January 31, 2011

Books Read in January

Challenges

Okay! First update of the year!

You can see my running list of books read so far in my Books of 2011 tab in the navigation bar above, so I'll just run a tally here:

Books read this month: 15
Books read so far: 15
Out Do Yourself Challenge (2011/2010 ratio by this month): 15/8
Out Do Yourself Challenge so far: 15/121
100+ Challenge: 15/100
Aussie YA Challenge: 1/6
Contemporary Romance: 1/10
Historical Romance Challenge: 1/12
YA Reading Challenge: 8/50

And that's my month in books!

What say you?Alex

January 30, 2011

Book Review: Seducing the Governess by Margo Maguire

Governess
At First Sight: After the death of her parents, Mercy Franklin has no other option but employing herself as a governess to the nice of the Earl of Ashby. On her way to Ashby Hall, she's nearly run over 2, the second time by a young man who starts to tease her even as she tries to assist him back to his horse. 

Upon arriving to Ashby Hall, she quickly realizes that the man was her new employer, Nash,  and that Ashby Hall is a decaying great house, staffed with various of men who served under Nash in the army. Hardly ideal conditions to bring up young Lady Emmaline, but Mercy quickly grows attached to her charge... and to Lord Ashby.

Too bad Ashby Hall is full of secrets, not to mention the secrets in Mercy's past - the bombshell her mother dropped on her before she died - and that might be catching up with her sooner than she expected.

Second Glance: Seducing the Governess is the first book of a pair of stories regarding the Duke of Windermere's lost granddaughters, and at such has sort of 2 plots running through it - one of the search for the lost granddaughters and the other of Mercy's life at Ashby Hall, and the book suffers a bit from, because it's kind of short. I did like Mercy and Emmy, and even Nash, but the book went around in circles a bit too much (and yes, I spotted the bad guy right at the very start of the story). 

Also, I had problems with the very beginning of the story, when Mercy and Nash meet, it was a bit too Jane Eyre for my peace of mind, but not in a nice way - rather in a I've read this before kind of way - and it was sort of hard to put that from my mind.

Bottom Line: I can't really compare this book to other works by Margo Maguire because it's the first one by her that I've read, but I'm not terribly impressed with this one. Tolerable at best, though the characters were nice.
starstar
Alex

January 29, 2011

Book Review: Nothing but Trouble by Rachel Gibson

At First Sight: Hockey legend Mark Bressler's career is over. He knows he's lucky to be alive after the the car crash that shattered half of the bones in his body and ended his career. And he is sort of glad to be alive, if it weren't because seeing his team win the Stanley Cup without him is a bit too hurtful. But he is getting along fine, and he would be better, if only his former bosses - who are still paying his medical bills - would stop sending home care workers to his door. 

The latest of such workers is Chelsea Ross, a failed actress who ran out of L.A. after one bad job too many and sought refuge with her sister Bo, who happens to work for the hockey team that used to employ Mark. Chelsea knows little of health care, but she has worked for her fair share of difficult characters and thinks she can stick it out for 3 months with Mark - in which case she gets a 10 thousand dollar bonus. 

None of them is happy with the situation, but they can't seem to resist the kind of trouble the other represents.

Second GlanceNothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson is another story revolving around the Seattle Chinooks. Mark and Chelsea are both very likable characters. Mark is having a hard time looking at the bright side of things, he remains a strong character who wants to live the rest of his life with as much dignity as possible, even though playing hockey was the thing he loved the most before the accident. Chelsea has big plans, and I just generally liked her, she was vulnerable and resilient.

I did have a couple of hang ups with the book. One was that I never liked Chelsea's sister, even though Chelsea herself loved her. There was this part where Chelsea reveals why she wants the bonus and on what she's planning on using it, and Bo's reaction was just... let's just say that all I kept thinking was: "Really? You love your sister and this is all the compassion you have for her?". Which leads to my second hang up: everyone's reactions were way out of proportion. Mostly Bo's and Marks -once he finds out something - but really, it's like. Come on already! And I felt the ending came too quickly.

Bottom Line: Though, for me, Nothing But Trouble it's not up to par with Simply Irresistible or See Jane Score, it does have some of Gibson's trademark awesome writing. It feels very contemporary and it's just a nice book to read on any random afternoon.
starstarstar1/2
Alex

January 28, 2011

And now, for the winner!!

Thank you so much for participating in this giveaway.

Again, I numbered y'all (in the order in which you signed up) and then chose a random number, which was:

And that means the winner is: Small_Review (please, check your email)

Thanks to all of you who entered, and to Joan and Suzanne for the interview.

Alex

Book Review: Artemis the Brave by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

At First Sight: Artemis is the first of her group of friends to turn 13 - along with her twin brother Apollo - and she's also the only one of them who has never had a crush, her life a happy mix of hanging out with her friends, practicing archery with her brother and playing with her dogs, even if she does struggle a little with her Bestiology exams, because her friends look up to her to lead them, since she's the brave one. 

All of that changes when she meets transfer student Orion Starr, who is so handsome he could be a godboy, and he's also a terrific actor. Soon, all Artemis wants is to hang out with Orion, even with a big archery tournament coming up!

Second Glance: Artemis the Brave is the fourth book of the Goddess Girls series, and I adored it. Artemis so portrays the utterly crushing experience of having a first crush, particularity when that crush isn't all what he seems. But Artemis is braver than she gives herself credit for, and she finds that courage within herself to do what must be done.

I love the bond between the Goddess Girls, how they talk about their problems - in general and with each other - rather than let misunderstandings ruin their friendships, and how they are always there for their friends. Also love how close Artemis is to her brother, yet they both have their own set of friends and are happy that way.

Bottom Line: I keep on adoring this series, I really liked getting to know Artemis more -I always found her a bit more aloof than the other girls - and spending time with her.


starstarstarstar1/2 
Alex

January 27, 2011

List Maniac #15 - Most Awaited Movies of 2011

Just as it says in the title, here is my list of movies I'm dying to see. All summaries come from IMDb


Jane Eyre (March 11) - Because it's JANE EYRE! And I always watch all the adaptations!
After a bleak childhood, Jane Eyre goes out into the world to become a governess. As she lives happily in her new position at Thornfield Hall, she meet the dark, cold, and abrupt master of the house, Mr. Rochester. Jane and her employer grow close in friendship and she soon finds herself falling in love with him. Happiness seems to have found Jane at last, but could Mr. Rochester's terrible secret be about to destroy it forever?


Kung Fu Panda 2 (May 27) - Because I loved Kung Fu Panda!
Po joins forces with a group of new kung-fu masters to take on an old enemy with a deadly new weapon. 


Something Borrowed (May 6) - Because I like wedding movies, and it looks like it might be cute
Friendships are tested and secrets come to the surface when terminally single Rachel falls for Dex, her best friend Darcy's fiancĂ©. 

X-Men: First Class (June 3) - Because I've seen all of the X-men movies so far, so why not?
Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-MEN

Cars 2 (June 24) - Because I loved Cars, it made me cry!
Racing star Lightning McQueen teams up with his best friend Mater for an international adventure as they go up against the world's fastest cars. 


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 15) - Because it will be the end of an era for me! I can't wait.
The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemorts final horcruxes, but when Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again.

There are more but those are the most the ones at the top of the list. 

Also, special mentions for Morning Glory and The King's Speech which will open in February in my country.


What about yours?

Alex

January 26, 2011

At the Movies: Black Swan

Black Swan
One of the most talked about movies of this season is definitely, Black Swan. 

In basic therms, Black Swan tells the story of Nina Sears, a soloist in a prestigious ballet company. Since Beth, the former prima ballerina, is on her way out, Nina is trying to get a more prominent role in the company. Which is why she's so excited when she's short-listed to get the part of the swan in a new production on Swan Lake. 

But that part - which requires playing the good, white swan and the bad-black swan - and the arrival of a new dancer called Lily, make Nina's life spiral out of control.

And them some other stuff happens, which I'm obviously not going to reveal because I do respect you guys. 

Now, I know everyone is raving about this movie, but I'm sad to say I don't share the enthusiasm. The movie is well acted, it's creepy, and has a good enough rhythm  (though it goes a bit in circles too much for me) but, for me his movie is one of those "Much Ado About Nothing" deals. When I got the end I literally said "Oh, c'mon! Really?" It really ruined it to me. 

Costumes are beautiful and, like I said, creepo magnifico, but still. I give it a C+
Alex

January 25, 2011

Book Review: Delivered with Love by Sherry Kyle (Mini-Review)


At First Sight: Claire James' life crumbled when her mom died  a year ago after a long battle with cancer. Having made of her Mom the center of her life for so long, Claire isn't sure what she should do next, and even a year later she's struggling with her grief.

When life with her sister and her husband turns out to be too much, Claire decides to embark on a journey to Capitola, a small town near Santa Cruz. Why Capitola? Well, because of a letter she found in the glove compartment of her Mom's old car.

Claire hopes the man who sent the letter to her Mom, is still there. But, in going to Capitola, Claire might find more than she ever imagined.

Second Glance: Delivered with Love is a sweet story about love, courage and the goodness of people everywhere. I found Claire likable, and she did sound like a 23 year old. On the other hand, I thought they were a little too many characters, and the beginning - when Michael is introduced - is a bit confusing.

Bottom Line: This is a sweet story, it moves forward, sometimes slowly, but it's a nice read. And it comes out on April 2011.
starstarstar1/2
Alex

January 24, 2011

Anime Addiction: Gankutsuou (Monte Cristo)

Albert is a privileged young man from Paris who comes across his destiny when he and his friends decided to go to a festival on the Moon, there he meets the Count of Monte Cristo, an enigmatic but charming man who takes him under his wing.

What Albert doesn't know is that the Count has his own agenda, and the first item on said agenda is the destruction of Albert's family; for the Count is none other than Edmond Dantes and his past is deeply tangled with his parents' past. Once upon a time, his mother loved Edmond, and his father betrayed him utterly, even though they were supposed to be best friends.

Now, after surviving hell, Edmond is out for revenge and nothing will stand in his way, not even the genuine affection he starts to feel toward Albert. 

Gankutsuou is sort of a free adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, but told in a very particular setting. Albert's world is a mix of pre-revolutionary France and the space era with big dozes of psychedelia. The animation its incredibly unique, I've never seen anything quite like it, such mixture of colors and textures.

This is not a light and fluffy series, but I highly recommend this new take on a classic story.
Alex

Bloggiesta 2011 - Wrap Up

Finish

I'm so happy I could participate in Bloggiesta this year. It's just such a wonderful event and it always helps me put blogging in perspective. 

This time I:
*Wrote several reviews (of books, movies, and even anime).
*Wrote posts for the Story of My Life section and a few lists (which I tend to neglect).
*Wrote and saved some posts for rainy days.
*Set blogging goals for the next few months. 
*Got a blogging buddy (the awesome Kylie@The Creative Geek )
*Backed up my blog.
*Cleaned some messy html
*Got up to speed with my reading challenges. 
*Decided to re-kindle my relationship with Good Reads (I hadn't entered to my account since January of last year)
*Managed not to go crazy!

And many other wonderful things. Plus, I got to spend some awesome time with bloggers everywhere. 

Bloggiesta, I miss you already.

See you next time.
Alex

January 23, 2011

As Seen on TV: Sense & Sensibility (BBC)

Sense And sensibility
Sense and Sensibility is a timeless story, and I'm going to assume you all are a bit familiar with it.  In basic terms is the story of the Dashwood sisters -Elinor, Marianne and Margaret - and their mother, who are forced to make several adjustments once their father dies leaving them practically penniless. 

Elinor, the oldest sister, is the one who's trying to keep everything together. She's the one who's trying to find them a new place to live. She's a bit distracted a the beginning when her sister in law's brother shows up. Edward is charming and kind with her, something few people are since she's the 'sensible' one and, at 19, most people think whatever beauty she had is starting to fade.

Marianne, the middle sister, is all wild dreams and emotions always running high. She's the Sensitive one of the title, the one everyone thinks is the prettiest. Once they are forced to move, Marianne attracts the attention of two men. The first one, Colonel Brandon, an older man how has both position and money - and he's also a gentleman in every sense of the world. And the second, Willoughby, a younger man who fulfills all her romantic notions but who might or might not be the answer to her prayers. 

Okay, so in case you haven't seen it I won't tell you exactly how it ends, I'll just say it's one of my favorite endings ever. And I truly loved this BBC adaptation of the novel by Jane Austen. It's a beautifully made, three part mini-series, with great production values. I particularly loved the cast, mostly because all the actors are closer to the age they should be according to the novel, unlike the Emma Thompson version.

Of course, I will always prefer Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon (because his voice does things to my lady parts, I have to admit), but David Morrissey was adequate in the role in this adaptation. And so was Dominic Cooper, even if I do find Greg Wise more attractive. Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield are great as Elinor and Marianne; and Dan Stevens plays a drool-worthy Edward Ferrars (I swear to Gosh I was having heart palpitations during this scene where he's chopping wood and.. you better go watch it!) 

I highly recommend this version!Personal Favorite
Alex

Bloggiesta 2011 - Day 3 Update

Pedro
Bloggiesta is a blog event ran by Maw Books Blog, and it's sort of a blogging marathon aimed toward improving one's blog.
For more info, click here

This is my Day 3 -Update
  • Update and try to upgrade site's score
  • Write at least 3 List Maniac Posts - possible topics:
    • Favorite Women of Fiction
    • Favorite Best Friends of YA/Romance
    • Favorite Villains 
    • Most awaited movies
  • Write review of Sense & Sensibility (miniseries)
  • Update progress bars for all the challenges
  • Start the Books Read in January wrap up list
    • Set tags and images for future wrap ups (at least 3 more)
  • Update Books of 2011 List (include links)
  • Set a Key for Book genres and challenges
  • Update Movies of 2011 List (include links)
  • Write at least two Anime Addiction Posts - Possibilities:
    • Card Captor Sakura
    • Gankutsuo
    • Nanoha (Nanoha, A's and Strikers)
  • Write review of The Black Swan
  • Update NetGalley Info
  • Write whatever pending reviews I have. 
  • Set tags, images and list for Short-Reading List.
  • Participate in at least 2 challenges
  • Back up blog (Farm Lane Book Blog has an awesome tutorial on this!)
  • Clean up tags
  • Update Review Policy
  • Update About me page
  • Unveil new review format ? (I'm still not sure about this!) (My blog buddy said I should do it)
  • Bring Back Story of My Life
  • Write At The Movies and As Seen on TV pending posts. 
  • Try not to go nuts (So far so good)
  • Get a Blog Buddy - Did it! it's the awesome Kyle@The Creative Geek
  • Visit as many other blogs as possible
Also, totally random but while doing the button/banner challenge, I came across this Grab Button Code Generator, it works great! and auto adjusts the width of the box to the place you put it on.

Day One: 9 hrs
Day Two: 11 hrs 
Day Three:  6 hrs (as of 11:30 PM)
Current Running Time Total: 26 hrs

Since I finished my goals (YAY!) I shall devote this day to visit other blogs and have fun :)

Good luck, everyone!
Alex

Also, meet Pedro's sister:
Pinata

January 22, 2011

Blog Goals - Bloggiesta 2011

PedroSo, Amy from My Friend Amy has a mini-challenge going on regarding Blogging Goals. And I decided to post mine here, in the spirit of Bloggiesta (y ole!)

So, after thinking on it for a while, these are my goals:

By Sunday - I hope to be finished with my list and to be up to date with my reviews and other posts. 

By April - I hope to have developed a posting schedule, so the blog isn't left without updates for more than a couple of days (tops). Also, hope to have posts scheduled in advance.

By June - I hope to have a smaller TBR pile, to have my reading challenges under control, and to have adopted a meme or a feature for the blog - other than the Book Blog Hop@Crazy for Books, which I do kind of bi-weekly these days)
Alex

Bloggiesta 2011 - Day 2 Update

Pedro
Bloggiesta is a blog event ran by Maw Books Blog, and it's sort of a blogging marathon aimed toward improving one's blog.
For more info, click here

This is my Day 2 -Update (Will keep it updated until Jan 22st at 11:55 PM)
  • Update and try to upgrade site's score
  • Write at least 3 List Maniac Posts - possible topics:
    • Favorite Women of Fiction
    • Favorite Best Friends of YA/Romance
    • Favorite Villains 
    • Most awaited movies
  • Write review of Sense & Sensibility (miniseries)
  • Update progress bars for all the challenges
  • Start the Books Read in January wrap up list
    • Set tags and images for future wrap ups (at least 3 more)
  • Update Books of 2011 List (include links)
  • Set a Key for Book genres and challenges
  • Update Movies of 2011 List (include links)
  • Write at least two Anime Addiction Posts - Possibilities:
    • Card Captor Sakura
    • Gankutsuo
    • Nanoha (Nanoha, A's and Strikers)
  • Write review of The Black Swan
  • Update NetGalley Info
  • Write whatever pending reviews I have. 
  • Set tags, images and list for Short-Reading List.
  • Participate in at least 2 challenges
  • Back up blog (Farm Lane Book Blog has an awesome tutorial on this!)
  • Clean up tags
  • Update Review Policy
  • Update About me page
  • Unveil new review format ? (I'm still not sure about this!) (My blog buddy said I should do it)
  • Bring Back Story of My Life
  • Write At The Movies and As Seen on TV pending posts. 
  • Try not to go nuts (So far so good)
  • Get a Blog Buddy - Did it! it's the awesome Kyle@The Creative Geek
  • Visit as many other blogs as possible
Also, totally random but while doing the button/banner challenge, I came across this Grab Button Code Generator, it works great! and auto adjusts the width of the box to the place you put it on.

Day One: 9 hrs
Day Two: 11 hrs (as of 11:59 PM)
Current Running Time Total: 20 hrs

Alex

January 21, 2011

Bloggiesta 2011 - Day 1 Update

Bloggiesta is a blog event ran by Maw Books Blog, and it's sort of a blogging marathon aimed toward improving one's blog.
For more info, click here

This is my Day 1 -Update (Will keep it updated until Jan 21st at 11:55 PM)
  • Update and try to upgrade site's score
  • Write at least 3 List Maniac Posts - possible topics:
    • Favorite Women of Fiction
    • Favorite Best Friends of YA/Romance
    • Favorite Villains 
    • Most awaited movies
  • Write review of Sense & Sensibility (miniseries)
  • Update progress bars for all the challenges
  • Start the Books Read in January wrap up list
    • Set tags and images for future wrap ups (at least 3 more)
  • Update Books of 2011 List (include links)
  • Set a Key for Book genres and challenges
  • Update Movies of 2011 List (include links)
  • Write at least two Anime Addiction Posts - Possibilities:
    • Card Captor Sakura
    • Gankutsuo
    • Nanoha (Nanoha, A's and Strikers)
  • Write review of The Black Swan
  • Update NetGalley Info
  • Write whatever pending reviews I have. 
  • Set tags, images and list for Short-Reading List.
  • Participate in at least 2 challenges
  • Back up blog
  • Clean up tags
  • Update Review Policy
  • Update About me page
  • Unveil new review format ? (I'm still not sure about this!) (My blog buddy said I should do it)
  • Bring Back Story of My Life
  • Write At The Movies and As Seen on TV pending posts. 
  • Try not to go nuts (So far so good)
  • Get a Blog Buddy - Did it! it's the awesome Kyle@The Creative Geek
  • Visit as many other blogs as possible
Also, totally random but while doing the button/banner challenge, I came across this Grab Button Code Generator, it works great! and auto adjusts the width of the box to the place you put it on.

Current Running Time: 9hrs -Day One
Alex

10 Things Bloggers Shouldn't Do

As part of Bloggiesta, I decided to participate in the mini-challenge hosted by Word Lily about the 10 Things Bloggers Shouldn't Do.

The rules are simple:
  1. Read the post, 10 Things Bloggers Should Not Do.
  2. Rate yourself (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being muy excellente) on each point. How are you doing?
  3. Brainstorm examples of what you can/will do to improve your ratings in those areas that could use improvement. And/or:
  4. If you feel you’re doing particularly great in one area, share examples of how you’ve reached such excellence.
So, here are the statements, you can read more about them in the link above.

1. You must not expect results over night - 4/5, Why? Well, I've been blogging for close to three years, and it isn't until now that I've begun to get followers and comments in my blog. I can fully appreciate that it takes time and dedication. And love. You must do what you love but also love what you do.

2. You must not ignore your readers - 4/5, Why? I love all the people who read and comment in my blog. In part, that's why I made the decision to install Intense Debate, so I could have more interaction. I make a point to comment back whenever someone leaves a comment in my blog, because it's just the polite thing to do. 

3. You must not scrape another blogger's content - 5/5, Why? I seriously try to avoid this. As an author, I've been plagiarized before, and it was incredibly hurtful and awful. It made me feel dirty. So yeah, I avoid this, consciously. I try to avoid reading other reviews of the book I'm about to review, try to write my own summaries to exercise how to put things in my own words.  Yeah, sure, sometimes I see plug in or widget in someone else's blog and I decide I got to have it, so I use it but I also make a point to link the the site were I first saw it, it's just as a courtesy. Like with the "Recent Posts" Plug in my sidebar? I saw it first at The Book Scoop, and love it, see, takes just a couple of lines to say it!

4. You must not expect success without promoting - 3/5 - So true, blogging is not one of those "if you build it they will come" things. I know most of us do it for fun, but you have to take it seriously. I know I need to work on it, myself. I think this streams out of the fact that I'm a bit shy in real life, but yeah, it can go from very simple stuff, like twitter and the sharing buttons you put in your blog, and whatever else you can do to put your blog out there (for good reasons).

5. You must not be another blogger - 4/5 - Going back to #1, you have to do what you love and love what you do. Just be yourself. I'm going to say something that most avid readers know: when someone is faking it in their writing, you can totally tell. You can tell when someone isn't feeling what they are writing, and when they are trying to write like someone else.

6. You must not fail to update you blog regularly - 2/5 - Okay, so I try to post something at least once a week, I really do. But I honestly don't have a blog-schedule, I rarely schedule posts ahead of time. Something I really need to work on, I guess I just need to plan better.

7. You must not Ignore SEO - 2/5 - During my first Bloggiesta, I learned what SEO was, I had no idea what it was before, and part of me doesn't really know yet. But yeah, so I'm guessing I really need to work on it. I took a baby step today by updating my meta tags, but need to work more on it, I know.

8. You must not ignore networking - 3/5, Yeah, I said this during the Busting the Newbie Blues event (run by Small Review). Comment, comment, comment! It's the easiest way to get people to notice your blog. I'm not saying you have to hop all over the place with nothing much to say, or that you follow just so people follow you back, but yeah, if you see a post you like, comment! if you see a blog you like, follow. Don't be afraid, most bloggers out there are absolute sweethearts.

9. You must not have an unreadable/unnavigable site - 3/5, I've seen this in action. Sometimes I find blogs that have very good content, but the design is so busy and crowded that it's hard to navigate. I try to keep mine as clean as possible, but you can tell this year I went a bit... button happy (with all the buttons of my challenges)  and put a ton of them. I'm  trying to find a way to sort it out.

10. You must not throw mud around - 5/5 - This I believe absolutely. Maybe is the debate geek in me, but I firmly believe that there is always an appropriate way to phrase yourself so you make your point but remain respectful. We are word-people, we like words and know how to use them, there is always a way to say what you mean without attacking other people's opinions or ideas. Whenever I disagree with someone, I try to keep in mind that I'm trying to Discuss not Fight. I like arguing with people over ideas and points of view, fighting? not so much. 

So that's me! Anyone else doing this?
Alex

Say Hello to Pedro! - Bloggiesta Starting Line!

Bloggiesta is a blog event ran by Maw Books Blog, and it's sort of a blogging marathon aimed toward improving one's blog. 
I participated during the first edition, and it was great, it really helped me to sort of restart my blogging efforts and do it in a more organized way. Sadly, for various reasons, I was unable to participate the last two times.

But I'm back again and ready to roll! For more info, click here

Here are the things I hope to accomplish before it's all said and done on Jan 23rd:
  • Update and try to upgrade site's score
  • Write at least 3 List Maniac Posts - possible topics:
    • Favorite Women of Fiction
    • Favorite Best Friends of YA/Romance
    • Favorite Villains 
    • Most awaited movies
  • Write review of Sense & Sensibility (miniseries)
  • Update progress bars for all the challenges
  • Start the Books Read in January wrap up list
    • Set tags and images for future wrap ups (at least 3 more)
  • Update Books of 2011 List (include links)
  • Set a Key for Book genres and challenges
  • Update Movies of 2011 List (include links)
  • Write at least two Anime Addiction Posts - Posibilities:
    • Card Captor Sakura
    • Gankutsuo
    • Nanoha (Nanoha, A's and Strikers)
  • Write review of The Black Swan
  • Update NetGalley Info
  • Write whatever pending reviews I have. 
  • Set tags, images and list for Short-Reading List.
  • Participate in at least 2 challenges
  •  Back up blog
  • Clean up tags
  • Update Review Policy
  • Update About me page
  • Unveil new review format ? (I'm still not sure about this!)
  • Bring Back Story of My LIfe
  • Write At The Movies and As Seen on TV pending posts. 
  • Try not to go nuts
  • Whatever else I can think of.
  • Visit as many other blogs as possible
So, that's my crazy long list (sorry for all the bullet points, I like to summarize!)

I'm posting this right now, even though kick off is at 8 AM, so I'm in the clear to start then!

Here we go! 

Alex
Ps - Kicked off at 10:40 AM