... so says Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings (the phrase is eerily familiar - I think he may have stolen it from someone ... ). He's referring to the new challenge he is hosting, Once Upon A Time II. As you all know, I am seriously challenge addicted. I already have a 3-page list of books I've committed to reading; I have been trying so hard not to join any more challenges. There have been so many fun ones announced, and I really wanted to join, but I didn't. Until now. As Carl says, "Resistance is futile." So, with (happy) resignation, I'll tell you about my two new ones:

I was chuckling the other day while reading a post written by Chris over at Stuff As Dreams Are Made On. He says he's stopped buying books because he's getting so many for free. "I'm like a book magnet," he enthused. I feel his "pain." I've been receiving lots of review books lately - I've got a dozen on my shelf, with at least that many more on the way. It's crazy, but a really fun kind of crazy. Also, even though I didn't wear green on St. Patrick's Day (my family is more Scottish than Irish; my mom says we should wear orange on March 17), the leprechauns seem to have forgiven me and sent me some luck anyway: I just won Year of Fog by Michelle Richmonds from Katrina over at Stone Soup.

I was really excited to get a copy of The Sister by Poppy Adams from the Barnes & Noble's First Look Club. My goal was to read it slowly so that I could keep up with the chat over at B&N, but I'm woefully behind. I've finally reached the middle, and I'm enjoying it. Although I try not to read reviews about books I'm reading so that they won't influence my own opinion, I get the feeling that reactions to this book have not been all that positive. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the vibe I'm sensing. At any rate, I should finish it within the next day or so. After that, I would love to hear everyone else's opinions. Don't tell me anything yet, though!

In other news, I'm sending off interview questions to Amanda Ford, author of Kiss Me, I'm Single: An Ode to the Single Life. I'm excited to hear what she has to say. A friend also connected me with romance writer Robyn Carr. It's been fun getting to know her a little. Look for an interview and more with her in the near future. I will also be getting to those review books I was talking about - I have some really fun ones in the wings. Now, if I'm going to get all this done, I'm going to have to stop typing and get back to reading ...

I haven't read a lot of books about Native Americans, so I guess it's not surprising that I've
(Book Image from Sherman Alexie's official website. The book is semi-autobiographical. Check out the "Biography" section of Alexie's site to read more about him.)

So, I'm admitting defeat on the Winter Reading Challenge. There's no way I'm going to finish it by March 19, especially since I've only read 1 of the books on my list. I do plan to read all the books, but who knows when I will complete them? Thanks, Karlene, for hosting. Sorry I'm bowing out!

Several other fun challenges have been announced lately, but I'm trying to resist ...