Halfway to the Middle at the Midpoint

I have set a goal for myself, as part of the Reading Challenge on Goodreads, to read 100 books in 2015. Well, today is the midpoint of the year (182 days both have passed, and will come to pass), and I am halfway to the middle of that goal – in other words, I’ve read 25 books so far:

1. The Shack, by William Paul Young
2. All Cats Have Asperger’s Syndrome, by Kathy Hoopmann
3. 1984, by George Orwell
4. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
5. What You Pawn, I Will Redeem, by Sherman Alexie
,
6. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
7. Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House, by Judy Schachner
8. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
9. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
10. The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien

11. The Crying of Lot 49, by Thomas Pynchon
12. 11th Hour, by James Patterson
13. 12th of Never, by James Patterson
14. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by J.K. Rowling
15. Unlucky 13, by James Patterson

16. The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling
17. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling
18. The Magician’s Nephew, by C.S. Lewis
19. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling
20. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

21. The Adventures of Peter Cottontail, by Thornton W. Burgess
22. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling
23. Grumbles from the Forest:  Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist, by Jane Yolen
24. Little Pea, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
25. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling

Within this list are books written by 17 different authors; books from four different series (three of which all the books have been written, and two of which I will hopefully finish this year); and 19 of the 25 I read for the first time. Techincally, two books (The Fellowship of the Ring and What You Pawn, I Will Redeem) aren’t books – the former is part one of a three part book called The Lord of the Rings, but the copy I have was broken up into three separate volumes; and the latter is actually a short story, but it counts on Goodreads as a book.

Also, I have decided to read Time Magazine's Top 100 Novels, thought without a time constraint imposed, so of these 25 books, seven are on that list (including The Fellowship of the Ring, as The Lord of the Rings counts as one book out of their 100). I also read a book from this list at the end of last year (To Kill A Mockingbird), and wrote a post about it, so I’m up to 8 out of 100 on that goal. Most of the books I’ve never even heard of, so I’m interested to see how it goes! So who else has a reading goal? I’d love to hear about it!

Arrangement of Parts

[This is the second post for today. At least two more will follow. I hate odd numbers, so I can’t stop at three. Although “one” is an odd number. But if I posted twice every day I’d overwhelm my followers, and right now I only have seven. I can’t afford to upset anyone! Although seven is an odd number, too…. Again, it’s (more than) a little longer than usual, so pace yourself. Sit back and let the random wash over you. Read it twice if you have to.]

I want to explain the structure I’m going to impose on my blog posts. I realize you probably don’t care, (and if we’re honest with ourselves, we’d know that some of you wouldn’t even have noticed), but as long as you read them regularly, it directly affects you. For those of you who know me well (probably almost everyone who reads this at this point), the idea of structure shouldn’t come as a surprise. I’m autistic and ADHD. I need it to survive. So stop arguing.

Since there are several structures already in place, I’m not going to invent one. I’m going to steal one. Rabbit trail:  Before I tell you about it, I’m reminded of a quote I heard once:  “Good poets borrow, great poets steal.” It’s been attributed to T.S. Eliot (however I recently discovered a blog post in which someone tracked it’s origins check it out at http://nancyprager.wordpress.com/2007/05/08/good-poets-borrow-great-poets-steal/). I’m a poet. Among other things. It applies.

Back to structure. Drum roll please:  [dramatic pause] I’m going to use week days. Starting right now (not including what I’ve already posted) I want to have something to write about every day. Before you freak out at the thought of so much to keep up with and stop following me, take a deep breath. Ok? Good.

This doesn’t mean I’ll be able to write every day, or that my thoughts will be limited to these topics. After all, this is “Random Rambles.” Truth is, to be able to write well, I have to work at it every day. This blog offers a small amount of accountability for doing that. For July I have a goal to write every day, telling you about something that happened “on this day in history,” or participate in (some silly, some serious) holiday celebrations. When July ends, I want to have some idea of where to go on those days when I need inspiration and my shower muse doesn’t want to get wet. And don't forget, if you want to follow a specific thread of posts, click on that label at the bottom of the page to bring them up.

Sunday will be “altar stones,” thoughts regarding my relationship with God. I’ll explain the title the first time I post one. Those will include thoughts on the sermon from that morning, insights I get from my own personal Bible study, and things I want to share about when and where I’ve seen God the week before.

Monday will be “word lust,” when I’ll share a word, it’s definition, and my thoughts. I may also update you on the progress of my novel “Coming Home.” Tuesday will be “technique Tuesdays,” exploring new art concepts I’m learning. I’ll try to have photos of projects I’ve completed as well.

Wednesday will be “local business,” in which I will either introduce to someone I want you to know, or share a piece of my world here in Pullman. If you or someone you know would like to be featured, leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail. I’m looking into making a habit of this, possibly charging a small fee.

Thursday will be “book review,” my thoughts on something I’ve finished reading (occasionally my preconceptions of something new I’m starting). I’m always open to suggestions (although I’ve promised myself not to buy any more books until I’ve read all the ones I own!) so please leave a comment about one. Also feel free to comment on a book I’ve reviewed if you’ve read it; I love hearing what other people think. I’d like to review one book a week. I know what you’re thinking – yes, I can read a book a week. However, I’ll also be telling you about some from my “Books I’ve Read” list.I started it about ten years ago, so there are plenty of options.

Friday will be “photographs,” so I can share some of my own, as well some that I’ve found inspiration from. One of these months I might try my own version of the 30-Day Photography Challenge. Finally, Saturday will be “wellness journey” posts (more on that in today’s next post). That’s it. Thoughts? Questions? Concerns?