A Birthday and a Book

Today is the birthday of a good friend of mine, Carla.

Carla is one of the most avid readers I know. Remember the 2015 Reading Challenge? She's the one who got me started on it. When I was afraid no human being would have read 'Howl's Moving Castle' without me having to introduce them to it, she has read it. When we're talking about books, she'll introduce me to books I have never heard of, and make them sound fascinating.

Carla, with her new copy of 'Burned' by Moning,
seventh in the Fever series.

Really, she should do PR work for books. I bet sales would skyrocket.

I'm not the only one who thinks this, either. Toni Lancey has also found Carla's love for reading contagious.

"Carla is definitely the most dedicated reader I know. She has introduced me to not just several wonderful books and series', but whole genres I'd never heard of. And although I only read a small fraction of what she does (sadly), when we have read the same book it's so much fun to see a completely different take on the same words, or even gush about the hunkiest guys in the book. One of my favorites times with Carla was a road trip to New Orleans, we listened to 'Iced' by Karen Marie Moning. It was so awesome whenever I had an "Oh my gosh!" or "What the heck?!" moment, someone was right there with a comforting, "I know."

Reading is often viewed as a solitary act. Obviously, it doesn't have to be, but even when it is there are plenty of opportunities to bond with loved ones over books. Reading a book your friend loves gives you a deeper knowledge of that person, and shows you care enough about them to make an effort to understand what they love. It can be s frightening thing to do, as well, sometimes showing a vulnerable side.

Carla had this to say about books and how they have impacted her relationships.

"Books have had an interesting affect on my relationships. They have both isolated me and connected me at the same time. Some books can be emotional roller coasters and that can be hard to explain to non-readers. But it's a beautiful thing when I meet other book nerds like me. I have made friends in Canada, the UK, Romania, and New Zealand because of one book series. It's kind of awesome having that kind of connection with people. It's like we all shared an adventure together."

I'd like to thank Carla for being so brave to share her love of books with us, to inspire a passion for the page that has only made our relationship richer.

Happy birthday, Carla!

"I'll have a book with a side of..." 7 Things That Make Reading Even Better

When done right, reading can be akin to spa treatment. 

I'm not talking about reading at the bus stop, or finishing up that chapter on your lunch break. I'm talking about the times you have an afternoon free, or when you tell your friends "No, I can't, I have plans." All for the love of a book. A lot of people might think it strange to pass up being social for reading. For all of us introverts out there, though, moments like these are extremely important for our personal care. So check it out! See what can make your next reading session even better than ever!

Rainy days are amazing, second only to snowy days.

1. Rain
This one isn't really in your control, but that just adds to it's value. Some rainy days you just can't manage to get to yourself. You have to work, get to the grocery store, it's your turn to watch the kids, any number of things may come up that cause you to be out and about while the rain pours down.

Sometimes, though, everything aligns, and you can sit down for an hour or two to read while you listen to the pattering of the rain on your window. The ambient noise can help shut out distracting thoughts for people who can't seem to shut their brain off, like me, and that's essentially what white noise is supposed to do.

According to Dr. Ralph Pascualy, our brains crave input. If we are in a silent room, any small noise our brain will pick up on and cause distraction. Some people enjoy machines just for white noise when it comes to sleeping. For reading, my white noise of choice is, has been, and always will be rain.

2. Tea

If only I had a set of cute tea cups and saucers like that...

I would say that a nice cup of tea or coffee can really make me feel luxurious, especially when I'm trying to relax. I specifically enjoy Earl Grey. Something about that bergamot flavor and scent just makes me feel like my muscles are all unwinding. Yes, it's a black tea, and therefore slightly caffeinated, so I try not to drink it in the evening. The same goes for coffee in that respect, but there are plenty of decaffeinated hot beverages out there for you if your prime time reading happens in the evening.

Green tea is full of antioxidants and other health benefits. Supposedly, it improves brain function that can help make you smarter, which may help you notice that the murderer was the butler all along! If you don't want to have strokes of genius before the big plot twist, though... I'd just stick to Earl Grey.

3. Pets

Ember, with yarn on her head. She is such a patient feline.

I love my cats. I am looking forward to the day I can adopt a dog. Someday I want to have a rat and a snake (though not in the same cage). I love having little friends from other species' around. When I'm feeling ill, my cats cuddle around me and purr in an attempt to make me feel better. With all of the new research coming out showing the major impacts animals can have on their human friends who need some loving support, it's no wonder that the stress levels of humans lower when they have pets. This is one of the major reasons I'm so grateful to my cats, and why I try to show them how much I appreciate what they do. If that means letting one of them lie on my lap until my legs fall asleep while I read, so be it.

4. Blankets

Vivo on The Vivo Blanket, getting a belly rub

A couple years ago, my husband got me a fleecy blanket, patterned in a wide plaid with creams and browns. It has affectionately been dubbed "The Vivo Blanket", after our snowshoe Siamese cat of the same colors. He's been asleep on it many times when we've gotten concerned that we haven't seen him in a while and hunted everywhere for him. Camouflage techniques have not been lost on this domesticated kitty.

Anyway, that blanket, along with a quilt my grandmother made me when I was a teenager, are both common choices for me when it's time to curl up with my book of choice. The comfort offered by these blankets that are special to me help cultivate a sense of relaxation and safety, perfect for while I delve into the dangerous unknowns in the pages.

Your blankets don't have to be gifts from someone else, or even something brand new. It could be an old blanket that has offered you comfort, or simply one that you like looking at. Just get yourself comfortable, is my point.

5. A spot that's all your own

The Domestic Curator

This is one of the harder items on this list to manage. Not all of us have this kind of spot. When there are several people in a house, or several animals, or if you're constantly traveling around for work, it can feel like you don't have a comfortable space to be alone. If that's the case, try going someplace else. The local library, for instance, most likely has a comfortable spot to read. You can also try a coffee shop. Both of these places are likely to have people, but they mostly mind their own business. If none of these are available, maybe go sit under a tree you like, or a bench in the park. Just don't do that when it's raining. I'm not responsible if you go out and catch pneumonia because you didn't use common sense. Besides, the pages would get soggy.

Other spaces could include a chair or spot on the couch that is a regular spot for you to sit. It could be a window seat, something I dream about in the house I will someday own. It could be sitting on the ledge of a fireplace, or even on your bed. When you need time for yourself, it's important to have a spot you can go to. These spots can be anywhere and everywhere, anything to everything. It doesn't have to be conventional like these, at all! Maybe you like sitting with your feet in the pool or a creek. Maybe you enjoy sitting on a tree stump. Maybe you like to lounge on the roof. Just be safe, wherever you go.

6. Silence
I'm not meaning scary, total silence where you think a monster is going to jump out at you. I already discussed how helpful white noise can be. What I mean by silence is a lack of other people trying to talk to you. That's hard to avoid, with the modern expectation that people always be available. Between cell phones, Facebook, Instagram, Skype, Snapchat, and email, how exactly are you supposed to avoid people talking to you?

Simply turn your phone off. If you're expecting an important call, obviously, don't do that. But trust me, the world can go an hour or two without having you at it's beck and call. It's alright for you to disconnect and take time for yourself. If there are others in your house, let them know that you are going to read and need to be left alone. If it helps, designate a special time. For instance, every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00-9:00, you read and need to be left alone. Give that a shot and see how effective it is for you.

7. Focus
Tell me if you've ever had this experience.

You're reading a book. Suddenly, you realize you don't know what's happened on the last page you read. You have to go back and reread it. I've read entire chapters that way. Or you suddenly realize you've read the same line over and over again. Also something I have done.

My point is, if you're tired, you need sleep. Not to read. Yes, we've all stayed up way past our bedtimes, maybe even all night, to finish that really entrancing book. I am familiar with that, and it's alright to do, but only every once in a while. If you're about to sit down to read a few chapters, though, and you've been exhausted all day, maybe what you need is a nap. The book will still be there when you wake up, and you'll be able to enjoy it even more.


If you can create a combination of these, or maybe even all of them, it would be practically perfect. Homogeneous to heaven. Simply supreme.

Ok, I'm done with the alliteration now. Is there anything I left out? What makes a perfect reading session for you? Comment below!

Short Story Contest - Magic Around Us

This is the first contest of No Wasted Words. How exciting!

A short story is defined by dictionary.com as "a piece of prose fiction, usually under 10,000 words." That is the intention of this contest, to write a short story and send it in to a panel of five judges that will read each story. There is only one winner this time, since it's the first contest. There may be second and third place prizes next time!

The prize: A copy of Diana Wynne Jone's 'Unexpected Magic', a collection of her short stories, as well as having your short story shared on the blog!

The Rules:

1. Word count: 2,000-4,000 
2. One entry per person
3. All entries must include the following contact information:
1. Name
2. Age
3. Email
4. No racism, homophobia, or hate speech of any kind will be tolerated.
5. No graphic gore or violence. No sexual content.
6. No plagiarism.
7. Entries must be in English
8. The judges' decision is final and no correspondence on this matter will be entered into. 
9. Not complying with these rules will result in disqualification.

Deadline for submission: July 31, 11:59 Central Time

The winner will be announced on September 1.

Now, I bet you want to know what it is you'll be writing about? The prompt is below!

Prompt:

Magic surrounds us every moment. Write a short story about magic that impacts our everyday lives, whether we see it or not, for better or worse.

Get writing! I can't wait to read the entries!

Insomnia + Illness + Several Days = Reading Marathon!

So I haven't written much lately, and that's because I've been very ill. Instead, I've been working on reading a variety of books for the reading challenge. The inability to sleep for nearly a week while I was sick left me with plenty of time to lie around in a daze without the energy to do a single thing, except turn pages. So that's what I did.

I have read several books in this time: 'The Crown of Dalemark', 'Ella Enchanted', 'To Kill A Mockingbird', 'Splintered', 'Shadow's Edge', 'Theodosia and the Last Pharoah', 'Conrad's Fate', and I am now trying to complete the gardening book for the nonfiction section of my reading challenge. The siren call of fiction keeps distracting me, but I am determined to complete this book.

I have intentions to write reviews for each of the books I'm reading for this challenge. I just have to do it. Now that I have my strength and sanity back, I can! But that's for later.

What I want to talk about now is how reading helped me get through those several days of being sick, and how it's done that several times in the past.

I remember the first time I finished a chapter book all in one day. I was in third or fourth grade and home from school. The book was one of the Animorph books, by K.A. Applegate. Did you ever read those? I had the entire collection at one point.

Anyway, I was up all the first night and trying not to dwell on how awful I felt, so I dove into 'The Crown of Dalemark' by Diana. It was in the category 'A book you started but never finished' for the reading challenge. I figured if I was going to be awake, I might as well be productive, right?

Thankfully, I had just gone to the library and gotten a stack of books to read. I hadn't intended to finish 'Dalemark' all in one sitting, but it happened. So then I moved on to 'Ella Enchanted' and finished that all at once.

You see what being sick does to me. I can't say that I mind much, though. It makes me think of Rainbow Dash in the episode of "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" when she is stuck in the hospital and begins reading the Daring Do books.

It took a while for me to start feeling better, so I just kept reading. The nice thing about reading is that you can take it as slowly or as quickly as you want. When my head was spinning, I read very slowly, sometimes out loud, to give me something else to focus on. If it got to be too energy sapping, such as  during dramatic points in the story, I would take a break and nap. When napping wasn't happening, my wonderful husband would read out loud from one of the books he was reading at the time. I had already read them, so it didn't matter if they were random chapters from various books, I still knew what was going on.

Reading helped me feel better by lifting my spirits, giving me something to do, and making me laugh. Laughter is supposed to be the best medicine. If that's the case, I hate to think of how much longer I would have been sick without it.

What books do you enjoy reading when you're ill? Do you have any fond memories despite being sick?

Guest piece: Enchanted by Ella Enchanted by Laura Hilton

Once a week, my mom would load me, my older sister, and a number of foster siblings into her white mini van for a trip to one of my favorite places in the world: the library. Being homeschooled, there were only so many times I was able to have so much freedom.

One particular day when I was visiting, I happened to read the "Children's Book Club Reading List." The book of the month was Ella  Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. I never actually attended the meetings, but upon reading the description on the flier for Ella Enchanted, I was enticed to check it out for myself. There was one lone copy in the small county library, and lucky for me, there were no holds. Score!

As soon as I got home, I began reading. And I never wanted to stop. I’m pretty sure I finished the  book that day, staying up past my bedtime under the covers with a flashlight to devour the final chapters. The story is a rather simple one, but it was love at first read. Ella Enchanted is a twist on the classic Cinderella story, but instead of the traditional “Woe is me,” oppressed female tale, it follows the story of an independent and feisty young lady (both qualities which I could easily relate to).

In the novel, Ella is “gifted” a curse upon being born. This curse makes her do whatever she is told, literally.

If someone told me to hop on one foot for a day and a half, I’d have to do it. And hopping on one foot wasn't the worst order I could be given. If you commanded me to cut off my own head, I’d have to do it. I was in danger at every moment.

Though she is cursed, Ella finds ways to rebel against those who want nothing to do but torture her and in the end, she is the hero. Of course, there is an evil stepmother, fairy godmother, extravagant balls, and a handsome prince, but the cliches of the story didn't stop me from hanging onto every last word.

After two weeks with the book passed, it was time to return it to the library. I insisted upon checking it out again and again. I did eventually return it, but the next year, when I was enrolled in public school, I ordered my very own paperback copy. I carried it with me everywhere. I read and re-read the book every few weeks. Anytime someone asked me if I recommended any books, I would enthusiastically suggest Ella Enchanted.

As I grew older, my fondness of the novel only grew. I finally handed over my copy to my little sister, who also seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. In fact, she hasn't been able to let go it of since. So if you have the time (and if you don’t, you should make some), pick up a copy of Ella Enchanted from your local used bookstore or library and get lost in Ella’s world of elves, ogres, fairies, and curses. You won’t regret it one bit.

My Ten Least Favorite Books

For me, not liking a book is most often about the situation in which I've read it. Where there are aspects of the books I generally dislike, what gets it into my least favorite books list is most often something beyond the control of the author or me. For whatever reasons, though, these are books that I seriously did not like:

1. 'Cold Sassy Tree' by Olive Ann Burns

I read this book as part of the curriculum for my Freshman year of high school. It takes place in Cold Sassy, Georgia in 1906. The book dragged, in my opinion, and it seemed as though it would never end. It's not even that long. Besides all of that, though, was that the teacher told us something happened that she did not want to hear anyone making fun of later. That was it. *SPOILER ALERT* As it turned out, one of the characters recounts a rape they went through as a child.

Some thing I can handle with no warning, others I can't. I find that kind of thing to be extremely disturbing, and I barely finished it after that. If there had been a proper warning, then I may have a different view of it, but being required to read something with such a scene without being told beforehand is not ok. Ever since, this book has been colored for me in a very negative light. Since I didn't enjoy it to begin with, I think I am doomed to never like this book.

2. 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad

Have you ever read a book that you couldn't wait to stop reading? That was this one. Situation has very little to do with me disliking this book, I just really didn't like it. Interestingly, I read this book as part of the same class as 'Cold Sassy Tree'. We had been given a list of books to choose from, so I did this one to myself. I remember giving the book report and discussing the end to show that I had read it, but openly admitted how I couldn't stand the book and thus could hardly remember anything that had happened in it. Who knows, maybe if I read it again I would like it. But I doubt it.

3. '1984' by George Orwell, 'Slaughterhouse Five' by Kurt Vonnegut, 'Brave New World' Aldous Huxley

These three are grouped together for a reason, and I am sure that if I read them again I would have a totally different view on them. These I read for class in my Junior year of high school. We read them one after another in extremely quick succession. Now I can read quickly, and I did finish them and score well on the tests. This was a perfect example of having to memorize and regurgitate information, because looking back on them I honestly can't tell the three apart. They blend together in my head so I can't remember what book the part I'm thinking of happened in, or what character belongs to which book.

I know they are all very different and distinct books, but being rushed through them did me no favors as far as really learning from them goes. Like I said, I can read quickly, but I prefer not to. I prefer to go along at the pace that the book guides me along. Some books are quick reads, like Diana's 'Dark Lord of Derkholm', where you pick them up and unintentionally emerge severl hours later wondering what year it is. Other books are slower reads, meant to be savored, like anything by Dickens. These three books I really wanted to take my time with but couldn't due to assignment deadlines and test dates. I have every intention of reading these again to change my view on them. Until then, please forgive me if I start talking about aliens in a conversation about '1984'.

4. 'The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown

This is another book I intend to read again, though I don't know if it will change my viewpoint on it. This isn't a book I read for class. I picked it up on my own after I had read 'Angels and Demons', one of the books on my favorites list. I found 'The Da Vinci Code' to be nothing like 'Angels and Demons' in it's exciting pace and intrigue that swept me along it's rapids. Unfortunately, I found the sequel to be so tedious that I had to put it down.

I've heard several people say, since I've had this experience, that those who read 'The Da Vinci Code' first more often than not very much enjoyed both books. Those that read 'Angels and Demons' first found the sequel so slow moving that they could hardly finish it. It makes me regret reading 'Angels and Demons' first, but what can I do about that now? Maybe since it's been some time since I've read the first one, I can try the second one again and maybe find it more interesting.

5. 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold

This book was recommended to me by someone who ended up almost always suggesting something with some element of rape or brutal sexuality, things that are very much not what I enjoy reading. Where I didn't dislike this individual book, per se, it's more that I ended up disliking the string of books that were suggested to me because I thought this one was ok. So again, this one had more to do with the situation than with the actual content. I thought the difficult passages were done very tastefully, and I loved the part about the dog. 

6. 'Ghost Story' by Peter Straub

I went into this book expecting something very different. When it was suggested to me, it somehow came across that it was a collection of short stories. I guess I can see where the mistake was made. It jumped between times and told different stories about the same person that all came together in the end, I imagine. I didn't finish it. I would like to go back to it when I don't have a set of expectations for it to live up to. I bet it would be a much better book then, though I didn't get far enough to understand the significance of the title. I may check out the detailed plot before I pick it up again, though. just to be sure it I have a warning about any difficult material. If I have warning and I can prepare myself, I am normally alright.

7. 'Vamphyri' by Brian Lumley

This is the second installment in the 'Necroscope' series, of which I had read the first one at my husband's request when we first started dating. It was an exciting horror book, with plenty of action and intrigue. Anything that I wouldn't have been able to handle otherwise was done in a way that was clear but not overly graphic. When I started in on the second one, early in the book was a part that really upset me. I put it down an haven't picked it back up since. Some series that are horror based or have difficult material get more and more gritty as you go on, and it seems the 'Necroscope' series does this. I am really sad that I had this reaction, because this series is one of my husband's favorites. I imagine I will someday try to venture into it again for his sake, but not yet.

8. 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

I wanted to like this book so much. I really did. I have found other parodies of 'Pride and Prejudice' to be hilarious, and I really believed this one would be the same. Unfortunately I found the blending of cultures was choppy and poorly done, with overlaps that made no sense. It was so abrupt and jostling that I couldn't manage to stay focused and it seemed like the Jane Austen part of the book was just slapped on to a book that had previously been written. I was very disappointed in this one.

9. 'Audition' by Michael Shurtleff

This book is very valuable and helpful. It makes a lot of sense, and I would say to anyone studying acting to read it. I put it on this list because I had to read it SO MANY TIMES in high school theatre classes. It makes sense and is applicable, yes, but after a while it just started grating my nerves. Again, this one is more about situation than content.

10. 'Glengarry, Glen Ross' by David Mamet

This script is honestly just a bunch of unlikable characters screwing each other over, and yelling and swearing at each other. I have tried to like, I really have. I just don't. I know, I know, it's a great piece of theatrical literature, blah blah blah. I just don't like it. If none of the characters are decent people, if I don't feel any kind of emotional investment in them or their goals, then it's a bad script. Is that part of the point? Maybe. Some people have made that argument. I can accept that, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Honestly, anything that has me wondering when it's just going to be over is not something I'm going to give anymore of my time to.


Do you love any of these books? Why? Don't let me own opinion stop you from reading them! I would love to hear from someone that enjoys these books!

2015 Reading Challenge - Always adding new books and updating!

I am doing a Reading Challenge that was shared with me by my good friend, Carla Day! I have had a very late start, but I'm working on it.

Here is the URL if you are interested in joining me on it! 2015 Reading Challenge

Below you will find the list of what I plan to read, what I have read, and what I have yet to choose for the category. Let me know if there are any you would suggest!

1. A book with more than 500 pages - 'Shogun' by James Clavell (recommended by Donna Kutlus and Jon Bryant)
2. A classic romance -  'Persuasion' by Jane Austen
3. A book that became a movie - 'Ella Enchanted' by Gail Carson Levine (recommended by Laura Hilton)
4. A book published this year - 'Go Set A Watchmen' by Harper Lee (recommended by Toni Lancey)
5. A book with a number in the title - 'Counting by Sevens' by Holly Goldberg Sloan (recommended by Melanie Barth and Mighty Girls)
6. A book written by someone under 30 - 'Hollow City' by Ransom Riggs
7. A book with non-human characters - 'The Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Grahame
8. A funny book - 'Good Omens' by Terry Pratchett
9. A book by a female author - 'Goldie Blocks' by Debbie Sterling (This is a kids book and it comes with toys. I'm really psyched for this one.)
10. A mystery or thriller -
11. A book with a one word title - 'Fingersmith' by Sarah Waters (recommended by Lisa Ferguson)
12. A book of short stories - 'Witches and Ghosts, Pirates and Thieves, Murder and Mayhem' compiled by John P. Hunter
13. A book set in a different country - 'Bamboo People' by Mitali Perkins (recommended by Terry Doherty)
14. A nonfiction book - 'Indoor Kitchen Gardening' by Elizabeth Millard (I picked this one up at the Denton Public Library!)
15. A popular author's first book -
16. A book from an author you love but haven't read yet - 'Reflections' by Diana Wynne Jones
17. A book a friend recommended - 'Eyes of the Dragon' by Stephen King (recommended by Jon Bryant)
18. A Pulitzer Prize winning book -
19. A book based on a true story -
20. A book at the bottom of your to-read list -
21. A book your mom loves - 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens
22. A book that scares you - 'A Clockwork Orange' by 
23. A book more than 100 years old - 'The Count of Monte Cristo' by Alexandre Dumas (published in 1844, recommended by Jon Bryant)
24. A book based entirely on the cover -
25. A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't - 'To Kill A Mockingbird' by Harper Lee (another recommended by Melanie Barth)
26. A memoir - 'Still Foolin' 'Em' by Billy Crystal (recommended by Jon Bryant)
27. A book you can finish in a day - 
28. A book with antonyms in the title -
29. A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit -
30. A book that came out the year you were born -
31. A book with bad reviews -
32. A trilogy - 'Inkheart', 'Inkspell', and 'Inkdeath' by Cornelia Funke
33. A book from your childhood - 'The Hobbit' by J.R.R. Tolkien
34. A book with a love triangle - 'Splintered' by A.G. Howard
35. A book set in the future - 'Old Man's War' by John Scalzi (recommended by Lisa Ferguson)
36. A book set in high school - 'Shadow's Edge' by Maureen Lipinski
37. A book with a color in the title - 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker
38. A book that made you cry - 'Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher' by Bruce Coville
39. A book with magic - 'Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh' by R.L. LaFevers (recommended by Deanna Easton)
40. A graphic novel - 'Fun Home' by Allison Bechdel (recommended by Tyler Murphy)
41. A book by an author you've never read before - 'Naked Lunch' by William Burroughs (recommended by David Pierce)
42. A book you own but have never read - 'The Man in the Iron Mask' by Alexandre Dumas (recommended by Eden Lakner)
43. A book that takes place in your hometown - 'Ghosts of Denton' by Shelly Tucker (Denton isn't technically my hometown, but I can't find any books set in Sharon Springs, NY. I wasn't born there, either, but I was 8 months old when we left Cleveland, Ohio, so I don't really count that as my hometown, either.)
44. A book that was originally written in a different language - 'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (recommended by Donna Kutlus)
45. A book set during Christmas - 'The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus' by L. Frank Baum
46. A book written by an author with your same initials - 'Home from the Sea' by Mercedes Lackey
47. A play - 'The 39 Steps' by Patrick Barlow (recommended by Mike Strecher)
48. A banned book -
49. A book based on or turned into a tv show - 'America Entertains' by David Tutera
50. A book you started but never finished - 'The Crown of Dalemark' by Diana Wynne Jones

Red means I have read it! Blue means I am currently reading it. If it is black and followed by a blank, then I need recommendations. If it is black but filled in, then it is on my list. Comment with recommendations!