The Diary of Ma Yan :: Book Sharing Monday

Ma Yan is a young girl determined to continue her education despite the hardships and struggles that ensue. Knowing that an education is the only thing that could rescue her from a life of poverty, Ma Yan continues her fight to stay in school. Her resilience is inspiring.

Some of her journals were lost,  as a result, the entries are broken (September - December 2000 and July - December 2001).  All entries are brief and from the heart as she writes of poverty, hunger, frustration, desire for an education, and the hope for a better future for herself and her family.

When Ma Yan's mother gave her daughter's diaries to a foreign journalist ... it paved the way for an incredible outpouring of love and financial support ... not only for Ma Yan but for other poverty-stricken children in China.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will encourage my daughter, who is passionate about Chinese culture, to read it for herself.  Ma Yan proves herself an articulate young woman and through her journal, we see glimpses of life in rural China.  This book also instills a greater appreciation for Americans' access to education and opportunity.

Finding the Time

A friend of mine recently posted [When Does Mommy Read?] about her realization that, "I laughed at myself, today, when I realized I have a book hidden in every room of this house.  You never know when you might have a moment to escape!"  I couldn't help but smile for I do the exact same thing. 

I have books scattered all about the house .. in hopes that I may be able to steal away even a few minutes to myself.  Here is a sample of what I'm currently reading:

• In the Bathroom:  There's always a USMS Swimmer or Runner's World magazine nearby when I need my space.  Just last week, the latest Viking magazine arrived and I promptly placed it in the basket.
• In Bed: Currently, I am reading Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter.  To be honest though, it has been on my bedside table for some time now.  The old style verse is rather difficult to follow and I tend to get swayed by more modern books. 
• In the Hallway:  Can you believe I actually have a book here?!  Every evening, as the kiddos brush their teeth and prepare for bed (at least that is what they are supposed to be doing - it doesn't usually happen as easily as I wrote it) - I lay on the floor between the room and read aloud.  Presently, I am reading Who is William Shakespeare? (a short biography my daughter selected) but in the next day or two, I will begin Julie of the Wolves.
• In the Office:  Though all our books are here as it serves as our library as well .. the only thing I actually read here are the many blogs of yours .. and those of other homeschooling moms. I glean so much inspiration from others.  Thank you!  Oh and Facebook!  It drains more time than I care to admit, and I don't even play the games!
• In the Kitchen: I'm always reading a cookbook or two.  Right now, I am continuing to work on my Cultural Skills pin in Cooking (level 2) through Sons of Norway.  I thereby regularly review Beatrice Okanagas' Scandinavian Feasts.  I also am very fond of the cookbook, Fix It and Forget It with which I am becoming quite skilled with the crock pot.  A good thing considering how frequently we are out & about for extracurriculars and school activities.

So, what are you reading, friends?  I'd love to hear what reading material sits by your bed, or on your kitchen table.  Where do you most enjoy reading?  When do you most enjoy curling up with a good book?

52 Books 52 Weeks :: 2010 Review

When 2010 began, I set off with a goal of reading 52 books, essentially 52 books in 52 weeks. A book a week. As I read avidly myself as well as aloud to the kids, I felt sure that I could accomplish this. I made a mental note, however, that I would only count chapter books - not everybody books or picture books that I could read cover to cover in under an hour.

I started off well and many months, I read more than what was necessary each week to meet my goal.  By mid-year, however, wouldn't you know it ... I began to lose steam.  In November, I started The Pillars of the Earth, a book I had been wanting to read for years.  Though I really enjoyed the story, it took me several weeks to complete.  I would pick it up for a few days and then set it down for a week.  It thereby took me forever to complete.

I am quite impressed however ... In the end, I was just 4 books shy of my goal.  I enjoyed this challenge much more than the reading / book challenges I have done in the past.  It was far more flexible than the 888 or the 999 challenges.  Therefore, I will again strive to achieve this goal in 2011.

52 Books 52 Weeks :: Catch Up

Early in the year, I challenged myself to read one book each week for the entire year.  I started out really well and then as summer came upon me, I found myself out doors more frequently and was less inclined to curl up on the couch or in bed with a book.  This morning, I came across a blog of a friend, my corner, and discovered that she, too, was taking part in a similar challenge. I hadn't even realized that there was an online community doing this same challenge ... though I should have suspected.

52 Books in 52 Weeks

I thereby jumped over to the spreadsheet I created in the early part of the year and along with my Goodreads account, brought it was up to date.  38 books thus far (assuming I didn't overlook one).  Not too shabby.  I should be able to succeed if I continue forth and resume reading as avidly as I had at the start of the year.  Now if I could just stop reading twaddle and resume my quest to read the classics I never read in school.

The Help :: Book Sharing Monday

The Help
by  Kathryn Stockett

The latest book selected for book club this month is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Set in Mississippi in the early 1960's, Stockett weaves a startling, resonant portrait of the intertwined lives of women on opposite sides of the racial divide and the journey that binds them together.

This debut novel brings to life twenty-two-year-old Skeeter who has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. Aibileen, a wise, regal black maid raising her seventeenth white child. Minny, Aibileen's best friend, who can cook like nobody's business but can't mind her tongue. It is 1962, with the civil rights movement exploding all around them and these three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step that forever changes a town and the way women -- mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends -- view one another.

This is an excellent book. The storyline and the characters so intrigued me that my husband asked me to get it for him on audio. I frequently summarize books that I have enjoyed for him ... this is the first time he has said, "I want to experience this one too."

I am delighted to recommend, The Help. If you have read it - or once you have finished it, please let me know what you think of it.

Dead and Gone :: Book Sharing Monday

Dead and Gone (book #9)

Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris

For the past few months, I have been zipping through the books in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I had read the first two just after the HBO series True Blood aired (the show is based on the books). I've been hooked since the beginning but told myself I had to read other books in between. That promise didn't last long. I've gone through the last 4 books in just a few days. I can't put them down! My family thinks I've lost it... even reading while attempting to make meals.

Not a traditional mystery, nor yet pure science fiction or romance, Dead Until Dark (book #1) broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of people who just enjoy a good adventure. Each subsequent book about Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic Louisiana barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, has drawn more readers.

I can not say these books are quality literature... but they are delicious, fun and carefree. I can't wait until book #10 is released in May (a great birthday present, if I may say so). Until then, I'm off to the next vampire...

Peace Like a River :: Book Sharing Monday

Peace like a River
by Leif Enger

Summary :: Set in a quiet 1960s Minnesota community, this magical debut novel centers around 11-year-old asthmatic Reuben Land and his family: his father, his brother, and his precocious younger sister. Life turns upside down when Davy, Reuben's older brother, kills two intruders who plan to harm the family. After Davy breaks out of jail, the Lands leave their home and set out to find him.

Review :: I absolutely loved this book! The story is told in first-person from Reuben's perspective and periodically, he personally addresses the reader - which I found to be an unique literary tool. Sprinkled throughout the story is also a western-stylized poem written by Swede, their sister. It is evident that the fictional character, Sundance, is based upon Davy and the trials he undergoes.



OTN :: Though last week started out well, circumstances (overnight travel, illness, and family issues and subsequent stress and loss of sleep) threw my training plan off once again. Hopefully, I can pick up the pieces this week.

OSN :: 2050m (500m warmup; 8 x 25m breaststroke drill; 2 x [250m, 150m, 50m descending]; 3 x 150m steady)

15 Books Meme

I saw this on Facebook and enjoyed it so much, I thought I would share here as well. Let me know if you play along by posting in the comments. I won't tag anyone.

Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. List fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

1. His Dark Materials Trilogy (Golden Compass, Amber Spyglass, Subtle Knife) by Philip Pullman
2. Reason for Hope by Jane Goodall
3. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
4. Night by Elie Wiesel
5. Parenting with Love & Logic by Foster Cline & Jim Fay
6. Eva by Peter Dickinson
7. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn
8. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
9. The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer
10. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
11. Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
12. Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons
13. Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
14. Queen Bees & Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman
15. Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv

My 999 List

Click on image to enlarge.

Are you playing along?

Revisiting My 888 List

So, 2008 has come and gone and what of my 888 reading list? Did I finish it? No! Am I happy? Yes!! I am thrilled that I read 34 books on my list in 2008!

When I first started the 888 challenge a year ago, I honestly didn’t think I’d even come close to the 56 book mark (8 can overlap). My main goal was to get myself reading more consistently and I know that mission was accomplished!

I read more than twice as many books as I did in 2007, most of which were for my woman's book club which I left in October even though I was a founding member. The group dynamics just started to change with an influx of new members and I no longer felt as though it were a safe place to share. I frequently felt out of place... though I didn't belong. They spent more time socializing and gossiping than reading / discussing the books. But that is a long story and not one worth reviewing here.

I’ve really enjoyed my reading this year. When I shared the 888 Challenge with others, some felt that the categories were limiting. I, on the other hand, felt it helped encourage me to read genres I don't normally select. I know my tastes in books though and chose categories accordingly.

As the year progressed though, I found myself drawn to other books that were not originally on my list but yet I was so compelled to read them. In fact, I had hesitated in reading the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer - I had assumed it would be a silly teen romance novel - but once I picked it up and started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I read all 4 in less than a week. In doing this, and not sticking to my plan, I ended up reading 2-3 more titles in some categories (Education/Parenting and Just For Fun) than the required eight. Thereby neglecting other categories entirely (Biographies).

I really liked the variety of books I finished. There were several books on my original list that I never got to but I knew from the beginning that I would move any that I didn't finish to 2009. I probably could have read more books if I didn't homeschool, coordinate 2 clubs for the kiddos, run marathons, have 2 children and a husband, enjoy crafting and volunteer. Yet, that is certainly okay.

So. . . call me crazy, but I want to read more! I’m compiling a 999 List ~ 9 books in 9 categories in 2009! Again, 9 books can overlap so there are 72 total. I have a huge feeling I won’t come anywhere close but that isn't the point anyway. I really, really like having the categories to pick from me.

In addition, I've formed another woman's book club. A girlfriend (another founding member of the old book club) and I hand-selected the members. We've laid down ground rules. We are committed to actually reading quality literature as well as having a good time. I'm also going to participate in an online book club, Sound Mind, Sound Mom.

It's all a part of my effort to have more fun in '09.

A Loss for Words & Blurb

I'm really lacking for things to say. Since school started last week and I lost my 2x week sitter, I haven't been running. Swimming is the only regular exercise I've been getting the past couple of weeks. And I missed that last Tues, too because the kiddos had a cold.

I can't recall precisely the swim workout we did on Thursday last week. I think I did about 700 meters warm-up (300 w/fins). As the coaches are on vacation these two weeks, it was up to us to determine a workout. We did three rounds of 8 sets of 50s, alternating stroke each length. It was very IM-ish but we did only 4 lengths (25m) of fly.

Today, I was completely on my own. I did 600 meters warm-up (100 free, 100 back, 100 free, 100 breast, 100 free, 100 IM) and 400 meters with fins, 2 lengths (25m) of fly. I then did an endurance set of 2 x 300m followed by 2 x 200m. I felt very relaxed and comfortable. At the end of the hour, I had completed 2000 meters so I was very pleased.

I keep thinking about doing more. Pilates. Strength Training. Core/Abdominal Work. Cross-Fit. I just don't know how to make sure I stick with it. Though I am hesitant, I think I may have to find a class at the fitness center at least once a week. I've been trying to convince DH to do a kick-boxing class with me at Sweetie's Dojo, but he has committed yet. He has inquired about maybe doing some swimming.

I have my sitter again - though just one afternoon a week. Hopefully, I'll be able to get back into the groove and workout on a regular basis. I'd like to get my weekly running mileage back up to 25 miles a week before I begin training for Eugene '09.

In other news...

I tied for 2nd place in the Virtual Mile! I'm elated! If you are interested in reading the full race report, hop over to Reid's post, The Virtual Mile Race Results.

Secondly, I recently had my homeschool blog posts from Aug 2007 - Aug 2008 uploaded to Blurb.com and printed into a hard-bound book. I just got it yesterday and I am delighted with the results. I've had a few photo-books printed at Snapfish and Shutterfly in the past. The quality has been good. However, I have to say that Blurb is far superior.

Their software allows you to modify the text, manipulate the layout and truly make it your own. DH was so impressed, he said I need to buy 2... one for each child (as the homeschool blog is basically a record of our school endeavors and of their academic growth, etc.).

The 888 Challenge

Choose 8 categories and read 8 books in each category in 2008. Anyone want to join me?

This is my list for the challenge:

I. Homeschooling / Education / Parenting :
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Educ. at Home by Susan Bauer and Jessie Wise
When Children Love to Learn by Elaine Cooper
A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion by Oliver DeMille
Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire by Rafe Esquith
Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey Bluedorn

II. Running / Training :
Explosive Running by Michael Yessis
Chi Running by Danny Dreyer

III. Cultural Understanding :
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
*July's People by Nadine Gordimer
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
*Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
*Molokai by Alan Brennert
*The World to Come by Dara Horn
*Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
*The Assassin's Song by MG Vassanji
*Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission ... by Greg Mortenson

IV. History / Historical Fiction :
India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha
Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence by BJ Lossing
Wives of the Signers, The Women Behind the Declaration of Independence
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw
The Age of Shiva by Manil Suri
1776 by David McCullough
Story of the World Vol.1 The Ancients by Susan Wise Bauer

V. Classics :
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (I've read it before, but it was years ago.)

VI. Read Alouds with the Kiddos :
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald and Hilary Knight
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Last Dragon by Silvana de Mari
Meet Kristen by Janet Beeler Shaw
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

VII. Biographies :
*Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes
It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong


VIII. Just For Fun / Overflow / Other :
Teaching the Trivium by Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn
There Are No Shortcuts by Rafe Esquith
The Well Educated Mind: A Guide to Classical Educ. You Never Had by Susan Wise Bauer
The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne Duprau
The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne Duprau
Zorro by Isabel Allende
The Twilight Saga (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn) by Stephanie Meyer
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
*Memo to the President Elect by Madeleine Albright
*The Good Liar by Laura Caldwell
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan
Raising Cain; Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson

Some categories have more than the eight required... to account for availability from the library, etc. Titles that are not read in 2008, will be postponed for 2009. If you have suggestions of titles to fill in the blanks, let me know. :)


What I’ve Finished
* For Book Club

Paper Back Swap

Are you buried beneath a pile of books that you've read long ago? Are you of need of more space?



All you have to do is register (it's free) and create a list of books that you are willing to trade. When one or more of your books are requested, you pay the shipping (generally about $1.47 - $2.53) and receive one credit for each paperback book that you send.

To receive a book in return, browse through the lists of available books and request one of interest. One credit will be deducted from your account. The owner thereby sends it to you. You don't pay for shipping to receive a book.

If you sign-up and list 10 books before October 5th, you'll earn 3 credits. Thereafter, you'll earn just 2 credits. If you join, please use my email address as a referral.

bud underscore eva at hotmail dot com

I've Finished!

...not a marathon... not a 30K... not even a short 327 yard fun run like my daughter recently...

instead, what I refer to is ...

Harry Potter!

I loved the whole series - and like those who've finished before me - I vow not to reveal the ending or other details.

I can say, however, that it is certainly good to have closure. A great story. I'd love to sit with J.K. Rowling and get to know her on a personal level - get to know how she came up with the story. Did she have the entire 7 book series mapped out before she began to write The Sorcerer's Stone? Or, have the subsequent books developed over time?

Like with all trilogies or series books, I am sad that they've come to an end. But, for me, I know I'll get to relive the journey when my own children become avid readers themselves. :)

Kenny Moore

Last night, DH and I went out for a nice dinner followed by an address/talk with Kenny Moore, the culminating event for a month long celebration of his recent book, Bowerman and the Men of Oregon.


The talk was the culminating event of the Deschutes Public Library Foundation's "Novel Idea...Read Together" program. The book describes the life of Bill Bowerman, the University of Oregon’s legendary coach and co-founder of Nike. Author Kenny Moore, a former senior writer for Sports Illustrated and a world-class runner under Bowerman's tutelage, delivers a fully realized portrait of this complicated man. The book celebrates the spirit of Oregon through the life of one man who represented all of the characteristics of the earliest Pioneers blended with sheer genius, humor, and grit.

This was the fourth annual program and I've participated in all but the first. However, this marks the first time I have been able to hear the author talk. After last night - I don't want to miss another one in the future. It was so interesting to hear the author read from his book ... to hear his voice, how he emphasized certain words or phrases. I enjoyed the book immensely ... not just because I am a runner, but because it was very well writtten, very descriptive and engaging. Hearing Moore speak in person brought it to life.

After the formal program, I got a chance to speak with him person to person as he signed my copy of his book. I mentioned that I too was a runner and had ran my first marathon in October. I asked what he considered to be his most memorable marathon, his first or the one in which he performed the best (be it best place or time). He said that he'll certainly remember the first, but for entirely different reasons (as a big smile spread across his face)... both will be remembered.

It was very cool to hear a runner of his caliber talk about running. I could hear the passion for his sport in his voice. I'm so glad that I was able to go. Even more pleased that my husband was there to share in the experience. Maybe he'll understand a little more. :)

Favorite Books of all Time ~ Thursday Thirteen

A simple list of my favorite books (in no particular order).

1. Bowerman and the Men of Oregon by Kenny Moore

2. His Dark Materials triology (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) by Philip Pullman

3. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson

4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

5. A Gathering of Finches by Jane Kirkpatrick

6. A Reason for Hope by Jane Goodall

7. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

8. Night by Elie Wiesel

9. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

10. Eva by Peter Dickenson

11. Island fo the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

12. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

13. Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

New Movies & Books

Like most people, I love movies. This season, I am particularly excited about a couple of new releases that are based on children's books. The one I am most looking forward to is The Golden Compass. It is based upon a triology by Philip Pullman. A 12-year-old girl starts out trying to save a friend whose been kidnapped by a mysterious organization in an alternate world but ends up on an epic quest to save our own world as well.

I have read all 3 and absolutely love the series. So much so, that I even read the first (The Golden Compass) to my 5th grade students the last year I was teaching before DD was born. There were a large number of 'fantasy' enthusiasts in that class and several were so taken by the characters (Lyra and Lord Asriel) that they too, read the next two (The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass).

I've also recommended the book to my book club, but alas, it hasn't been selected from 'the jar' yet. Hopefully soon. I'd love to read it again. :)

Another movie that is already in theaters is Eragon. Written by Christopher Paolini when he was just 15, Eragon is about a young farm boy who finds a marvelous blue stone in a mystical mountain place. Before he can trade it for food to get his family through the hard winter, it hatches a beautiful sapphire-blue dragon, a race thought to be extinct. Eragon bonds with the dragon, and when his family is killed by the marauding Ra'zac, he discovers that he is the last of the Dragon Riders, fated to play a decisive part in the coming war between the human but hidden Varden, dwarves, elves, the diabolical Shades and their neanderthal Urgalls, all pitted against and allied with each other and the evil King Galbatorix. Eragon and his dragon Saphira set out to find their role, growing in magic power and understanding of the complex political situation as they endure perilous travels and sudden battles, dire wounds, capture and escape.

I am looking forward to this one as well. DH and I have a date night in a couple weeks... hopefully it will still be playing in theatres locally.


In other accounts, I am currently reading Bowerman and the Men of Oregon by Kenny Moore. I haven't read too many biographies in the past, but I am really enjoying this one. As it was selected as the Novel Idea selection for this year, my book club will be reading it in April. I know I am the first member to begin reading. I am fearful that most of the members will not pursue it to the end. If you are not into running, some of the material may be considered slow-going. Nevertheless, I would recommend it to everyone!