frost; Illustrated by Rick Lieder (Candlewick Press, March 8, 2016)

Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph by Roxane Orgill; Illustrated by Francis Vallejo (Candlewick Press, March 8, 2016)

The Secret Subway by Shana Corey; Illustrated by Red Nose Studio (Schwartz & Wade, March 8, 2016)

Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London; Illustrated by Meilo So (Candlewick Press, March 22, 2016)

Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk by Jane Sutcliffe; Illustrated by John Shelley (Charlesbridge, March 22, 2016)

The Kid on Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton by Audrey Vernick; Illustrated by Steven Salerno (HMH Books for Young Readers, March 29, 2016)

Nathan Hale's Hazardous All-Stars: Alamo All-Stars by Nathan Hale (Amulet Books, March 29, 2016)

Science Comics: Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean by Maris Wicks (First Second, May 3, 2016)

Flying Frogs and Walking Fish: Leaping Lemurs, Tumbling Toads, Jet-Propelled Jellyfish, and More Surprising Ways that Animals Move by Steve Jenkins, Robin Page (HMH Books for Young Readers, May 3, 2016)

The Hole Story of the Donut by Pat Miller; Illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch (HMH Books for Young Readers, May 3, 2016)

The Great White Shark Scientist by Sy Montgomery; Photographs by Keith Ellenbogen (HMH Books for Young Readers, June 7, 2016)

Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still by Karlin Gray; Illustrated by Christine Davenier (HMH Books for Young Readers, June 7, 2016)

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews: 

Carolyn's Favorite YA of 2015

2015 has been a year of fantastic books, as well as my first full year of blogging! Looking back on all the wonderful books I've read this past year, here are some of my favorite books of 2015:

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

The start of Ally Carter's newest series, All Fall Down set the framework for a smart, evolving mystery about the secrecy of diplomacy - and espionage. You can see my review here. 

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen is a brilliant, magic-filled dystopia (think The Selection meets Hunger Games meets Graceling) - and sure to be the start of one of the next biggest series in YA. You can read my review here. 

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

A Wicked Thing continues the popular trend of retelling fairy tales, but rather than making the protagonist into a magical warrior princess, this retelling of Sleeping Beauty explores the emotional and political issues the princess is forced to confront once she awakens... and realizes that her supposed "true love" isn't the one she loves at all. You can check out my review here.

Dead to Me by Mary McCoy

This perfect historical noir mystery explores the dark underside of 1940's Hollywood through the kickass heroine's pursuit of her long-missing sister. You can see my review here and check out my interview with Mary McCoy here.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Adieh

The Wrath and the Dawn not only manages to retell the story of A Thousand and One Nights in a way that actually humanizes the despotic king but does so eloquently and beautifully. Read my review here.

Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

A chilling tale of one young woman's quest for justice through revenge, Daughter of Deep Silence will have you sympathizing with a very, very twisted protagonist you can't help rooting for. You can see my review here.

Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George

Silver in the Blood tells the story of two young women who discover their very interesting ancestry: belonging to a family of werewolves. Check out my review here.

Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson

Shanna Swendson builds a richly wondrous world where the American Revolution never happened and the British aristocracy use their magical powers to rule over their American subjects...but what happens when a half-British citizen discovers her powers and joins the brewing resistance? You can read my review here.

Lock and Mori by Heather W. Petty

Lock and Mori is one of the best adaptations I've read of Sherlock Holmes (or more specifically, Holmes' complex relationship with Moriarty), and I can't wait to see where this series goes. You can see my review here. 

Walk on Earth A Stranger by Rae Carson

Walk on Earth a Stranger chronicles the journeys of one magical young woman's quest across the country seeking gold during the California Gold Rush - and seeking an escape from her nefariously controlling and murderous uncle. Check out my review here. 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows, a spinoff from Leigh Bardugo's massively popular Grisha trilogy, follows a ragtag team of theives as they pull of the most daring heist of their careers. You can read my review here.

Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl 

Margaret Stohl writes the Black Widow story every fan needs to read. Weaving between the present and the past, the unfolding story slowly reveals Natasha's backstory in a gripping and haunting manner. You can expect a review from me soon. 

Carolyn is a teen blogger who shares her favorite YA reads and favorite book related finds with readers on Fridays. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - 12/28/15

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys.  Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

It's been quite a while since I posted a "What are you reading?" post. As we head into 2016, I am looking to get back into a regular routine and posting weekly.  Winter break has given me flexible time to read what I want and to simply enjoy books again. 

Here's are some recent reading favorites...

Counting Lions: Portraits from the Wild by Katie Cotton; Illustrated by Stephen Walton (Candlewick, October 2015) - Beautiful beyond belief and a unique counting book. 

How the Sun Got to Coco's House by Bob Graham (Candlewick, September 2015) - A new Bob Graham book. I am in love. 

I Love You Already! by Jory John; Illustrated by Benji Davies (HarperCollins, December 2015) - This one is simply fun and made me smile. 

Written and Drawn by Henrietta by Liniers (Toon Books, September 2015) - I love this book. A perfect mentor text for the writing process. 

My Pet Human by Yasmine Surovec (Roaring Brook Press, August 2015) - Cat lovers will especially appreciate this one, but so will 1st and 2nd graders. 

Coming in 2016....

Chicken in Space by Adam Lehrhaupt; Illustrated by Shahar Kober (HarperCollins, 2016) - A chicken with a fantastic imagination and a pig that really is looking for pie but joins in on the adventure.

Can I Tell You a Secret? by Anna Kang; Illustrated by Christopher Weyant (HarperCollins, May 2016) - Kang and Weyant have a new book and new characters. More fun from this talented couple. 

So, what are you reading?