Most Joyous Occasion - Weddings

On Saturday, I attended a wedding. It was such a heart-warming experience. We saw the Groom's excitement as he waited for his bride/soon-to-be his wife. Then everyone sent him away because he was not suppose to see her before the wedding. Then the ceremony started. The groom stood at the front of the church waiting for the bride. We all turned around waiting for her as well. We saw her standing there with her brother as he walked her down the isle. That moment was ... (I do not even have words to describe it)...beautiful...joyous...

She stood next to him. The priest/father started the ceremony. Everything he said was in Spanish, so I did not understand a single word. Nevertheless, when the groom turned around to say his vows (I think), I saw the bride brush away her tears. I just watched her and saw how important this day was for her. I was very happy to be part of this day, and felt special that she had included me. After about 30 minutes, the wedding was over. The bride and the groom walked out holding hands. Her mother was shaken up, knowing that her daughter has stepped in a new life, and was no longer just a daughter. She has now become a wife, and will someday become a mother.

After the church, we went to the reception hall. The bride and the groom ate, and we waited. We waited for them to start the celebration. The bride visited her family, which included her in-laws now, and the groom did the same. The DJ started the music to catch everyone's attention and asked the audience to watch a slideshow honoring the bride and the groom. Again, that was beautiful. Finally the time came, when the couple danced. They danced hand-in-hand. That was beautiful. I could not stay to watch them cut the cake (white wedding cake for the bride and Corona cake for the groom :p)

While watching and enjoying all this, I thought about the day when my day will come and my prince will come. I was sitting there dreaming and hoping for the best.

Congratulations to Saul and Melly! I wish both of best of luck with all the happiness in the world.

2008-2009 Author Challenge

The original challenge I saw was for a year. But since I started so late in the year (November)...I figured I will make it Challenge for November 2008 to October 2009 so it is a year challenge after all.

The books I am reading are italized.

A – The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

B – Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury; Tales From The Arabian Nights: Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves And Other Stories by Sarah Butcher; A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels & The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

C – The Alchemist by Paulo Cuehlo
D – 30 Years of Laughs & Lasagna: The Life & Times of a Fat, Furry Legend! by Jim Davis
E – The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
F –
G – Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner;
H – Book of Thousand Days by Shannon Hall
I –
J –
K – Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney ; The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella; Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd; For One More Day & Five People You Meet in Heaven by Albom Mitch
L – The Fairy's Return and Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine; Unaccustomed Earth & Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
M – Wicked by Gregory Maguire
N – The Darwin Awards Next Evolution (Darwin Awards) by Wendy Northcutt
O – Songs for the Missing by Steward O'Nan
P – The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Q –
R – The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
S – The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold; The Ultimate Life by Jim Stovall; Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris; The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
T – Death of Ivan Illych by Leo Tolstoy
U –

V – Incredible Coincidence by Alan Vaughan
W – Yukon Ho by Bill Watterson
X –

Y –

Z -

The Countdown Challenge

The goal of this challenge is to read the number of books first published in a given year that corresponds to the last digit of each year in the 2000s — 9 books from 2009, 8 books from 2008, etc. The total number of books required, therefore, is 45.

This challenge lasts from 8/8/08 through 9/9/09. Yes, it is retroactive to August 8th!

Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and your lists may change at any time.

Have fun reading!

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I will add to the list as the days go by...

Year 2009:

Year 2008:

1. The Crazy School by Cornelia Read
2. One in a Million by Kimberla Lawson Roby
3. Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series #2) by Jeff Kinney
4. 30 Years of Laughs & Lasagna: The Life & Times of a Fat, Furry Legend! (Garfield) by Jim Davis
5. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow
6. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
7. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale and Chelsea Mixon (Narrator) (Audio CD)
8. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling
9. The Darwin Awards Next Evolution by Wendy Northcutt
10. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (Audio CD)
11. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (Audio CD)
12. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray (Author), Josephine Bailey (Reader) (Audio CD)

Year 2007:

1. The Ultimate Life by Jim Stovall
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
3. What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman

Year 2006:

1. Secret of Lost Things by Sheriden Hays
2. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
3. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella, Katherine Kellgren (Reader) (Audio CD)
4. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
5. For One More Day by Mitch Albom (Author) (Audio CD)
6. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (Author), Sarita Choudhury (Reader) (Audio CD)

Year 2005:

1. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire and John Mcdonough (Audio CD)
2. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (Audio CD), Josephine Bailey (Reader)

Year 2004:

1. Holiday on Ice by David Sedaris (Audio CD)
2. Tales From The Arabian Nights: Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves And Other Stories by Sarah Butcher (Audio CD)
3. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris (Audio CD)
4. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (Audio CD), Josephine Bailey (Reader)

Year 2003:

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. Live at Carnegie Hall by David Sedaris (Audio CD)
3. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (Audio CD)

Year 2002:

1. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
2. Secret Life of Bees: by Sue Monk Kidd (Audio CD)

Year 2001 (I got more than one):

1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Audio CD)

The Ultimate Life

Over the weekend, I finally finished The Ultimate Life by Jim Stovall. It is sad to say that I was somewhat disappointed. I wanted the story to build up little more than what was written. I felt that the author was bored or maybe had writer's block, and opened the first book, The Ultimate Gift, and copied it. Then he went back and added bits and pieces to make the story longer.

Also, I felt that the book played off the movie. It mentioned things that happened in the movie, but not in the first novel. Furthermore, the author felt the need to add exactly what Jason's Grandfather had said in the short movie clips he made for Jason, thus adding to the length of the novel, but not the quality. This book itself can be called "The Ultimate Life and Gift."