Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Give me all the books

Yeah yeah I know, it's a blog about endurance. Does it count if I have been on a marathon session of reading books? I am going to say yes.

One of my New Year's 'goals'... incidentally, I don't care for making resolutions. If I want to change something, I try not to wait until 1/1... and I just prefer to set goals for the year. This year one of my goals was to read a new book every month. I have always been an avid reader, but sometimes, I get too busy. So my reading goes up and down. I have a Kindle as well, which is awesome, but also leaves me downloading books and then forgetting to read them. Anyway, this year with ironman training, it was a little difficult to get into new books (hello, exhaustion) so I defaulted back to reading Harry Potter as well (never a bad thing!)

However, I have also read some new books. And more now that ironman training is over. I thought I would do a short little recap of the books that I've read so far this year! In the last few months, I've definitely upped my reading quota, reading almost every night before bed. Of course, that's because I am trying to tune out the adult cartoons on the bedroom TV.

Finished: 

The Deep Dark (Gregg Olsen): Jordan gave me this book about the disaster at the Sunshine Mine in the Silver Valley. It was a really fascinating read-with a ton of mining information, and a relatively local story. It was also a very sad read as Jordan's grandfather passed away in the mine, and that was a part of the book (and obviously a part of his family history). It's cool to read a book that is about places you know, but painful to realize exactly what the mining culture can be, and how potentially dangerous and disastrous.

Harry Potter books 4-7 (J.K. Rowling): It's just a spiral, you read one, you read them all. I won't bother a mini-review because if you know, you know. The HP love is real. If you haven't read them, well, GO!

The Boys in the Boat (Daniel James Brown): READ THIS! This book was incredible. It took me a while to get into it (honestly I think I downloaded it last fall?) but once I was... it was a wonderful story. Again, somewhat local-ish as it goes around the UW rowing team, and the main focus, Joe, had come through the PNW in his childhood (and what a childhood it was, sadly). I never thought I would be so engaged and captured by a book about a rowing team. It was an incredible story-I do love a true historical story. True stories seemed to take over this early year.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (Mindy Kaling): Funny, but not quite as funny as I had hoped. I've read a few of these books by female comedians, and I really enjoyed Tina Fey's but this wasn't quite as hilarious as I thought it would be. Still not a terrible book, just not my thing, though it was a lighter read after some of the others.

The Slightly Series (Wendy Markham): I read all 5 of these in rapid succession after Ironman was over. They are short, cheap on the kindle, somewhat cheesy chick lit. I actually enjoyed them overall, and probably what annoyed me about her is stuff that I actually am (slightly insecure, a little crazy, goofy). They were cute books and fun to read through. There are Slightly Single, Settled, Engaged, Married, Suburban, and I was sort of disappointed that they ended there.

And now where I am currently. My sister has recommended a few books to me, which are on my kindle. I forgot to take it to Butte for our long weekend though, and ended up stopping at Hastings so we could each pick up a book. Oddly, the boyfriend and I both picked up separate books with the same general theme: post pandemic America. So now I have to wrap up my current book and return to the kindle queue! Oh the problems of book worms.

Currently: 

Station Eleven (Emily St John Mandel): This book grabbed my attention immediately, and hasn't lost it yet. I am probably 2/3 finished (I read for most of the drive home from Butte-selfish copilot) and still engaged. The story jumps back and forth from the world before the flu pandemic to the world afterward. I have a lot of fun speculating about certain connections (and so far, I think I'm right on a few of them) and I know the point of the book is that it will somehow tie together all these lines. Unfortunately, it also creeps me out a little, because let's face it, the reality of a pandemic like this isn't exactly far fetched...

and Jordan's book is The Dog Stars which I fully intend to add to my ever growing pile of books.

Once I am done with Station Eleven, I will return to...

All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr): I'm a short ways into this one, recommended by my sister and her hubby both. She set the same goal as mine, to read a book a month, and she's doing better at getting in a new book every month, so I get to download all her recs and force mine on her (Amanda! Boys in the Boat! NOW!) and she said this one she would force herself to stop reading and savor. Cannot wait to get back into it.

It Starts With Food (Dallas and Melissa Hartwig): I'm reading this during the day, as it's not really bedtime reading and I am planning to start the Whole30 within a few days, but really want more understanding to ALL of the reasons why the changes are important. I have a strong understanding of why certain foods aren't healthy for bodies, but I have a hard time breaking the psychological hold of certain food addictions. I am very curious to learn more about how to control those habits instead of letting food control me (how sad is that? It's real... but my food issues will be a whole different post I'm sure, once I get into the meat of the book and the challenge).

On deck:

The Snow Child (Eowyn Ivey): Another recommendation from my sister. I read the sample on the Kindle and downloaded it, but then opted to read the Slightly series first, as it was lighter.

Swimming to Antarctica (Lynne Cox): Recommended by Erin, and includes a page passage she reads before every IM, and sent me before my first IM, it was a lovely passage that I repeated to myself for as long as I could during the race, until I couldn't really connect to real thoughts anymore. Cannot wait to read this!

A House in the Sky (Amanda Lindhout): Another Erin rec! It sounds like an incredible book, and another true story.



Have you ready any amazing books this year? Do you like to read? Am I the only bookworm here?


7 comments:

  1. I found your blog through Erin. :)
    I am a VERY avid reader, and a yearly rereading of HP always happens. I need to sort out my Goodreads list and set up some new stuff to read.

    By the way, congrats on the IM finish. Loved reading your reports.

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  2. Isn't it hard sometimes to go for new ones and not back to old favorites?! Outside of HP, there are a few I read repeatedly (Ender's Game, The Time Traveler's Wife) but I'm trying to branch out more

    And thank you!! IM was the hardest day ever!!! Including child birth, haha.

    Isn't Erin the best?! She picks such good books too :)

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  3. Funny... My company works 9-hour days M-Th, so Friday is always a halfday. Usually I use that half day for more training, of course ;) but the first Friday after IMCDA... I had NO IDEA what to do?! What do normal people do?! So I rounded up my Kindle, found a new coffee shop, and sat outside and read allllll afternoon. :) (Of course my kindle wouldn't sync/download whatever it was I bought so I ended up re-reading things, but, details)

    Anyway, I don't read much anymore, either. I think partially because once I start, I can't stop, so it kind of feels like a big commitment! But, I miss reading. Hmmm...

    Oh, and totally agree about Mindy Kaling's book! I thought the same when I read it a couple years ago-- funny, but expected it to be funnier. Hmph.

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    1. That sounds like the best afternoon ever!! p.s. have you read 'A life without limits' by Chrissie Wellington? READ IT!

      Haha... Jordan is sort of the same way. He won't put a book down until it's done. Sometimes we have to remind him to join the real world... so he is only reading this book at bedtime. I've been reading 'It Starts with Food' during the day only because it's a lot of info... not like... pleasure reading so I don't get totally absorbed.

      I really want to read Amy Poehler's Yes Please book. I don't know if it's designed to be funny, but she usually says pretty smart things!

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  4. Yeah I just can't stop and do anything or talk to anyone or anything lol...

    I think that's why I didn't get around to Tina Fey's, but if you say that one was good maybe i'll pick it up. Totally agree about Amy Poehler!! :)

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  5. I saw Amanda Lindhout speak this summer and she was incredible. Everyone cried at her story. I imagine the book is incredible. I'm jealous of your book list! I've been reading the sane book since Christmas. Not enough hours in the day!!

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  6. I saw Amanda Lindhout speak this summer and she was incredible. Everyone cried at her story. I imagine the book is incredible. I'm jealous of your book list! I've been reading the sane book since Christmas. Not enough hours in the day!!

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