filling in time... i mean, very important survey *cough*... and french

I feel kind of silly for launching this blog so early... Now you all have to wait so long for me to actually start!

So in the meantime, I have decided to do something FUN and INTERESTING.

I have designed a survey to get to know my readers (not so many of you yet but I'm working on it!) So if you would like to, please answer all/selected questions in the comments so I get to see what you like to read, so I know what to read so that you will be interested (amongst other seemingly random questions that will become relevant later on).

1. What is your favourite book?
2. What is your favourite genre of book?
3. If a book was made into a movie, would you rather read the book before you saw the movie or vice versa?
4. How many books would you read in a month on average?
5. Do you like series or stand-alone books better?
6. How many times have you read the Harry Potter books? (haha this is kind of a joke... I'm teasing a friend... but this may become relevant during the project!)
7. Do you think you'll keep reading twenty-six stories throughout the project based on what you've seen so far?

So answers in the comments, or if I get my email address up soon, you can email, but until then, comments!

Also, keep the book suggestions coming!

I found out what subjects I got selected for in the PIP program this week, and they were English and French. I was hoping to get selected for more than two so I could leave out French if I got selected for that (because French is really hard to incorporate into this idea) but because I only got selected for two I have to incorporate French... which is going to be hard. I have a few ideas about how to incorporate it, and they are as follows:

1. Mini beginner French lessons once a fortnight (I'm not brilliant yet but I get the basic idea!)
2. French word and meaning at the end of every post -- try and make it related to the post?
3. Read books set in France (probably minimum four... that's a lot though...)
4. ummmmmmm... I'm actually just writing these out as they come to mind... ummmmmmm...

Anyway, that's it. I have no more ideas. If I can't incorporate French I don't know if I can do this project, but I REALLY want to cause I love the idea and I'm very attached to it already... So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me some more ideas! French doesn't have to be a major part of it, but it does have to feature.

Oh, and just one thing... please don't tell me to read a book in French. I cannot do that yet :)

Comment please! And follow! And tell your friends!
My facebook advertising can only do so much :P

book suggestions, rules of the challenge...

Thank you to those who have already suggested books for me to read... but I've only had a few suggestions and I'm going to need 26 books all up. They all have to be ones I haven't read (so thanks to the person who suggested Life of Pi, but I've already read it :( but I really enjoyed it! sorry!), so please keep suggesting!

I've put together some rules for myself that basically summarise, in a better form, what I said in my last blog. So here they are!

1. Altogether I must read 26 books. This is averaging one a week, but I do not have to read one a week. Some may take me longer than a week, some may take me less
2. I may read multiple books at a time, if need be
3. I must do an official review of every book I read. You'll know when it's the official review cause I'll write the title in ALL CAPS.
4. I may not read a book I have read before UNLESS I read it more than three years ago and cannot remember it. (I say this cause I have to read To Kill a Mockingbird for school, and although I've already read it I think I'll count it again cause I can't really remember it. If you think this is cheating, please say. I don't want you to think I'm trying to cheat!)
5. I have to blog regularly about my process, and about the book(s) I am reading. I cannot just say, "oh, BTW, I finished without warning you that I've started it. You must know when I start a book and when I finish it.

THIS IS NOT A RULE, MORE AN EXCITING IDEA: If you want to read along with me (I warn you I'm a fast reader) then feel free! I'd be really happy if you did want to. Or if you just want to read one or two books while I am, that would be cool as well! I'm going to have my 'blog email' up here soon if you want to email me, but until then, just comment it. At the moment I read all the comments before they go up, so your comment will definitely get seen.

Keep suggesting books! Get ready for May 1st! Mark it in your diaries! (It's in mine...)

the plan...

Welcome to twenty-six stories. My name is Liz.

I'm a teenage girl. So I go to school, like so many of us do. At my school, there is an enrichment program called PIP that you get nominated to do. Basically we get to make up our own projects about, well, pretty much whatever we want.

For some examples... the first year I did PIP I wrote a novel. The second year I recorded a CD of songs I'd written.

This year, I want to do something incorporating the internet. I really like the internet, and I think it's a really great tool. So, what I'm going to do is this: in the six months from May 1st to October 31st, I'm going to read 26 books. That's basically a book a week.

AND here is where I'm going to blog about it! I already read a lot, but this will be even harder for me, particularly in busy times. Basically for every book I read I'll put up an official book review. And I'll try and blog lots about how the reading is fitting into my life as well. I'll try and make it interesting by (hopefully) putting up videos, podcasts, photos and more.

But I don't want this to be a one-way thing. I want you to comment lots on what I'm doing. I want book suggestions, your opinions on books and more. So please comment on what I'm doing, that would be really awesome. Oh, and to make it REALLY interesting, I'm going to have themes. So maybe I'll read three books from the nineteenth century, and two books with colours in the title... you get the idea. So help me think of themes!

OK, well the actually challenge is starting May 1st, but I'd love some book suggestions before then! I'll try and post a list of the first few before that date.

Hope you enjoy this blog! It should be fun!

Liz.