Wrapping It Up in a Neat Red Bow: 2010

My reading in 2010 took a huge nose dive when I went back to school in August, but really if reading books for fun has to decline, what better reason than because I am going back to school? I read tons of sociology articles so that counts for something. Something. :)

I have the GRE scheduled for February 19th so please say prayers, attend pujas, align the stars for me - I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET- I suck at math. Hard.

But I digress. Back to the book reading. I read 60 out of the 100+ goal I had set for myself this year. I finished 5 of my 25 challenges, although I was one book away from finishing a couple of them. But I promised myself back in January that I would use the challenges more to expand my horizons than to meet a goal. So I am not concerned with not finishing more challenges. If I were, I wouldn't have signed up for so many! I didn't even do well in my own challenge, the Colorful Reading Challenge. Oy vey. I don't think I will be doing it again next year. If you would like to take over this challenge for me, I would be delighted for my hands will be full with school- just e-mail me!

Here is the breakdown so that you can go back, see what I read and read reviews you missed. Below that are my fave reads from this year, so be sure to check that out, too!

100+ in 2010: 60/100
1st in a Series: 2/3
A to Z Challenge: 15/26
ARC Challenge: 12/12 COMPLETED
Colorful Reading Challenge: 1/9 Epic Fail!
Countdown Challenge: 27/55
Flashback Challenge: 0/3 Oops.
Indi Authors: 4/12
Jane Austen Challenge: 2/4
Memoirs Challenge: 3/4
New Authors: 21/25
Random Reading Challenge: 12/12 COMPLETED
RYOB Challenge: 10/10 COMPLETED
Support Local Library: 11/25
Take Another Chance: 4/6
ThemeQuest: 1/5
TwentyTen Challenge: 16/20
We Didn't Start the Fire: 2/8
Women Unbound: 2/2 COMPLETED
World Religion Challenge: 2/3
Year of the Historical: 7/12
Young Adults Challenge: 11/12
YA Through the Decades: 1/8
Young Readers Challenge: 12/12 COMPLETED

Here are the most memorable and favorite books I read in 2010:
1. Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell
2. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran
3. Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
4. Scared by Tom Davis
5. Blue Bloods #1 by Melissa de la Cruz
6. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
7. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson


What were your fave reads from this year? Any regrets or proud accomplishments from your year in reading you would like to share? Share on!

And a happy new year to everyone!

The Secret Life of Josephine by Carolly Erickson

NAPOLEON'S BIRD OF PARADISE IS NOT WHAT YOU'D EXPECT

STATISTICS:
BOOK #: 60
RATING: 4 STARS
CHALLENGES: Year of the Historical, New Authors, TwentyTen, 100+ in 2010
GENRE: Historical Fiction
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Griffin
FORMAT/PAGES: Paperback/328


My first book by Carolly Erickson, The Secret Life of Josephine is what the author calls a "historical entertainment," meaning "some of this stuff is not even close to true, but Josephine was real." Knowing nothing about Josephine other than this novel, I have no idea which parts are true and which are not other than what Erickson mentioned in the back of the book. But the story was very entertaining.

Josephine Bonaparte was the Empress of France after her husband, Napoleon, appointed himself to the throne following the conquering of most of Europe and the dethroning and executions of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. This is factual.

Born Yeyette on the island of Martinique, Josephine grew up with belief in the native herbs and cures that were practiced by a medicine man who saved her life when she was younger. He told her it was not her time to die, for she had a purpose in life. She had to find the fer-de-lance of the world and kill it.

Erickson's tale of Josephine is full of adventure, romance, love affairs, scandalous behavior, and, of course, war. Erickson endears Josephine Bonaparte to the reader. I wanted to know what happened next in her crazy life. I wanted to know if she was able to kill the fer-de-lance. I wanted to know if her children survived, if she got back with Scipon or Donovan, if she was able to make a difference.

I very much enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to lovers of historical fiction. I will be picking up another Carolly Erickson book, no doubt.

I also have The Many Lives and Sorrows of Josephine B by Sandra Gulland. I wonder how the two will compare.

Take Me Away....to Morocco

Take Me Away Saturday

For those of you unfamiliar with Take Me Away Saturday: I started it because I love books that take place in different cultures and are about different cultures. Take Me Away is a way to share with other readers books that can transport them into another culture. Each week I feature a different country or culture (ex. Cherokee, Jewish, etc. that do not have a specific country per se) and list some books that can transport you there. (Note: ex. not necessarily books by a German or an Australian, but books set in Germany or Australia.) I try to provide a variety of fiction genres as well as nonfiction selections.

I am keeping a map of the countries we visit, which you can see at the bottom of this post. There is also a list of both countries and cultures visited in past Take Me Away posts. Check them out and discover some good books to read and recommend some, too!


This week we are visiting the North African country of Morocco:


Click on the titles of the books below to read reviews and/or purchase the book. Disclaimer: I do not receive commissions if you purchase a book through the link I provide, whether from Amazon, Indiebound, or otherwise.

A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco by Suzanna Clarke

The Medina -- the Old City -- of Fez is the best-preserved, medieval walled city in the world. Inside this vibrant Moroccan community, internet cafes and mobile phones coexist with a maze of donkey-trod alleyways, thousand-year-old sewer systems, and Arab-style houses, gorgeous with intricate, if often shabby, mosaic work. While vacationing in Morocco, Suzanna Clarke and her husband, Sandy, are inspired to buy a dilapidated, centuries-old riad in Fez with the aim of restoring it to its original splendor, using only traditional craftsmen and handmade materials. So begins a remarkable adventure that is bewildering, at times hilarious, and ultimately immensely rewarding. A House in Fez chronicles their meticulous restoration, but it is also a journey into Moroccan customs and lore and a window into the lives of its people as friendships blossom. When the riad is finally returned to its former glory, Suzanna finds she has not just restored an old house, but also her soul.

Flavors of Morocco: Delicious Recipes from North Africa by Ghillie Basan and Peter Cassidy

Moroccan food is sensual exotic, and a feast for the eyes. In "Flavors of Morocco", Ghillie Basan brings you tantalizing recipes for authentic Moroccan food, allowing you to recreate the scents and flavors of this fascinating culinary tradition at home. Follow simple Kemsia and Salad recipes such as Garlicky Fava Bean Dip or Carrot and Cumin Salad with Orange Blossom Water. Make the traditional Classic Chicken Pie with Cinnamon (B'Stilla), the classic Lamb Tagine with Almonds, Prunes, and Apricots, Roast Duck with Honey, Pears, and Figs. Also appearing throughout the book are essays on: The Olive and the Argan; Islam, Ramadan, and Bread; Dadas and the Traditional Kitchen; Berber Traditions and Tagines; The Art of Making Couscous; The Souks, Spices, and Sensual Flavors; and finally, Hospitality and Mint Tea. Moroccan food is hugely popular--it's delicious and easy to cook. Beautifully photographed on location by Peter Cassidy.

The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah

When Shah, his pregnant wife and their small daughter move from England to Morocco, where he'd vacationed as a child, he enters a realm of "invisible spirits and their parallel world." Shah buys the Caliph's House, once a palatial compound, now heavy with algae, cobwebs and termites. Unoccupied for a decade, the place harbors a willful jinni (invisible spirit), who Shah, the rational Westerner, reluctantly grasps must be exorcised by traditional means. As Shah remodels the haunted house, he encounters a cast of entertaining, sometimes bizarre characters. Three retainers, whose lives are governed by the jinni, have attached themselves to the property. Confounding craftsmen plague but eventually beautify the house. Intriguing servants come and go, notably Zohra, whose imaginary friend, a 100-foot tall jinni, lives on her shoulder. A "gangster neighbor and his trophy wife" conspire to acquire the Caliph's House, and a countess remembers Shah's grandfather and his secrets. Passers-through offer eccentricity (Kenny, visiting 15 cities on five continents where Casablanca is playing; Pete, a convert to Islam, seeking "a world without America"). There is a thin, dark post-9/11 thread in Shah's elegantly woven tale. The dominant colors, however, are luminous.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The charming tale of Santiago, a shepherd boy, who dreams of seeing the world, is compelling in its own right, but gains resonance through the many lessons Santiago learns during his adventures. He journeys from Spain to Morocco in search of worldly success, and eventually to Egypt, where a fateful encounter with an alchemist brings him at last to self-understanding and spiritual enlightenment. The story has the comic charm, dramatic tension and psychological intensity of a fairy tale, but it's full of specific wisdom as well, about becoming self-empowered, overcoming depression, and believing in dreams.

In Morocco by Edith Wharton

During her travels in Morocco in 1917, Wharton kept a rather complete, descriptive account of her experiences. As expected of such a superbly talented author, her observations are well written and interesting. While this gives listeners a real feel for desert living and tribes, it does not include a map, which would have been helpful in following and better understanding her journey. Wharton provides some historical perspective and unusual insight into the travel of that period and into the lives of women. Her account of visits to harems provide the most educational and fascinating listening. Anna Fields reads beautifully, gliding through a great many difficult names, making only one detectable pronunciation error. Unfortunately, old travel books normally attract a rather limited audience. True armchair travelers or those with a special interest in Morocco may be interested.

Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi and Ros Schwartz (Translator)

A gripping memoir that reads like a political thriller--the story of Malika Oufkir's turbulent and remarkable life. Born in 1953, Malika Oufkir was the eldest daughter of General Oufkir, the King of Morocco's closest aide. Adopted by the king at the age of five, Malika spent most of her childhood and adolescence in the seclusion of the court harem, one of the most eligible heiresses in the kingdom, surrounded by luxury and extraordinary privilege.

Secret Son by Laila Lalami

Raised by his mother in a one-room house in the slums of Casablanca, Youssef El Mekki has always had big dreams of living another life in another world. Suddenly his dreams are within reach when he discovers that his father—whom he’d been led to believe was dead—is very much alive. A wealthy businessman, he seems eager to give his son a new start. Youssef leaves his mother behind to live a life of luxury, until a reversal of fortune sends him back to the streets and his childhood friends. Trapped once again by his class and painfully aware of the limitations of his prospects, he becomes easy prey for a fringe Islamic group. In the spirit of The Inheritance of Loss and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Laila Lalami’s debut novel looks at the struggle for identity, the need for love and family, and the desperation that grips ordinary lives in a world divided by class, politics, and religion.

Sheik by Connie Mason

Princess Zara had been raised a warrior, always at her father's side in battle against the Arabs who had stolen their land. So when she's taken prisoner by Sheik Jamal Abd Thabbit during a raid, she was determined not to succumb to his wishes--a more difficult task than she would have ever believed.

My Father's Shop by Satomi Ichikawa

In Morocco, Mustafa's father sells beautiful carpets "in all the colors of the world" in My Father's Shop. But when helping out and learning foreign languages grows tiresome, young Mustafa decides to saunter through the market and show off his own recently acquired carpet, a damaged but still lovely thing. Through author/illustrator Satomi Ichikawa's words and pictures, young readers meet the mint seller Yacine, admire baskets and foods for sale and befriend a lively rooster. Through the bird and some friendly tourists, Mustafa learns how to crow in four languages (French, Spanish, English and Japanese) as well as his native Moroccan. And his father is especially happy when the boy returns to the shop with his new carpet-buying friends. Ages 4-8.


This is just a sampling of books on Morocco. Do you want to recommend/share books that take place in Morocco? Or do you want to share other thoughts? Please leave a note in the comments!

Be sure to check back for another trip in books!

Here is what is coming up next:
South American country of Argentina
European country of Italy

Take Me Away Map:
Couldn't get the site to work tonight. Will have map next time!

Where we've been and the books that take us there:
The Americas and the Caribbean
Guatemala
Peru
Brazil
Chile
Haiti
Honduras
Canada
Europe
Triple Threat-Baltic States
Spain
Norway
Hungary
Middle East
Turkey
Yemen
Israel
Asia
Russia
Vietnam
India
Japan
Taiwan
Africa
Egypt
Sierra Leone
Kenya
Zimbabwe
Australia, Pacific Islands
New Zealand
Fiji
Cultures Across the World
Australian Aborigines
Sioux Nation
Inuit Culture
Amish Culture

Take Me Away: It's Baaaaack!!

Take Me Away Saturday

For those of you unfamiliar with Take Me Away Saturday: I started it because I love books that take place in different cultures and are about different cultures. Take Me Away is a way to share with other readers books that can transport them into another culture. Each week I feature a different country or culture (ex. Cherokee, Jewish, etc. that do not have a specific country per se) and list some books that can transport you there. (Note: ex. not necessarily books by a German or an Australian, but books set in Germany or Australia.) I try to provide a variety of fiction genres as well as nonfiction selections.

I am keeping a map of the countries we visit, which you can see at the bottom of this post. There is also a list of both countries and cultures visited in past Take Me Away posts. Check them out and discover some good books to read and recommend some, too!


This week we are visiting the culture of the Amish people:
This is the best I could find for where the Amish are located.

This is a (very) brief overview of the Amish beliefs that I got from religioustolerance.org:
The faith group has attempted to preserve the elements of late 17th century European rural culture. They try to avoid many of the features of modern society, by developing practices and behaviors which isolate themselves from American culture.
Here is more info on the Amish.


Click on the titles of the books below to read reviews and/or purchase the book. Disclaimer: I do not receive commissions if you purchase a book through the link I provide, whether from Amazon, Indiebound, or otherwise.

Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy by Donald B. Kraybill

When a gunman killed five Amish children and injured five others last fall in a Nickel Mines, Pa., schoolhouse, media attention rapidly turned from the tragic events to the extraordinary forgiveness demonstrated by the Amish community. The authors, who teach at small colleges with Anabaptist roots and have published books on the Amish, were contacted repeatedly by the media after the shootings to interpret this subculture. In response to the questions "why-and how-did they forgive?" Kraybill and his colleagues present a compelling study of "Amish grace." After describing the heartbreaking attack and its aftermath, the authors establish that forgiveness is embedded in Amish society through five centuries of Anabaptist tradition, and grounded in the firm belief that forgiveness is required by the New Testament. The community's acts of forgiveness were not isolated decisions by saintly individuals but hard-won "countercultural" practices supported by all aspects of Amish life. Common objections to Amish forgiveness are addressed in a chapter entitled, "What About Shunning?" The authors carefully distinguish between forgiveness, pardon and reconciliation, as well as analyze the complexities of mainstream America's response and the extent to which the Amish example can be applied elsewhere. This intelligent, compassionate and hopeful book is a welcome addition to the growing literature on forgiveness.


Plain Secrets: An Outsider Among the Amish by Joe Mackell

In an engaging personal memoir, Mackall, an Ohio-based writer and professor of English, describes the close-knit relationship he has cultivated over more than a decade with a neighboring Amish family. This is neither an exposé nor an outsider's fanciful romanticization of the Amish. By focusing on the loves and losses of one large Amish clan, Mackall breathes life into a complex group often idealized or caricatured. He refers, for example, not to "the Amish" writ large, but instead to "the Swartzentruber Amish I know," describing in some detail the tremendous differences between the Swartzentrubers, by far the most traditional sect, and the Old Order, New Order, Beachy and other Amish groups. The Swartzentrubers not only eschew electricity but also padded or upholstered chairs, souped-up buggies, indoor plumbing, the tradition of rumspringa (a running-around period for some Amish teens) and—perhaps most important for this narrative—contact with "the English." Mackall's is the first book to venture behind-the-scenes of this most conservative Amish group. At times Mackall is critical of the Swartzentruber way of life (such as when an eight-year-old girl dies in a buggy accident because the sect rejects safety measures for buggies), but it is a deeply respectful account that never veers toward sensationalism.

Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish by Tom Shachtman

A teenage Amish girl sits in her buggy, one hand dangling a cigarette while the other holds a cellphone in which she is loudly chatting away. This girl, like many Amish teens 16 and older, is in a period called rumspringa, when the strict rules of community life are temporarily lifted while an adolescent chooses whether to be baptized into the church and abide fully by its laws. Shachtman, a documentarian who began studying this phenomenon for the film The Devil's Playground, is a sensitive and nimble chronicler of Amish teens, devoting ample space to allowing them to tell their stories in their own words. And their stories are fascinating, from the wild ones who engage in weekend-long parties, complete with hard drugs and sexual promiscuity, to the more sedate and pious teens who prefer to engage in careful courtship rituals under the bemused eyes of adult Amish chaperones. Shachtman's tone is by turns admiring—of the work ethic, strong families and religious faith that undergird Amish life—and critical, especially of the sect's treatment of women and its suspicion of education beyond the eighth grade. Throughout, Shachtman uses the Amish rumspringa experience as a foil for understanding American adolescence and identity formation in general, and also contextualizes rumspringa throughout the rapidly growing and changing Amish world. This is not only one of the most absorbing books ever written about the Plain People but a perceptive snapshot of the larger culture in which they live and move. (Also a movie.)

An Amish Christmas by Cynthia Keller

Meg Hobart has everything: a happy marriage to a handsome, successful husband, a beautiful home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and three wonderful children. But it all comes crashing down around her the day she learns that her husband, James, has been living a lie—and has brought the family to financial ruin. Penniless and homeless, the Hobarts pack up what little they still possess and leave behind their golden life for good. But it’s not the material things Meg finds herself mourning. Instead, she misses the certainty that she should remain married to James, who has betrayed her trust so thoughtlessly. Worse, she is suddenly very aware of just how spoiled her children have become. Meg wonders what her family has really sacrificed in their pursuit of the American dream. A frightening twist of fate forces the Hobarts to take refuge with a kind Amish family in Pennsylvania, where they find themselves in a home with no computers, no cell phones, nothing the children consider fashionable or fun. Her uncooperative brood confined to the Amish world of hard work and tradition, their futures entirely uncertain, Meg fears she can never make her family whole again. Celebrating life’s simplest but most essential values, packed with laughter and tears, this is a story of forgiveness and the power of love. You will never forget the special moment in time that is An Amish Christmas.

The Amish Cook: Recollections and Recipes from an Old Order Amish Family by Elizabeth Coblentz and Kevin Williams

Ten years ago, aspiring newspaper editor Kevin Williams convinced Elizabeth Coblentz, an Old Order Amish wife and mother, to write a weekly cooking column called The Amish Cook. Each week Elizabeth shares a family recipe and discusses daily life on her Indiana farm, spent with her husband, Ben, and their eight children and 32 grandchildren. THE AMISH COOK, a full-color cookbook based on Elizabeth's columns, compiles more than 75 traditional Amish recipes, photographs of the Coblentz farm, practical gardening tips, cherished family tales, and firsthand accounts of traditional Amish events like corn-husking bees and barn raisings. A truly unique collaboration between a simple Amish grandmother and a modern-day newspaperman, THE AMISH COOK is a poignant and authentic look at a disappearing way of life. The Amish Cook column is syndicated in more than 100 newspapers nationwide. Elizabeth wrote THE AMISH COOK in longhand by the light of a kerosene lamp. Elizabeth has been a writer for the Amish newspaper, The Budget, for 40 years.

The Postcard by Beverly Lewis (Amish Country Crossroads Series #1)

Best-selling author Beverly Lewis has inspired millions of readers with her tender stories set in the amish country of rural Pennsylvania. She has written over fifty books, including the popular Heritage of Lancaster county titles: The Shunning, The Confession, and The Reckoning. In a terrible accident, Rachel Yoder loses her husband, her son, and her unborn child. Now, Rachel leads a reclusive life with her young daughter. Her soul is troubled, and her eye-sight has mysteriously dimmed. But the discovery of an old postcard, hidden for years, is about to change Rachel's world.. Filled with vivid scenes of Amish life, The Postcard is a heart-warming and thought-provoking examination of the powers of faith and healing. Narrator Barbara Caruso's performance brings a gentleness and warmth to this moving story.

Blood of the Prodigal by P.L. Gaus (Ohio Amish Mystery Series #1)

A compulsively readable new series that explores a fascinating culture set purposely apart. In the wooded Amish hill country, a professor at a small college, a local pastor, and the county sheriff are the only ones among the mainstream, or "English," who possess the instincts and skills to work the cases that impact all county residents, no matter their code of conduct or religious creed. When an Amish boy is kidnapped, a bishop, fearful for the safety of his followers, plunges three outsiders into the traditionally closed society of the "Plain Ones."

Do you want to recommend/share books that take place in Amish society? Or do you want to share other thoughts? Please leave a note in the comments!

Be sure to check back for another trip in books!

Here is what is coming up next:
African country of Morocco
South American country of Argentina


Where we've been and the books that take us there:
The Americas and the Caribbean
Guatemala
Peru
Brazil
Chile
Haiti
Honduras
Canada
Europe
Triple Threat-Baltic States
Spain
Norway
Hungary
Middle East
Turkey
Yemen
Israel
Asia
Russia
Vietnam
India
Japan
Taiwan
Africa
Egypt
Sierra Leone
Kenya
Zimbabwe
Australia, Pacific Islands
New Zealand
Fiji
Cultures Across the World
Australian Aborigines
Sioux Nation
Inuit Culture

Happy Birthday Miss Austen!

Happy Birthday to Jane Austen!

In honor of her birthday I will be reading about her life and her writing in my copy of Jane Austen's Illustrated Treasury. Now that I have read Persuasion I can read that section as I waited until I read the book to read about it in the Treasury.

What about you? Will you be reading any Austen today?

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

POLICE HUNT PSYCHOTIC MASS MURDERER LISBETH SALANDER

STATISTICS:
BOOK #: 59
RATING: 4 Stars
CHALLENGES: TwentyTen, A to Z Challenge, 100+ in 2010
GENRE: Crime Thriller
PUBLISHER: Vintage Books of Random House
FORMAT/PAGES: Paperback/724

The second installment in Larsson's trilogy featuring Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist was stirring and full of intrigue.

The plot was riveting. I loved that Salander was the prime suspect in a triple homicide and I liked the sex trafficking ring component as well, although it didn't go into that as much as I thought it would. I also liked that the characters taken from the first book were consistent in their personalities in the second book.

I found myself wishing I had drawn up an outline of character names and places by the time I got halfway through the book. There were a lot of key players in this book and Larsson switched back and forth from first names to last names, adding to my confusion. That was probably my main problem with the book. I think I am going to have to do it anyway so that when I go to read the third book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, I won't be lost. That and the whole bizarre mathematics part of the book. I could have done without that and it didn't add anything to the story. A simple "Salander likes to solve complicated mathematical puzzles" would have sufficed.

Larsson had a talent for throwing the reader off guard, though. Just when you think it is getting predictable, he throws a major surprise at you.

I think I enjoyed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo better, but I still liked this book and I look forward to finding out how all of this ends in the next book. I also can't wait to catch the movie for this book, which may help me in keeping all the characters straight, too.

2010- What was it good for?

Soooo here it is December and what do I have to show for it? Not a lot of reading that's for sure! I really fell down on the job once school started. I knew it would be tougher, but I didn't realize how challenging it would be just to fit in a few minutes of reading. But I did learn a few things along the way that will help me in the following year:

1) Pick books that do not require so much concentration. Many times I was much too tired to keep all the Swedish names and places straight in The Girl Who Plays with Fire. Next semester I will choose books a little less intense since I am doing so much reading in my sociology courses.

2) It's hardly escapism if the book I am reading has a main focus of sex trafficking if my focus in school is also on human trafficking. I am loving the book, don't get me wrong, but it was a little too much on the same subject all at once.

3) I am taking it easier on myself next year since I know in advance I will be in school finishing up pre-reqs in the spring and next fall in graduate school (cross your fingers and toes). I will be reading a lot of scientific papers, articles, etc. and so nonfiction is probably going to take a backseat in my reading repertoire in 2011.

4) My readers and friends are loyal and oozing with awesomeness. They don't mind that I am sporadic now in writing and reading posts (or at least you don't mind too much;).) You guys have no idea how much I have missed talking with you and reading along with you these past few months. Just getting in more interaction this past week has made me realize how big a part of me this community is and how grateful I am to have found it and all of you. My blogging may change somewhat, but I will not stop blogging just because I am in school. It's too much a part of me now.

5) Challenges. You know I love them like a fat kid loves cake. I'm a junkie and I know it. In 2009/2010 I signed up for so many challenges. But luckily I don't have as much guilt as I could have over non-completion simply because I took the road of "using them to broaden my horizons" as much as for "completing the goal." Later this month I will post about challenges completed and not completed all in one fell swoop.


So lessons learned and now I look forward to the new year!