The Sunday Salon: What did I do this week?

I haven't gotten any reading done today, unless you count my seniors essays that I've been grading all afternoon. I did skim some poetry while I was planning lessons for above mentioned seniors. In addition to this I haven't gotten as much reading done as I would have liked considering I have been off almost all week. But instead of vegging out with a good book I feel like I have been pulled in two million different directions this week. Don't feel rested at all. Concequently I don't have much to say today. I will pass on a couple of links that interested me this week:

Sarah at Smart Bitches Trashy Books has sent a letter to Macmillan regarding e-lending. It interested me based on my Sunday Salon posts the last weeks.

Colleen at Chasing Ray has written about controversies regarding Amazons VINE program and who controls our reading. Very interesting read. I also suggest you check out the original post by Betsy at Fuse #8 regarding her criticisms of the VINE program. I will confess that personally I usually only read the one and two star reviews of the books if I read any reviews at Amazon. I find that I get the best information from why people didn't like the book. For positive reviews I prefer to have a bit more knowledge of the reviewer as to what they like, so I rely on family, friends and fellow book bloggers.

Reading

My Antonia by Willa Cather I've only just started this one. (What did I actually do this week? I have no idea.)

How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. Normally I read this book on Sundays but with the marking that I haven't been doing all week needing to be done today...not a good week.

I continue my history self-education by reading The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer. I haven't read this one at all this week and now I feel bad.

I'm still listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. Since I was off most of the week I didn't listen to this so much (plus I had a whole drama with migrating my iTunes library to my new laptop, don't ask)

Finished

Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett (Review)

Challenges

Fall into Reading
I am reading:
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (review)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (review)
My Ántonia by Willa Cather
The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs
Just started My Ántonia by Willa Cather.

Childhood Favourites Challenge
The original post is here:
The Babysitters Club: Mary Anne Saves the Day by Ann M. Martin (review)
A Horse Called Wonder by Joanna Campbell
Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Madicken by Astrid Lindgren
Nothing read here this week. I am hoping that A Horse Called Wonder will be in my mailbox tomorrow.

The Really Old Classics Challenge
Introductory post here:
I'll be reading:
The Epic of Gilgamesh
I might also add the extra credit challenge but I haven't decided yet.

I am also taking part in The Classic Circuit: On Tour With Elizabeth Gaskell where I will be reading Cranford. The Circuit will be visiting my blog on December 18th so please stop by then!

There is another exciting challenge that is starting up in the bloggosphere that I am seriously considering: Women Unbound. It is a womens study challenge that is really tickling my fancy. I have several books, essays and short stories that I want to read that would fit nicely into this challenge without seriously expanding my TBR pile. So I will to 99% certainty join in with this one!

Fun Stuff
I won something this week! Thanks to Laura at I'm Booking It I will be recieving a beautiful book mark! Thank you so much!