Books Read, Goals Met

Dad taught me years ago to keep a book list, mainly to keep track of which audiobooks we had purchased and which one of us had read them. I was thrilled when a friend introduced me to Shelfari.com, an online bookshelf where I can keep track of my read and TBR lists, dust free. Since then GoodReads has become the latest bookshelf darling allowing authors to connect with readers and I dabble there as well. 

One of my favorite features of these online bookshelves is reading challenges. Years ago I joined Shelfari’s 50 Book Challenge group. For me, this has been an easily achieved goal, so I quickly added the 100 Reading Challenge group. This year my first book was How to Change Your Life in the Next 15 Minutes and the last Killer Karma. In between I’ve read 3 of Danielle Paige’s wildly successful Dorothy Must Die series, found a great new series, Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery by Steve Robinson and caught up with favorites like WEB Griffin, Lorna Barrett and Mary Higgins Clark. 

My goal this year was to read at least 50 books, but ultimately to read 100.

My favorite book of the year was The Island at the Center of the World a non-fiction historical look at the founding of New York City. Besides being a fascinating look into the past, while I was reading it I started to help a friend with her ancestry search and found her family prominently featured in the Island, a fact we had no clue about when the quest began.

On Friday as I watch bowl games, I will open my 2016 50 Book Challenge goal and expect to add the 100 Book Challenge by June.

Attention all book clubs: Morristown Festival of Books gearing up for 2nd Year

Once again the Recorder papers have written a great article on the festival and the One Community, One Book (OCOB) initiative. Attention all book clubs: Morristown Festival of Books gearing up for second year - New Jersey Hills: Madison Eagle News: The Morristown Festival of Books’ “One Community One Book” has made its choice for summer reading leading up to this fall's festival: The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken by Laura Schenone. We hope you read the book and participate in the OCOB events on June 10, August 27 and attend the Morristown Festival of Books on October 2-3. Books can be purchased at words and The Bookworm or your local library.

7 Days until the Morristown Festival of Books!

The Morristown Festival of Books starts one week from today! As the excitement grows, I thought I would post the flyers that can be seen all around Morris County. How many have your seen?

Put on your boxing gloves and Duke it out with the controversial author of The Price of Silence: The Duke Lacrosse Scandal, the Power of the Elite, and the Corruption of Our Great Universities. Buy your tickets here.

Don your feather boas and enjoy our free children’s author events. Afterward visit South Street Creamery, don’t forget to ask for Festival flavor Fancy Nancy in a sprinkle cone!

Calling teen writers! A panel of YA authors will discuss the how tos of a writing career. Here’s your chance to get answers to your writing questions from a trio of successful authors.

Haven’t read the One Community, One Book selection yet? No worries, attend the program and pick up a copy of Providence on site. Lisa Colozza Cocca will be signing books at the Presbyterian Parish House at the conclusion of the program.

Did I mention the Morristown Festival of Books is a free festival? All the author talks and panels on Saturday are FREE! There is no excuse not to participate; we have authors for every taste: fiction, human rights, military, cooking and more so see you there!

Morristown Festival of Books Launches its One Community, One Book Initiative with the announcement of Providence by Lisa Colozza Cocca as the 2014 Featured Book

In this inaugural season, the Morristown Festival of Books introduces One Community One Book (OCOB) and its 2014 selection of Morris County resident’s YA novel, Providence.  The One Community, One Book committee, co-chaired by Roxbury resident Kim Armstrong and Morristown resident Michelle Russo, considered a wide variety books, before settling on Ms. Cocca’s Providence. The OCOB initiative encourages curiosity, dialogue and discovery by engaging community book groups, high school students and teachers, library patrons and the public at large in discussions using a single book that appeals to a diverse readership.  The One Book selection needs broad appeal to all ages of readers. Providence touches on loss and abandonment, the challenges of the elderly and keeping small communities vibrant. “As a member of the sandwich generation, I can easily relate to the multi-generation aspects of Providence and believe others will as well.” says Armstrong.

Lisa Colozza Cocca

“New Jersey is celebrating its 350 anniversary, so showcasing a local author was high on our wish list” continues Armstrong. Lisa Colozza Cocca, a Flanders resident, is a freelance writer and editor in educational publishing.  She is the author of numerous nonfiction titles for children and young adults, including Reconstruction and the Aftermath of the Civil War, Marquis de Lafayette: Fighting for America’s Freedom, and the Understanding Graphs series. When the sun goes down, Lisa is back at the computer writing. She is most excited about her debut YA novel, Providence (Merit Press/F&W Media). Lisa can be found at www.lisacolozzacocca.com.

Providence will be a recommended summer reading selection for Pingry and other area schools. Book clubs throughout the county will join in the discussions in the months surrounding the festival. Other events around the area include a June OCOB Kickoff at Kemmerer Harding Library and an in-depth panel discussion on the themes addressed in Providence. The Morris County libraries, which strengthen our communities by connecting people with ideas and information, are solidly behind the OCOB initiative and are participating in the planning of activities and events. Providence will be available at your local library and through the Bookworm in Bernardsville, the official bookseller of OCOB for the Festival.

The Morristown Festival of Books will take place on Sept 26-27 on South Street. As described by the event’s chair Linda Hellstrom from Morristown," it is designed to celebrate the power of the written word to challenge, transport and transform us, while bringing together our community in conversation." The festival model has been used successfully by communities around the world.

Lisa Colozza Cocca will be one of the 17 authors participating in the Friday – Saturday Festival.  The full author line-up and the schedule for Saturday will be published in June. For more information on One Community, One Book and the Morristown Book Festival, visit us on the web at: www.morristownfestivalofbooks.org, like us on Facebook at: Morristown Festival of Books and follow us on Twitter: @MorristownBooks

Questions? Go to info@morristownfestivalofbooks.org

The Land of Oz has been turned on its head by Danielle Paige

The Land of Oz has been turned on its head and it's up to the girl from Kansas to set things to right... No not that one, she's the problem and must DIE. Danielle Paige has delved into the dark side of magic in the first of her Oz series.

The mystery of who is good, who is bad and what or who really controls Oz is fascinating with twists and turns keeping me on the edge of my seat. The reveal at the end of Dorothy Must Die leaves me intrigued and impatient for book 2.

As Rumplestiltskin from Once Upon a Time says "magic always has a price." What is the price Dorothy must pay for her use of magic? Only Daniellle Paige can say.

Wondering how Dorothy got back to Oz? Check out Danielle's prequel No Place Like Oz. No little dogs were harmed in the writing of this blog.

Cross-Bred Reader Mutt

The polar vortex that has been keeping my state in the deep freeze, has me reading more voraciously than usual. Meeting my 100 book challenge this year will be a snap, as I've already read 25 books this month. Obvious I am an obsessive reader, but what other kind of reader am I? Laura E Kelly created this great infographic, “Which Book Reader SpeciesAre You?” 

What kind of reader are you? I totally fit the Situational Book Lover. I gleeful admit to being a App Happy, Kindle Convert, Travelling Reader who prefers being an Audiobook Listener, but when necessary will be a Bathroom Reader who ends the day as a Sleepy Bedtime Reader that guilty admits to sometimes crossing over to The Spoiler. This doesn't mean I'm a one category girl. Hi, my name is Kim and I'm a Compulsive Book Lover. As in a Compulsive Book Buyer... of free interesting e-books. I get daily e-mails detailing new freebies from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. I am also a Multi-tasker... I have an audiobook for the car & gym, books on my Kindle app & nook reader, and at least one genealogy book open on my computer. Time to hit the gym with the White Queen. Hope to see some comments on what kind of reader you are!

Overdrive is going all MP3 for Audiobooks

I wonder how Amazon via its audible.com is going to respond to Overdrive's announcement to do away with DRM audiobooks. Cory Doctrow has written an interesting piece on the latest win for audiobook listeners. I hope in the long run this will result in a decrease in audio production costs so that more books can be recorded.

Book Blitz Month

According to the B.U. Bridge, January is...

National Book Month and National Book Blitz Month. National Book Month, which is sponsored by the National Book Foundation, invites everyone to take time to read a book. National Book Blitz Month, which was created by a public relations executive to encourage authors to promote their own books, focuses attention on improving the relationships between authors and the media in order to create a best-selling book.

I have been inundated with free for a few days’ e-book offers, now I know why. And before you ask, no these are not from book stealers. These are offers from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Ihave taken advantage of the opportunity to tryout new to me authors. One thing I have noticed is most of these books are shorter than most of my reads. This works well for me. As mentioned in a previous post, my goal this year is to read 100 books. Books read in 2014 to date = 20. Thanks to Book Blitz month, I am well on my way to meeting my goal. 

New Year Goal - Let's Read!

Happy New Year! The ball has dropped, the party is over. The time has come to set goals for the coming year. One goal for me is easy: a commitment to read 100 books this year. I set and achieved this goal for the past few years. It is so easy to do. To double the fun, I create a post on Shelfari.com group 50 Book Challenge. Once I reach 50, I move on to the 100 Book Challenge group. Then I start to read. Cozy mystery and family history are my current favorite topics. 

Audio is my top choice for cozy mysteries and best sellers. My Audible.com wish list is long and growing. I'm happy to see that their list of cozy authors is growing as well. The Roxbury Library is helping feed my appetite as well. Besides their audio selections available via Overdrive, they have added another option: One Click Digital. Both of these sites will also allow e-book borrowing with your library card. 

When I have run out of audio choices, my next format choice is e-book. I've got a nook for the pool, a nook for reading by the fire and a tablet for reading on the go. The last one can also read Kindle books. I finally broke down and downloaded the app after I found a great new site Book Bub for free e-books. No this is not a site that cheats authors out of royalties. This site will send you an email alerting you to free book deals being offered by Amazon, B&N and others.
 
Keeping with my fiscal conservation in regard to reading, Google Books offers up a wide array of family histories that I tap into as I do my family tree. It is amazing how many genealogy books have been digitized by Google and others. It is exciting to find documentation of my connection to generations 6, 7, 8 back. It's even neater to find my grandpa in a book on a revolutionary patriots Alexander Alexander and Bancroft Woodcock.

The number 100 seems daunting at the beginning of the year. I look forward to the challenge of reading that many different books. Besides if it really gets tough, I can always read some kiddie books to my nephew to catch up.

Spring Cleaning Tasks

It Spring, time to enjoy the flowers and warm breezes. It's also time to clean the house to really enjoy those Spring breezes. I put together a list with the help of other blogs and am partially done with the work. I'm hoping posting it here will help motivate me to finish the tasks.

1. Clean vacuum cleaners & filters - check
2. Organize & purge medicine cabinet - check
3. Organize clothes closet. Donate unused clothes. Pitch un-wearable. Organize what’s left. – Check, check, check
4. Wipe down walls and baseboards – check
5. Clean & polish wood furniture – check 
6. Wash bedding – check
7. Clean stove top – check 
8. Clean out Dryer lint trap - check
9. Clean your washing machine – trying this right after Home Depot run
10. Clean your dishwasher.
11. Clean the inside of microwave.
12. Clean drains naturally – Home Depot run needed for snake
13. Clean inside of oven.
14. Clean inside of refrigerator – half done, Freezer complete.
15. Organize Spice Cabinet – buy that in cabinet spice rack I’ve been looking at.
16. Clean & sanitize the inside of all the garbage cans.
17. De-clutter the tough spots: (partially done)
• magazine clutter - check
• foyer closet - check
• home office – in progress   
• utensil drawer
• above the refrigerator 
18. Weed out bookcases – donate books to Friends of the Library
19. Vacuum the furniture.
20. Vacuum under the furniture. Add fix Roomba so IT can vacuum under the furniture.

How is your Spring Cleaning coming along?

Book Club

Tonight is my book club meeting. I had been waffling about whether to attend because I didn’t have the book. Then this morning the library email notification system sent me the e-book link to this month’s selection “The Happiness Project”. Now I just have to power thru the book and I’ll be all set for tonight’s book club.

But of course nothing is that simple in my life. I replaced my original Sony e-reader (which I donated to my library) with my lovely nookColor. Since my switch I haven’t been able to download library books to my computer and my nook. Luckily a few weeks ago I attended Book Expo America (BEA) and a wonderful Overdrive rep clued me into the solution to my problem. I had to remove Adobe completely from my computer, reboot & reload. That way Adobe would forget about my Sony e-reader and embrace my nook. Well that was a few weeks ago and like all good procrastinators; I did nothing with the knowledge until this morning that is. In order to read the book club selection, I had to fix Adobe 1^st. So an hour + several reboots later  “The Happiness Project” was on my nook. Now to read it before tonight’s meeting…

Oh if you're wondering why I'm posting this when I should be reading, check Chapter 3 and the dictionary for procrastination. 

Aha-Ha Moment

A conversation with a Lisa, a fellow book club member created a mini aha ha moment yesterday. This month my book club is reading “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. Disclosure: I haven’t read it yet as I’m still waiting for my copy from the library. The book has led many people to alter their lives for the better. Another one of our book club members wants the club to do a happiness project together. Since I haven’t read the book yet, Lisa gave me a quick rundown starting with the challenge to change 5 things in your life a month. My stomach started to clench with the stress of a) coming up with 5 things b) the upheaval in my life to change 5 things in a month and c) oh God I’ll have to come up with ANOTHER 5 things for the next month. With these thoughts swirling around in my head, I zoned out on the recap of the rest of the book. Then I tuned back in to hear Lisa admit how changing 5 things was beyond her at this point.

Wait a minute, what? This is a very organized and together lady we’re talking about. I’ve lost count at the number of self-help books and organizational blogs I read, while my life and house remain a mess. This is not a knock on any of the authors I’ve read, this is all about me. Why is it when I go in with such good intentions about implementing all the fabulous ideas, nothing happens. Oh a pile of stuff might be cleaned up or I create my affirmations list, then… I get overwhelmed and nada. Oh wait this was about her response not mine. Without guilt my friend said since 5 changes were to overwhelming, she decided to pick one thing to change a month to create more happiness in her life. Hmm, pick ONE thing to change in my life and do it for a month. Well yeah, that I should be able to manage. (As soon as I decide what that change should be). The aha-ha for me is I can take a piece from a self-help book or blog and just do that piece. AND thats OK! I don’t have to implement the entire process, just incorporate the part that really resonates with me. 

May ~ Among Friends

Thank you for your generous donations to this Spring's Book Sale! Your donations from your bookshelves allow us to offer the wide assortment of thousands of books each sale.

The semi-annual book sales generate the largest portion of the funds the Friends use to support the library. Since we 2002, we have raised over $76,ooo through the book sales. The funds we've raised have gone toward the audio & DVD collections and supporting your favorite programs like the Adult Summer Reading and more.

We want to add a special shout out to Blue Diamond Disposal for donating a dumpster for the sale. Thank you!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Among-Friends.html?soid=1104907686970&aid=XEhbrImAp1E

A Parfait Murder ~ Appearances can be deceiving.

Wendy Lyn Watson recently sent me a ARC of her upcoming book “A Parfait Murder”. Parfait is the 3^rd serving of a Mystery a la Mode series.  We open to find Sonny Anders, Bree’s ex and Alice’s daddy, strolling up the midway at the Lantana County Fair after a seventeen year absence. On his arm is his new lady, Char. Char is an enigma dressed up like a church social lady but with a walk that would give the Devil pause. The duo is back in town with a sweet deal for the business folk of Dalliance. But first Sonny’s lawyer, Kristen Ver Steeg has papers served on Bree challenging Alice’s paternity. The stage is set for an epic battle when Kristen turns up dead with Bree holding the gun.

Meanwhile Tally, the owner of Remember the A-la-mode and Bree’s cousin, has begun to date her childhood sweetheart Finn who roared out of her life after high school only to re-appear last year.  Their romantic adventures throughout the fairgrounds leave your head spinning like a Tilt n Wheel. Riding through the Haunted House moves their relationship closer.  Then a ride on the ferris wheel serves up a scene worthy of your favorite soap opera. While at the top of the ferris wheel a romantic moment is interrupted by a life changing event. When the Tally gets off the ride her family’s lives will never be the same again.

Things are not what they seem in this tale. Is Sonny really in town to disown Alice? What’s the scoop on his and Char’s business, is it the real deal or just a scam? Just who was Kristen Ver Steeg and why would anyone want to kill her? Will her latest family drama be enough to tear Finn and Tally apart or bring them closer to the cherry on top of the sundae? It’s up to Tally & Finn to get to the bottom of Sonny’s reappearance and Kristen’s murder before Bree finds herself frying for murder.

“A Parfait of Murder” is more delectable than a fudge sundae with double whipped cream on top. It has more surprising twist and turns than a Vanilla/Raspberry Twist cone. Pick up the book this summer for a cool treat at the beach.

My 1st Movie

I recently went to a presentation that included a nifty little movie using text-to-movie technology. The movie was so amusing I found it on the web shared it with my Facebook buddies.  Another friend, also uploaded a movie, but it was one she created. Intrigued, I went to the company’s website to investigate.  Xtranormal provides the technology to turn a script into a movie. Pick a set. Cast the actors, in this case animated avatars. Type in your script, add the camera shot list, and music and presto change, you’ve got yourself a movie.

It sounded simple, so I decided to make a movie.  The movie centers on a girl telling a friend about NJ Libraries’ Technology Catch-up Centers. NJ Libraries are trying to win a $250k grant from Pepsi Refresh to create Technology Catch-up Centers at libraries throughout the state. The grant provides money for not only the hardware, but training, and downloadable books. Each center’s kit will contain an Ipad, nook, kindle, and flip ultra camcorder. The centers will open up a world of possibilities for all patrons and further NJLA’s goal of libraries being community centers where library patrons become lifelong learners.

Learning how to use xtranormal’s features is pretty easy. The choices are limited, which for a beginner like me is a good thing. While creating a movie, you can make as many changes as you want. Of course this meant, I tried out almost every set, avatar, camera angle & expression that xtranormal offered. On a freezing cold weekend, it was a fun way to stay entertained, inside. I hope you like it. If you’ve got an idea for a movie, now it’s as easy as pie to become a movie producer. Go for it, I look forward to seeing what you create.

NJ Libraries Vying for Pepsi Refresh Grant

NJ Libraries are trying to win a $250k grant from Pepsi Refresh to create Technology Catch-up Centers at libraries throughout the state. Pepsi accepts 1000 proposals every month from groups that have ideas that can create a positive impact on their society. The public then votes and the top 2 vote getting ideas will receive $250k grants.

The New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) and the NJ State Library have joined together in this proposal to bring the latest technologies to New Jersey Libraries. The “catch-up” centers will contain e-readers and a flip-camcorder which will allow patrons access new technologies. These centers will help parents “catch-up” with their digital native children. They will help the unemployed or under-employed to “catch-up” with their full-time employed counterparts.

The grant provides money for not only the hardware, but training, and downloadable books. Each center’s kit will contain an Ipad, nook, kindle, and flip ultra camcorder. The centers will open up a world of possibilities for all patrons and further NJLA’s goal of libraries being community centers where library patrons become lifelong learners.

I would love to use a Technology Catch-up Center in my library. Please vote EVERY day from now through January 31, 2011.

Changing Shoes

Today is the official release of Tina Sloan’s new book “Changing Shoes”. Lucky for me my copy arrived yesterday. Curled up in bed I began reading Tina’s journey of growing older in the spotlight of celebrity.  I barely started chapter 2 and already I’ve been inspired to get out of bed and moisturize my face. Ok, I know that sounds nuts. I have been really lax lately in my personal grooming. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve had a crappy stressful year – but that’s not a good enough excuse to wallow in self pity, ignoring my personal appearance and living inside myself. It’s time that I pull myself out of my funk and re-engage life. My short term goal is to look glamorous for Tina’s one woman show on Monday. Alright, that might be a tall stretch since I’ve probably only been glamorous about twice in my life. I’m going to have to work up to that and 4 days just isn’t going to be enough time – instead my aim for Monday will be to look pretty.

Now for the To Do List:

            Hair – color & deep condition

            Manicure – I’ve got zero talent for doing my own nails, so off to the salon I go.

            Skin – Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! It really stinks to have gone through 40 years with one kind of skin & hair and suddenly have completely different textures. What do I know of dry skin & hair? I’ve always had to worry about too much oil, detangling rinses and adult acne. Now I’m trying to figure out face creams and what to do about straw hair. Oh, and I still have adult acne. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?

Clothes – What fits and what looks good rarely are the same thing for me lately. I see myself burrowing into my closet in a quest to find something appropriate. I also see a large pile of clothes that will be donated to charity come Monday morning.

            Shoes – The easy part is there won’t be any heals, sorry Tina. I’d like to enjoy the evening, not worry about my ankle collapsing.  I did get a cute pair of silver sandals; maybe I can make an outfit around them.

            Inspiration – Finish Tina’s “Changing Shoes”

I’d love to lose a 5 to 10 pound before the party, but since that’s not realistic; everyone will just have to take me as I am.

Recycle Books at the Roxbury Library

Hooray - today has arrived. In my quest to de-clutter my home and life I have been tossing, selling and giving away un-needed items from around my house the past few months. I even took a pass at my book collection, amassing 5+ bags of books to be donated. And there they've sat in bags & boxes cluttering up a corner of my guest room rather than gathering dust on my shelves. 


Professional organizers recommend removing boxed items ASAP, so why have these books been around for months? Well, the Roxbury Twp Friends of the Library (where I serve as VP) only has book sales twice a year. This year do to the Jewish Holiday schedule are well known book sale has been pushed back from the usual 1st weekend after Labor Day to the end of September. Consequently we didn't open the doors for collection until today.


So today, the car gets packed and my books will be looking for a new home. Stop by the Roxbury Library Sept 23-26 and take home a few of my books.

De-cluttering my way

I made this vision board a few months back when the clutter in my life really began to irritate me.  It was very specific as to what I wanted and what needed to be done. I wanted to reclaim the organized person I was; to do that I needed to do A LOT of pruning. Monday morning I woke up bright & early itching to get rid of things. I spent an hour going through my book collection bagging books for an upcoming book sale. After that hour I had 4 bags of books for the sale.  On the way to work I dumped 4 boxes from my garage in the dumpster. Later that afternoon, I was able to collect 2 garbage bags full of junk.  This morning I dropped those off at the dumpster. God I love dumpsters, it’s so liberating to throw boxes & garbage bags into a non-judgmental receptacle. I spent another hour this afternoon clearing out notebooks and other useless stuff I’ve accumulated in other lives. Here’s a picture of this afternoons hall. I can’t wait until the garbage men get here tomorrow morning! Maybe I’ll even throw the bags in the garbage truck for good measure.

Visioning the Future

The entertainment business is awash in cancellations that are hitting the NY Area TV & Film community hard. Guiding Light, Mercy, Law & Order, and as of September, As the World Turns, to name a few shows cancelled in the past year. New Jersey is about to drop tax breaks for production in the state, which can only further curtail production in the area. Given the dearth of available work in the area, I began the process of figuring out what I want to do next. One thing I know is I wanted to leave the door open for production work. However, those pesky bills are clamoring to be paid, so I’ve got to create additional streams of income. One of the avenues I chose was to become a Certified Vision Board Counselor.  As a Vision Board Counselor, I can help you create your own vision board by guiding you in life visioning, designing your vision collage whether by hand or computer.

Beginning Monday, my mentor, author Joyce Schwarz, is hosting a once in a lifetime event to Make Your Dreams Come True in 6 weeks or less with the Vision Board Bootcamp. I will be joining with like-minded-people seeking to start living our dreams now. Check out this virtual bootcamp:  Vision Board Bootcamp

Are you ready to live your dreams?