List #12 - Aussie Tunes

I like music.  A lot.  I'm in a facebook group that shares music clips, stories about music, and has a weekly rock quiz.  A lot of members of that group are Australian, and they encouraged me to share my thoughts on Aussie bands.  You see, there's this whole world of beloved, rockin' Aussie music that never made it to the shores of the US so it could blast out of the speakers of my boombox, car stereo, or ipod.  Here's a selection of what I shared. 

1. Screaming Jets "Better": I moved to Australia from Texas late 2008. The first time I ever heard this song, I was in a crowded pub and almost every Aussie sang aloud word for word. It was then and there I began to learn about these great songs and talented bands that produced awesome music but never made it "big" in America. "Better" just came on my iPod, and I was head-bobbing and singing along. 

2. Powderfinger "Burn Your Name" - I can't think of any good reason why this band didn't break America. They have great songs and good lookin' guys in the band (hey, that doesn't hurt). As I mentioned previously, I moved here in late 2008. In 2009, this song was introduced to the Australian market, and I loved it. Still do. Then, I had people telling me about the abundance of success in Australia and introduce me to their past discography. I think I still love this song so much because it was my first Powderfinger experience.  Other faves are "My Happiness", "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind", and "Passenger".

3. Baby Animals "Early Warning": I was introduced to this band live at The Metro in Sydney (2009, I am pretty sure). The lead singer is a chick with raspy, big rock chick vocals.  She was married to Extreme's guitarist, Nuno who came on stage with them, and they played Extreme's "Get the Funk Out" at that gig. Then, Suzi and Nuno divorced. Baby Animals are awesome!

4. Eskimo Joe "Love is a Drug": Let me say how refreshing it was to know that television channels that play music videos actually still exist (unlike the American MTV and VH1 that has been taken over by a lot of reality show crap). I had one of those video channels on, and I hear this song. I started watching the video and watched it to completion just so I could find out the name of the song and band. Previously, I'd heard of Eskimo Joe and really liked the song Foreign Land, but this song and video clip is what got me to look into their music collection. Seriously, this song is power pop/rock awesomeness.  I haven't seen them live yet, but I really wanna...so, next time they play Sydney, I'm there.

5. John Farnham "You're the Voice": Just a few months after I moved to Australia, Black Saturday happened, the tragic bush fires in Victoria. Sound Relief was quickly organized to raise funds for the victims. I watched the collective group of musicians play for the thousands of Aussies. This clip was above and beyond the one that I said who is this and what is this song that everyone is singing at the top of their lungs? Well, I discovered it's a song on the highest selling Australian album of all time. I give you John Farnham with You're the Voice (backed up by Coldplay).

6. The Choirboys "Run to Paradise": I knew the Quireboys (aka London Choirboys), but I didn't know THE Choirboys until I moved here and heard this anthem of a song. After the 2nd time you hear it, you find yourself singing along. Possibly even the first time you hear it. Plus, the video clip is complete with girls in spandex shorts, choreographed guitar walking, and a drummer in a beanie before beanies were cool.

7. Grinspoon "Lost Control": A friend of mine knows that I like rock music. She suggested giving Grinspoon a listen. I did. I liked. I bought a lot of their tunes on itunes.  They have a classic '90s rock sound.

8. Australian Crawl "Reckless": The first time I heard this song on the radio, I was at work. I had to run and get my phone, so I could use the Shazam app. I needed to know what this song was and who sang it. This is really a hauntingly beautiful piece of music.  I know this isn't the signature of the Australian Crawl sound, but this song moves me.

9. The Divinyls "Pleasure and Pain": The Divinyls are basically thought of as a one-hit wonder in the US. We got "I Touch Myself", and it was a big hit. But, I knew nothing else from their expansive music collection. I love "Pleasure and Pain" because the lyrics are just so relatable. How many of us have been in relationships where "there's a fine line between pleasure and pain"? RIP Chrissy.

10. The Living End "White Noise": I've been fortunate enough to see The Living End twice in festival settings (I need to see a club show). The power and excitement they generate from the stage is beyond impressive. They have a loyal following for this power punk trio.  I don't think this song is as punk as it is pop, but it's the first song of theirs I heard, I bought, and I still listen to over and over again.

11. Gyroscope "Baby I'm Getting Better: The first line of this song hooked me, which caused me look at some of their other works from their 10+ year career. Good power pop sounds from Gyroscope.

12. Noiseworks "Take Me Back": So, I know this band comes from New Zealand, but I'm including them in my little "project". I heard this song and thought "Wow! Great song! Why haven't I heard this song before?" only to discover it was yet again from a great Southern Hemisphere band that didn't make it to this Texas girl's world until moving to the Southern Hemisphere. Now, I hear it all the time, and I still think "Wow! Great song!".

13. Guy Sebastian "I Like It Like That": I have a feeling that I may get some grief over this one. Remember, I said that I was going to tell you about the songs/bands/artists that I was unfamiliar with until moving here. Most of what I've posted are songs that I heard and instantly liked or wanted to hear more. This song is one of those "guilty pleasures". This was released shortly after I moved here and got a lot of play. I admit it, every time I heard it, I wanted to dance, shimmy, and shake. Then, I learned it is performed by Australia's original Australian Idol. Not necessarily the kind of music I often listen to, but Guy Sebastian is a talented guy (and this song still makes me dance).  And, "Battle Scars" with Lupe Fiasco...yep, another Guy guilty pleasure.  If you like pop, check that out too.

14. Split Enz "Message to My Girl": Okay, so this is another New Zealand contribution. Before Crowded House, there was Split Enz. I knew Crowded House (specifically, Don't Dream It's Over and Something So Strong made it big in the US). They have so many catchy pop songs to choose from, I'll share Message to My Girl.

15. The Angels "Dogs Are Talking": Here's a story for ya: In the early 2000s, RATT was on quite a run of playing club shows. I saw them several times - sometimes Stephen Pearcy was on vocals, sometimes Jizzy Pearl. During this run, John Corabi was playing rhythm guitar, and I preferred to stand in front of him (not always paying attention to the lead vocals - ha!). Anyway...I remember they worked this song into a set and gave props to this great Aussie band saying if we hadn't heard of them, we should have. Other hits - "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" and "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again"

16. Cold Chisel "When the War is Over": It's not a list of Aussie music without Cold Chisel. SO many good songs. SO diverse. Why, why, why America did we not embrace this and give them the international success that they deserve? For USA folks, remember that INXS song "Good Times" that was featured on The Lost Boys soundtrack? (you know it; I'll attach it)  Well, the "other guy" is Jimmy Barnes who is an Australian institution and the lead singer of Cold Chisel.

Aussies, they cherish this band (and they should). I know the song I selected isn't the most rockin' of choices (and they are mostly known for rockin' tunes), but I love that it shows the vocal range of the band members.  Rock music fans that are reading this really should give a listen to this, "Bow River", "Forever Now", "Cheap Wine", "Flame Trees", and more.  Heck, as I type this "Khe Sanh" has come on the radio. 

If you're a music fan, I don't expect every single one of you to listen to each clip in one sitting...but come back to this post.  These are some good bands with some great songs, and I'm glad they are in my regular music rotation now that I live in Australia. 

Thoughts #12 - Chameleon

A friend of mine shared this story this week:  I Dressed as a Goth, a Party Girl, and a Manic Pixie Dream Girl — Here's How My Friends, Partner, and OKCupid Reacted - go click on that link I just posted and read the article.

I found the experiment and article fascinating for a number of reasons.  First, I was a Sociology major.  Second, I like clothes, hair, and make-up.  Third, I try not to judge a book by its cover (so to speak).  Fourth, I enjoy people who have their own personal sense of style.  Fifth, the remarks and quick judgments passed were thought-provoking.

We know that people judge others based on their looks, their race, and their clothes.  We know it's not nice, but it happens.all.the.time. 

Also, I remembered a conversation I shared with a former co-worker (a man who knew my parents before I was born).  He told me that I was a "chameleon" based on how I dressed for work.  At the time, I worked in an office complete with shared-wall cubicle an all.  I suppose this comment came from the fact that I'd wear skirts, pants, or dresses.  I'd wear heels, flats, and cowboy boots.  My hair would be straight or curly, up or down.  My make-up might be natural, or I might wear bright blue eyeliner.  My nails would be natural, black, or bright pink.  This was also at a time in my life that I'd go to live music shows weekly, sometimes multiple times in a week.  So, I'd have a dress style for that too.  Yes, I owned leather pants.  Vinyl ones too.

Some may think this erratic style of dress stems from me searching for an identity.  Or that I was a poser depending on the situation I was in.  Yet, I took the statement he made as a huge compliment.  I like(d) being a chameleon.  I like(d) different styles and fashions and clothes.  I like(d) expressing myself through how I present(ed) myself.  But, does that mean I was judged differently on different days depending on different dress?  Probably.  But, that's not going to change how I dress(ed).

Just because I've had this song in my head the entire time I've typed this entry, I decided that you need to hear it too.

Fall Film Challenge

A friend of mine is hosting a film challenge.  She asked me how many movies I watch per month.  I'm not a good one to ask.  Sometimes, I watch 3 or 4 movies in a weekend.  Sometimes, I don't watch a movie for 3 or 4 weeks.  She's playing along in my book challenge, so I thought I'd play along in the film challenge.
(You can read about it HERE or you can join HERE because I think you should play along too.)

I have three months to watch these - September, October, November - and here are my choices:

one. any action/adventure flick - Captain Phillips

two. any shot in bupapest, hungary - The Raven

three. any awarded an oscar for best cinematography - There Will Be Blood

four. any drama/biography/documentary - Artifact

five. any awarded an oscar for best film editing - Traffic

six. any science-fiction/fantasy flick - Divergent

seven. any starring an actress whose last name begins with the letter g - Texas Killing Fields (Annabeth Gish)

eight. any set during any holiday - Labor Day

nine. any from internet movie database's top flicks list - City of God

ten. any starring an actor whose last name begins with the letter j - Prisoners (Hugh Jackman)

eleven. any starring an actress whose last name begins with the letter k - Rabbit Hole (Nicole Kidman)

twelve. any shot in london, england - RocknRolla

thirteen. any awarded an oscar for best original score - Babel

fourteen. any adapted from any novel - The Great Gatsby

fifteen. any awarded an oscar for best original screenplay - The King's Speech

sixteen. any awarded an oscar for best picture - 12 Years a Slave

seventeen. any featured on american movie classic's fifty great movie quote's list -  The Hours  - "Someone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more."

eighteen. any romance or comedy - Dedication

nineteen. any sports flick - Invictus

twenty. any thriller or mystery - The Return

twenty-one. any starring an actor whose last name begins with u - Star Trek Into Darkness (Karl Urban)

twenty-two. any shot in a country you've never visited - Blood Diamond (shot in South Africa and Mozambique)

twenty-three. any shot in wilmington, north carolina - Blue Velvet

twenty-four. any western or war film - The Alamo

twenty-five. any from american film institute's greatest american movies of all time - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Since we're talking about movies, I will end with a picture from my favorite Robin Williams' movie performance, Good Will Hunting, which I will watch this weekend.

A Day in the Life of Me

You are about to see a glimpse of my fascinating life. Well, not really. This is just an average day for me, and it's definitely not all that fascinating...except today, I'm going to bring you along with me. 

I'm a snoozer.  That's right.  I need the alarm to go off at least four times before I drag myself out of bed.  Neil is worse.  My pets have learned our habits.  The cats will go check out the lit up screen of our phones probably wishing their paws would work on a touch screen iphone to turn the annoying thing off.  

After reluctantly getting up, I go through my morning routine - toilet, brush teeth, pills, wash face, shower, moisturize, make-up my face, get dressed - all the while, these three join me most mornings (Ricky, Ivy, and Astro).  I pretend it's because they love me so much that they want to hang with me.  Remember, I told you they know my routine?  Well, yeah...they hang with me because I have the heat lamps on, and when I'm finished getting dressed, they get their breakfast. 

As I make my way downstairs while trying not to trip over any cats or step on any tails, these are the faces that greet me through the back door.  They like to stand at their bowls (as if I'm going to forget their breakfast). Our oh-so-sweet-but-not-too-bright Sally and Dolly girls.

Fur babies are fed, we're dressed, and we head to the train station which is 5 minutes away.  We live in a suburb 35 miles (57 km) southwest of Sydney city center.  We commute via train travel Monday through Friday.  Neil and I ride the train together most days.  I read a book; he reads a newspaper.  Our train takes a little less than an hour to get to Sydney Central Station.  A lot of people complain about public transport.  I actually prefer it.  I like to read and people watch instead of road rage on the freeways.

We arrive at Central, and we part ways.  Neil heads in to work.  I head to school (more about that in a minute).  I usually grab a morning tea at a kiosk at the station.  It's winter here now, and I'm not a coffee drinker.  I've learned to drink hot tea instead.  I've got my ipod cranked now (although my hair is covering it) because my mornings usually need a little heavy dose of rock 'n' roll to get going. 

School, ah school.  I call it the "visa factory" because it's a school that caters to international students who have come to Australia on a student visa.  Most often, I am the only one in the class that speaks English as my primary language.  I'm currently taking a Marketing course, and I go to class Mondays-Thursdays 9:00am-12:30pm.  Although the classes aren't exactly challenging or overly informative, I've enjoyed interacting with the students from all corners of the world - Thailand, Italy, Colombia, Turkey, Indonesia, Poland, Nepal, Korea, Romania, Brazil, Czech Republic, as well as teachers from Singapore, Germany, South Africa, and Hungary.

After school, I head back to the train station (this time the trains run underground similar to subways, but we still call them trains).  Hi ho, hi ho; it's off to work I go...

Okay...so our trains don't stay underground.  Here's my view of Lavender Bay and Luna Park as the train crosses Sydney Harbour Bridge.  I see this everyday, and I still don't tire of the view. 

After pulling into North Sydney, I go to our store where I work every day.  (Shameless plug now:  www.facebook.com/POLA.Jewellers ; new website coming soon!)  Neil is owner, jeweller, watchmaker, boss, problem-solver and more.  His father (Graham) is a watchmaker.  Our friend (Linsey) works part-time and helps a lot with computer jewellery design.  I do everything else.  Also, I spend far too much time on facebook and other websites, as well as occasionally writing my blog...like I'm doing now. 

The super helpful friendly sales girl that you want to help you buy some jewelry (yes, I've spelled jewelry/jewellery two different ways in this post, but I'm American living in Australia, and there's two different spellings and sometimes I get confused) - that's me!

After closing shop, I get back to the train station.  Sometimes it may be 6:00; sometimes 7:00; sometimes later.  That's the world of retail and being the partner of the man that owns his own business.

Animals meet us at the door - yes, because they love us - but, mostly because they are getting fed dinner.  The destructive duo dogs have usually torn something up.  They love anything with foam and stuffing, so forget about giving them a dog bed, or stuffed toys, or a lounge to sleep on...because they've ruined all those things.  They have dog bones and chew toys, but being destructive is much more fun (apparently).

Oh, I don't forget lunch...I just forgot to take its picture.  Neil is awesome because he likes to cook.  He's good at it too.  Most of you probably think he is just avoiding my cooking.  That could be the case, but I do cook every now and then, but mostly it's Neil who prepares our meals.  This is leftover risotto that's even tastier the second night of having it. 

My favorite part of the day; my nightly Astro snuggles.  I was never a cat person.  I was scared of them.  They sensed it and preyed on my fear.  But, Neil has always had cats.  I love animals, I love him, and relationships are supposed to be about compromise, right?  Well, if any cat could convert me, this guy could.  Man, oh man...he is a mama's boy.  Every single night, I lay down for some reading or tv time.......and every single night, Astro joins me.  He's on my chest.  He's in my face.  He lays on my shoulder.  He headbutts me.  He even lets a little dribble out when I rub his belly.  Gosh almighty, this cat loves me, and I love him. 

Many nights, I relax with a book, a candle burning, and a hot bath...sometimes a glass of wine.  Most times, I'm joined by a kitty.  Mostly, it's Ivy or Ricky - they are the ones that seem to be interested in the water, or my nakedness, but I'm pretty sure it's the water.

Bedtime - most of the time, Astro joins me.  Eventually, Neil is there as well as the other two kitties.  But, every now and then, Ricky the mischievous boy decides he wants to be Ricky the purr puss and tries to beat Astro to the bedroom to get the closest spot to mama.  I'm not going to lie: I like it that the boys fight over me :)  Neil may get slightly jealous. 

That's all, folks.  How exciting was that?!  Tons.  I know.  If you made it this far, you are probably my mother.  Hi, Mom!  Thanks for sticking with this post!!

Worth revisiting: Thoughts.11: Opinions

This post was originally published one year ago today. The message is important to me, so I am sharing it again.

I apologize if what I'm about to write will make some uncomfortable.  I apologize if what I'm about to write is better left unsaid.

Many people in my life know various versions of the truth to this story, but almost all don't know the whole truth.  That's because I've felt like I should keep it secret.  I've carried guilt, shame, embarrassment, self-doubt, and self-hatred.  I doubt I will even tell the "whole" truth here because I still carry guilt, shame, and embarrassment.  But, I will share some of my story to try to exorcise some demons inside me, to hopefully bring awareness and understanding regarding those of us that carry negative feelings for a significant portion of our lives.

I read the Houston news on a daily basis.  I have a routine - Houston news, USA news, Australian news, World news.  In the state of Texas, the age of consent for sexual relations is 17.  In 2003, Texas passed a law making it illegal for a teacher and student from the same school to have a sexual relationship regardless if the student is 17 or 18 (age of consent).  Since that time, Houston news quite regularly reports stories about an educator that has been arrested and charged with having inappropriate relationships with students.  As is the case with many criminal allegations, especially those of a sexual nature, there is controversy and varying opinions surrounding these cases. 

I've always stated that I respect other people's opinions.  I do.  I've been described as opinionated, so I want others to hear me out (when I'm ready to share) and show respect.  You don't have to agree with me; I don't have to agree with you.  Sometimes when people disagree, this allows for a great opportunity to learn, hear another perspective on an issue, and grow.  State your opinion, but always do so in as respectful a manner as possible.  That is my opinion on giving opinions.  Am I making sense?  I do NOT respect other people's opinions or necessarily want to give them an opportunity to share that opinion if the person is being disrespectful.  It does a lot more harm than good (in my humble opinion).

So...that being said... When I read news reports about alleged inappropriate relationships between a teacher and a student, and I read or hear opinions that are calling the student a "slut" or saying they knew better or were asking for it or "it takes two to tango" (and often comments much, much harsher than this, but this is all I can bring myself to type), I can't help but feel anger, frustration, and the ever present guilt, shame, and embarrassment.  Let me tell you why.

I was that 17 year old student.  I did know better.  I was an intelligent student who was involved in many school activities.  I didn't smoke, and I wasn't promiscuous.  I drank alcohol on 3 occasions in high school, and I can honestly say, I don't think I ever saw drugs my entire high school tenure (except ones shown to me by a police officer). My family wasn't perfect; we had some issues, but I was raised in a Christian home with strong values, and I never doubted my parents' love for me.  Most of my friends were "good kids" and many of my friends' parents were very good to me as well.  So, yes, I knew better.  I knew right from wrong.

Me - my Senior year of high school

I can also say I was manipulated.  I was manipulated by a teacher ten years older than me who was respected, attractive, spoke well, and had a Master's Degree.  He groomed me when I was 16 but didn't act on it until I was 17.  He convinced me that my parents were neglecting me.  He promised to take care of me and give me more security and love than I was receiving.  He tried to convince me that my choice of worship was not good enough; that his choice of faith was better for me.  He encouraged me to separate myself from some of my friends, yet keep others that could cover for us.  Yes, I knew better than to get involved with him, but I was still young enough and impressionable enough that his ploys messed with my head, my heart, my emotions, my decision-making skills.  He definitely used his age, experience, and status to manipulate the situation for his favor.  Typing this, I still feel guilt, shame, and embarrassment. 

It took many years of hiding from the aftermath of this relationship.  It took many years of trying to numb my pain or avoid my feelings or fake being strong or laugh and joke about the matter.  All these years, I've carried some pretty deep, dark scars from this relationship.  In recent years, I've finally been able to work through the "stuff".  I've been to therapy.  I read books and articles and blogs.  I relate to various people - from victims to addicts - and their stories of hitting dark places and overcoming them.  I work on myself and try to live and grow.  I pray and sometimes meditate and journal (which I should do more frequently).  I have a partner who encourages me to face the dark and painful past and be open, vulnerable, and honest.  (Previously, I've had a partner who laughed at me and called me an "idiot" for getting myself into such a relationship and another that barely believed me and another who said "you were 'that' girl" and never talked about it again...I understood 'that' wasn't a good girl.)

Was I "That" Girl?

I still struggle at times.  For instance, in writing this piece, well, it hasn't been easy.  I've written, deleted, written again, deleted...  I still have a hard time thinking of myself as a victim.  At that time, there was no felonious law in Texas to criminalize his behavior.  If our relationship happened in 2004 or 2011 or today (anytime since the law was passed in 2003), he would be guilty of committing a felony, and I would be a victim.  The guilt, shame, and embarrassment that I still fight to this day doesn't allow me to grasp this and acknowledge it.  I'm still working...............


This is a site for an attorney trying to get your business, but it has some good information about the criminal charge that I am discussing.  See this LINK. 

Oh, and if you'd like to know what happened to the teacher...Google gives so much information.  He married another girl that he met while she was in high school and a couple of years younger than me.  He has been named in a number of lawsuits.  He has been fired twice (I believe) in two different states from teaching.  He was issued a cease and desist order.  And then there is THIS.  Let's just say, it is my humble opinion that he has continued his manipulative behavior.  I am not putting this here to slander him; these are all pieces of public information found on the world wide web. And, I don't want to end this on a bad note.....so.......


 I am not writing this or sharing this for you to feel sorry for me or to judge me.  I am sharing so we can all realize passing judgment or sharing hurtful opinions can further damage those that are carrying heavy burdens already.  Lift someone up instead of tearing them down.  Be respectful when you share your opinions.  Empathize with others.

Thoughts #10 - Layers

Since the beginning, the background for my blog has been graffiti.  I looked through the choices available for free on blogger and selected it because I liked the colors.  From time to time, I want to change it.  I look through the selections again - patterns, prints, images; flowers, animals, nature - but nothing seems to be just right.  I know I can upload my own picture, but really, hardly anyone looks at my blog anyway, what's the big deal? 

I started thinking more about graffiti.  I actually like graffiti.  Sure, if it is vandalizing someone's home or place of business, I understand that's not so cool.  If it is gang-related, it is definitely NOT cool.  But, it's not always dirty and disrespectful; there IS graffiti that is artistic and meaningful.  I like the eclectic pieces with a mix of colors, layers, graphics, symbols, writings, textures, and meanings.  That kind of graffiti is awesome. 

Hey! - I'm kind of an eclectic gal with layers.  (I've also been dirty and disrespectful, but we won't talk about that now.)  So, maybe the graffiti background works for me after all. 

I searched google images with "graffiti".  Just from the first few rows of images, I found these amazing pieces of work:

Artist: David Walker/London, England - image snagged here

Artist: Unknown/Bogota, Colombia - image snagged here.

Artist: Vinie Graffiti/Paris, France - image snagged here.

Hi, I'm Erin, and I'm a book-a-holic

Previously, I posted about a book challenge hosted by Megan at Semi-Charmed Kind of Life.  I joined this challenge because I like books.  I like reading.  I like challenges (sometimes).  I'm not much of a participant in the blog-o-sphere world (as you know).  But, I do participate a lot on facebook.

So, I got to thinking..... 

I'm a Texan who lives in Sydney, Australia.  I am fortunate enough to have met and made friends with people that live not only in the USA and Australia, but other parts of the world as well.  So, I developed my own book challenge that I'm hosting on facebook.  This is the message that I sent to people to generate an interest:

Hello! I'm creating a group here on facebook. Before I invite or add you, and you start getting notifications that you may not want, I want to know if you're interested. If you're not, no worries. It won't hurt my feelings. If you are interested, let me know so you can be added into the fun. I'm creating my very first book challenge. For this one, I'm only inviting people I know. If I stumble or mess up, hopefully you can help me fine tune it, and it becomes a fun way to read and share with other reading enthusiasts. There will be some simple rules. I'll give you categories, and you select your books. You'll be asked to post your reading list and allowed to change it through the challenge. You'll get 4 months to take the challenge. No one is getting graded or penalized It's designed to be fun! As participants, you will be encouraged to interact with each other in the FB group which will only be open to those involved. The first one to read all your books, gets a small prize from me! Plus, the top 3 can help submit categories for my next challenge. (Yea, I'm hoping to do this twice a year). My goal is to create a reading community with readers from different age groups and varied interests that live all over the world. So, let me know if you're interested. I'll create the group and add you. Rules and book categories should be announced in July. Book challenge will be held August 1st through November 30th. When you reply, tell me how many books you read per month. I'll use every one's answer to create the list (I haven't decided how many books I will challenge you to read). 

The response was A-MAY-ZING!  Seriously, I am so thrilled with the response.   The group is a private group/invite only.  I started the invites then friends started asking if they could invite others too.  The group has over 100 members from 7 different countries with over 40 people actively participating.  Members range in age from 20s to 60s.  We have conservatives and not-so-conservatives; homos and heteros; Christians, Atheists, and Agnostics; mostly women and a couple of brave men; blondes, brunettes, and redheads. 

I describe the group page like this:

Book Challenge to be held July 1, 2014 - October 31, 2014
First and foremost, have fun. Don't stress. No one is being judged, graded, or penalized. Even if you finish one book the entire challenge, if you enjoy it and it is an accomplishment for you, then that's awesome!

Discussion is highly encouraged. Participate as little or as much as you want. Please be supportive and respectful of others. If you get disrespectful, inappropriate, or nasty, I will ban you...don't make me use my authoritative power!

Hopefully, we will create an environment with books and people that interest, inspire, and entertain you.

I altered the start/finish dates.  We had so much interest and seemingly, there was some excitement too, that getting started straight away made sense.  Heck, it's day 3 into the challenge, and a few members have already finished their first book!

I can't tell you how much I enjoy seeing the interaction between friends I've known since high school talk to friends I met in Australia to friends I lived with in college talking to family members.  It's such an amazing mix of people, and I am lucky enough to watch it all!  Plus, it has made me realize how fortunate I am to have some intelligent, funny, insightful, well-read people in my life.  All of you participants have made this girl feel super grateful.

For anyone who likes a good book, there are some incredible book selections coming in from all genres and types of books.  For example, one category is "Read a biography, autobiography, or memoir".  We have members reading everything from books about aging rock stars to biographies about military heroes to autobiographies from former first ladies (from both Republican and Democratic parties) to Anne Frank's diary to a book from a former alcoholic to books about the lives of certain actresses, and more (yes, more!).

So......................................if you haven't joined and are interested, it's not too late, it's never too late (sorry, I just broke into song in my head by Three Days Grace).  I'll let you get distracted too, and I'll post the song here:

Anyway.................................if you're up for interesting folks reading books, then ask to join my group!