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Been too long!

I think I need to start writing here again.

I have thoughts that should be exiting my head instead of staying in there.

So here we go again.

2017 Reading Challenge COMPLETE!

Goal - 32 books. Completed - 33 books. Total Pages - 12,426

I read some good ones, though I like more of what I read last year. I’ll be challenging myself to read 30 books in 2018! I don’t have near the time I once did when commuting alone in my car for audio books, but I have found some time to read real books/e-books this year.

#33. Milk & Honey by Rupi Kaur 208 pages (4/5 stars)

I had read about this book from several blogs. It was a very intimate and thought provoking book. I love the honesty presented and though the subject matter is geared more toward women, I respect and enjoy many of the poems written.

#32. The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro 384 pages (4/5 stars)

I had been told about this book last year, and picked it up through Amazon Prime for free. It was an amazing read! I loved learning about how Degas painted and am much more appreciative now to know how painstakingly long oil painters take to complete a masterwork of art! I also enjoyed the heist that went along with this book, a great read all around!

#31. Last Breath by Karin Slaughter 192 pages (4/5 stars)

A quick read and another good book by Slaughter. I still enjoy Pretty Girls more than this one, but there was some quick reading in this thriller as well.

#30. Lion: A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley 272 pages (3/5 stars)

I have not seen the movie yet, but hope to see it soon. I enjoyed the authentic telling of the author and his journey as an Indian child to living with an affluent Australian family. A great story about the journey.

#29. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 196 pages (1/5 stars)

This has been on my reading list for some time. Unfortunately it is quite a clunky read and has way too much dialogue about what went on in the town before Frankenstein was “born”. I had hoped for better. I know, I know it was written a long time ago...but I had heard it was still a quality read.

#28. Good Behavior by Blake Crouch 270 pages (4/5 stars)

A great read. I’m finding I really like Crouch’s style of writing, so will have to put more of these on my list. This one was a quick read and I’m excited to watch the TV show about it now!

#27. The Firm by John Grisham 560 pages (4/5 stars)

I have enjoyed some Grisham books in the past, but had only watched the movie of this book. Wow was I missing out! Though it is a thick book, it was a great read.

#26. The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery 134 pages (4/5 stars)

This short book probably should not count, but I had never read it so I wanted to. I was glad I did, it was cute, fun and full of inspiration!

#25. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin 288 pages (5/5 stars)

Such a great book about a man who owns a bookstore. This one reminded me a lot of “A Man Called Ove” I read last year, I really enjoyed this read! And look forward to more from Zevin.

#24. Drop Dead Healthy by A.J. Jacobs 416 pages (4/5 stars)

A.J. is one of my all-time favorite authors! I love the topics he tries to tackle. This one was not as good and the Encyclopedia or the Biblical ones, however it was great reading about different diet fads and many different ways to work out! A great, comical read.

#23. This is Just My Face by Gabourey Sidibe 256 pages (1/5 stars)

I was hopeful for this book and although it was a great bio about all the not fun stuff Sidibe has been through. There was not near enough of the humor I was hoping for like other comedian bios I have read.

#22. Cop Town by Karin Slaughter 464 pages (2/5 stars)

This is supposedly Slaughter’s best seller...I didn’t find it nearly as entertaining as any of her other books, but I finished it nonetheless.

#21. The Joy of Music by Leonard Bernstein 320 pages (5/5 stars)

Such a great read! Really this was just a book of excerpts from his radio shows, there were music clips throughout the book. He tells some great stories of how important Beethoven is as well as the symphony and the opera and much more.

#20. Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica 336 pages (3/5 stars)

I really enjoyed The Good Girl by Kubica so I thought I’d give her latest book a try. This one was OK. It really was choppy from the get go and hard to keep focused. You are supposed to like all of the characters, but many of them were hard to rally around. I really dislike books that can’t tell all of the story in the book and have to rely on the prologue and epilogue to include key details that change the book. I do enjoy this author and the way she weaves her stories, so will try her again but this was not one of my favorites.

#19. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane 608 pages (4/5 stars)

Many friends had suggested that Lehane had some great books out there. This one was great indeed! The details and the way the story unfolded were great. I would recommend this one, still have yet to watch the movie.

#18. The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn 368 pages (4/5 stars)

I honestly only read this one because it was on my wife’s night stand. I was curious about the plot and after reading a bit of it, honestly couldn’t put it down. The characters were great and the plot was intriguing. I was happy with the way the book ended, and it was a good light read for the summer.

#17. Dead Certain by Adam Mitzner 348 pages (4/5 stars)

I got this book free through Amazon Prime reads, so really just read it because it was free. Though after reading it, I greatly enjoyed it. Mitzner is a great writer and this book does not disappoint. I enjoyed the curves that were thrown in.

#16. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 368 pages (5/5 stars)

Whoa! What a mind bending book. I still can’t totally explain what this book was about and it was quite crazy by the end. It reminded me of the movie Being John Malkovich. I loved the crazy turns and sci-fi-ness of this book, though I’m typically not a sci-fi fan.

#15. The Dinner by Herman Koch 320 pages (3/5 stars)

This book I had put down several times and finally opened back up again to read. Though I enjoyed how the narrator of the book became quite a bit crazy by the end, I thought the book overall was monotonous and a bit boring.

#14. Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt 384 pages (5/5 stars)

I loved this book! I loved the two main characters and their relationship. This is a great book about the Aids epidemic in the 80s told through the eyes of a young girl who’s uncle passes away from Aids. He passes away at the beginning of the book and you learn about their family throughout the book. Such a great and touching read. I was sad when the book ended because I loved the characters so much.

#13. The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships by Neil Strauss 448 pages (4/5 stars)

I had heard about this book through a magazine, so thought I’d give it a shot. This book is definitely not for the faint at heart. It is quite real and raw and has some crazy relationship issues that arise. I found it very funny and thought provoking. Again another great summer read.

#12. Echo Park by Michael Connelly 448 pages (4/5 stars)

Another great Connelly book! Loved this one and made me think more about the Adnan case...with the whole Echo Park scenarios.

#11. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly 554 pages (4/5 stars)

Recently I’ve been loving watching Harry Bosch reruns on Amazon Prime, so I thought I’d try out one of the books. I have to say Michael Connelly is a great writer and I love this book. Can’t wait to watch the movie!

#10. Kill the Messenger by Tami Hoag 528 pages (4/5 stars)

Another great Hoag thriller!

#9. Not that Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham 320 pages (2/5 stars)

Eh, this book was just OK. I was hoping for more. Really it was just a rant by Dunham. I really enjoy her TV show, but this book was difficult to get through.

#8 The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood 336 pages (4/5 stars)

Wow what a great read! I simply fell in love with the 104 year old Lithuanian woman! And had tears by the end of the book. This book reminded me much of A Man Called Ove that I read last year. Such a great, light-hearted read.

#7 What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan 496 pages (2/5 stars)

This was honestly a really tough subject matter for me to read. And I wasn’t so happy with the ending. Though it was gripping to find out what happened next, I felt like there were too many “hooks” in the book used to jab out at the reader. If you like a fast paced book, you will like this. I’ve rated it so low due to the too close to home subject matter.

#6 In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware 352 pages (3/5 stars)

This book had some great twists and turns, but I felt like it took me half way through the book to finally get to the twists. And once I was there it was a great ride, but then it ended too abruptly. I wish the author would have started the twists out earlier in the book and built it up with a great release at the end. I’ve heard that her other book reads much the same way. I enjoyed it while I was in the later part of the book, but by the end I was disappointed.

#5 The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer 336 pages (4/5 stars)

What a great read! Loved this book and enjoyed that though some of it was typical raunchy Schumer, much of it called people out! She had some major hot button topics like domestic violence and let’s her voice be heard!

#4 The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer 560 pages (3/5 stars)

I enjoyed this book and truly did want to become friends with the characters by the end of the book. In fact several times I would think about something they said and remember it later while thinking about life forgetting that it was a part in the book!

#3 The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter 480 pages (4/5 stars)

I really enjoyed this book. Slaughter surprised me with her Pretty Girls last year and though this wasn’t as good as that one, it was on the same level and a quick read. This book kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to find out more and more of the story. She developed the characters quite well and was able to have me pulling for different characters throughout the book.

#2 Home Front by Kristin Hannah 432 pages (4/5 stars)

Kristin Hannah does a great job telling the true story of how war wrecks a household. I felt for these characters and hurt for them and others who are coming back from war and having to fit into normal living standards. I read The Nightingale last year and would still give that one 6/5 stars for her writing. This book had great writing as well and though believable, it still felt a bit chunky.

#1 Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs 464 pages (5/5 stars)

I really enjoyed this series, with this being the 3rd book in the series. I know it is geared more toward youth, but I view it in the same lines as the Harry Potter series. This book did a great job to get the reader to visualize the story through its many odd twists and characters. And was the best of the trilogy!

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2017 Reading Challenge Update

Book #21 is complete!

Usually I “read” books using the audio books feature while making my 90 minute commute every day. Now that summer is here, I’m free to actually read some books! So I’ve done a bit of both. I still enjoy a good audio book here and there, especially when I’m at the gym. I know that sounds a bit odd, but it keeps me quite entertained and distracted to listen while lifting.

#21. The Joy of Music by Leonard Bernstein 320 pages (5/5 stars)

#20. Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica 336 pages (3/5 stars)

#19. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane 608 pages (4/5 stars)

#18. The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn 368 pages (4/5 stars)

#17. Dead Certain by Adam Mitzner 348 pages (4/5 stars)

#16. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (5/5 stars)

#15. The Dinner by Herman Koch 320 pages (3/5 stars)

#14. Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt 384 pages (5/5 stars)

#13. The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships by Neil Strauss 448 pages (4/5 stars)

#12. Echo Park by Michael Connelly 448 pages (4/5 stars)

Another great Connelly book!

#11. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly 554 pages (4/5 stars)

#10. Kill the Messenger by Tami Hoag 528 pages (4/5 stars)

Another great Hoag thriller!

#9. Not that Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham 320 pages (2/5 stars)

Eh, this book was just OK. I was hoping for more. Really it was just a rant by Dunham. I really enjoy her TV show, but this book was difficult to get through.

2017 Reading Challenge Update

Book #8 is complete!

I haven’t had a chance to update the blog with my challenge status yet so here it is!

#8 The Million-in-One Boy by Monica Wood (336 pages) 4/5 stars

"Wood (Any Bitter Thing, 2005) tells a simultaneously sad and joyous story of a unique 11-year-old boy and the legacy he leaves behind. Known only as “the boy,” he has no friends, and spends his time obsessively compiling mental lists and memorizing countless Guinness world records. As part of his work to earn a Boy Scout badge, the boy does yard work for 104-year-old Ona Vitkus, a Lithuanian immigrant living nearby. They forge a close bond over the course of seven Saturdays, then the boy dies. His mostly absent musician father, Quinn, volunteers to finish the last three of the boy’s weekends. Quinn becomes aware of his son’s and Ona’s plan to get her into a Guinness records book—hopefully, as the oldest licensed driver—and this leads first to a road trip to find Ona’s only living son, now 90, and eventually to a visit to her homeland at age 109. Wood’s portrait of a fractured, grieving family is peopled by endearing characters and should appeal to readers who enjoy the family-centered novels of Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah."—Booklist

#7 What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan (496 pages) 2/5 stars

New York Times Book Review“Gilly Macmillan introduces some smart variations on the [missing child] theme in her debut mystery...Macmillan enlivens the narrative with emails, newspaper headlines, passages from professional journals, even transcripts from Inspector Clemo’s sessions with a psychotherapist. But her best move is to include vicious blog posts that go viral.”

#6 In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware (352 pages) 3/5 stars

The New York Journal of Books“WARNING: This book is hot. Do not pick it up late at night or if you are in a dark, dark wood...Ruth Ware has a gift. This British author’s first foray into fiction is a hit…it delivers a punch and keeps you guessing—an ideal August psychodrama that reminds us why mysteries remain such fun—except at night.”

#5 The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer (336 pages) 4/5 stars

"Amy Schumer's book will make you love her even more. For a comedian of unbridled (and generally hilarious) causticity, Schumer has written a probing, confessional, unguarded, and, yes, majorly humanizing non-memoir, a book that trades less on sarcasm, and more on emotional resonance." —Vogue

#4 The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (560 pages) 3/5 stars

"Wolitzer follows a group of friends from adolescence at an artsy summer camp in 1974 through adulthood and into late-middle age as their lives alternately intersect, diverge and reconnect. . . . Ambitious and involving, capturing the zeitgeist of the liberal intelligentsia of the era."—Kirkus

#3 The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter (480 pages) 4/5 stars

Booklist (starred review)“Suspense that continually ratchets upward, a revealing look at domestic violence in all levels of society, and the continued development of a tight-knit cast of characters. This is prime Slaughter, must-read fare for thriller fans.”

#2 Home Front by Kristin Hannah (432 pages) 4/5 stars

In this powerhouse of a novel, Kristin Hannah explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war. All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost. . . .Huffington Post

#1 Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs (464 pages) 5/5 stars

“Readers searching for the next Harry Potter may want to visit Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.”—CNN

#2017readingchallenge #readingchallenge

2017 Reading Challenge

So I’ve challenged myself to read 32 books this year. Last year as you might recall I challenged myself to 20 books and read 40. So...this year just a higher goal!

Here we go!

#2017readingchallenge #readingchallenge #2017books #favoritebooks

2016 Book Reading Goal

Back in January 2016 I set myself the goal of reading (listening to) 20 books in the year 2016! Somehow, I had so much fun reading that after getting to 20 I moved the goal to 35. Well 2016 is just about over and I’m proud to say that I just finished book 40! Below is a recap of the books and my thoughts about them. I also was having a page count battle with a friend of mine, so that is why the page counts are listed!

If I had to list out a top 10 list of the 40 that I read this year it would look like this.

1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

3. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

4. Yes Please by Amy Poehler

5. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

6. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

7. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

8. Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica

9. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

10. Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling

1. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (608 pages) **** 4/5 stars

A good read, but a long read and too wordy.

2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (336 pages) 5/5 stars

I read this before the movie, so am excited to see the movie. This was a great suspense book with a few twists!

3. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck (368 pages) 2/5 stars

What a long and boring book, did not enjoy this one at all!

4. Yes Please by Amy Poehler (352 pages) 5/5 stars

I loved this book! And especially loved how it was read by Amy herself. It felt like she was sitting in the room talking to me, then Seth Meyers read for his chapter, and they had a little dialogue between them that I’m sure wasn’t in the “real book” just on the audio!

5. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (784 pages) 3/5 stars

This book started out great but I felt that it kept going on and on. If only the editor had trimmed this book down I think I really would have enjoyed it.

6. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (432 pages) 5/5 stars

I cheated and read this one after seeing the movie. I was suprised that the movie followed the book pretty much exactly. The movie was great and so was the book! A great suspenseful read with crazy twists at the end.

7. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari (288 pages) 4/5 stars

I love Aziz Ansari in Parks & Recreation as well as his stand up routines, so that is what I was hoping for with this book. Unfortunately this was more of a Non-Fiction book than a comedy book. It had way too many facts about his research about dating than I cared to hear about. Though I am giving it 4 stars because he did bring some humor into it and I enjoyed hearing him call me lazy more than once because I was audio reading the book!

8. Deeper than the Dead by Tami Hoag (560 pages) 4/5 stars

This was a great read with some crazy suspenseful twists.

9. Defending Jacob by William Landay (448 pages) 4/5 stars

I did enjoy the suspense in this book, but the subject matter was difficult to swallow. I would recommend it to some, but you would need to know that Jacob is a difficult character to read about.

10. All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (544 pages) 3/5 stars

I’ve heard this is the best book in the world. Unfortunately the audio version is really hard to follow, thus I will be reading this book again next year in hopes I find the true magic in this one. But I did enjoy the telling of the story throughout this book and look forward to reading it again to truly understand what was going on.

11. A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman (368 pages) 5/5 stars

Loved loved loved this book! Just a good read about an older man who lives his life the way he wants to live it! Would absolutely read this book again and I can’t wait to see the movie!

12. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (448 pages) 5/5 stars

Loved this book...told of the war when the Nazis were in control. Really had forgotten or didn't know that the French were in as much despair as the rest of the countries. A story about saving friends and others even though one would be killed and tortured to do so. The ending was great and brought me to tears. Would highly recommend this one.

13. A Book by An Author (416 pages) 4/5 stars

This was actually a really good book. But I had no idea it was a chick lit book until I started reading it, though I should have known from the title. I actually enjoyed this book and the crazy twist at the end. The best part...I found this book on my wife’s nightstand AFTER listening to the whole thing. I would recommend it, but will not admit to reading it!

14. The Giver (240 pages) 3/5 stars

A quick read, an OK book.

15. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (288 pages) 3/5 stars

I enjoyed this book. The way the author was able to visually put me back in this time and setting was unbelievable! I connected with some parts at the end of the book and really enjoyed the book. I highly recommend listening to the audio book as you get the delight to listening to Reese Witherspoon!

16. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (368 pages) 3/5 stars

A dark and somewhat clunky book, enjoyed some parts of it but I can see why this didn't make for a great movie...was disappointed with the ending. After such a great build up its like the author just gave up. Wouldn't recommend this to many people, the subject matter is just too difficult and didn't need to be.

17. Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (288 pages) 4/5 stars

This is a funny read. Hearing about Jim’s life is hysterical! Would recommend it for a great laugh!

18. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (256 pages) 5/5 stars

This book is a great read about life and actually choosing to live life, though it is sad at the end, Kalanithi has some amazing quotes in the book about living life. And not cliche type quotes. More about living life and that death happens but to keep hope alive and be brave. Here is one thing he said that left a mark on me. "Death comes for all of us. For us, for our patients; it is our fate as living, breathing, metabolizing organisms. Most lives are lived with passivity toward death - it's something that happens to you and those around you...death always wins. Even if you are perfect, the world isn't. The secret is to know that the deck is stacked, that you will lose...You can't ever reach perfection, but you can believe in an asymptote toward which you are ceaselessly striving.")

19. The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens (303 pages) 5/5 stars

This surprised me that it was so good! I really enjoyed this book and the twists and turns that went on throughout it. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

20. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (208 pages) 3/5 stars

Did not know that this was going to be a fantasy book when I read it. It was good though strange, but still a good read with some intense mystery.

21. Wild by Cheryl Strayed (336 pages) 4/5 stars

I read this after watching the movie. The book and the movie were both great. Just a meandering book and movie for that matter, but a fun, light and easy read.

22. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (592 pages) 5/5 stars

An amazingly thrilling book that is gruesome and amazing all at the same time. It kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the read. I would highly recommend this read, though the subject matter is a difficult one to read at times.

23. 11/22/63 by Stephen King (849 pages) 5/5 stars

I read this book after watching the mini-series because I had heard that the mini-series added characters to take the place of what the main character was thinking in his head. This was absolutely the case, so much so that it made the mini-series difficult to watch because of the added character. I loved the whole synopsis of this book (getting to go back in time to stop the Kennedy assassination from happening). The going back in time with the knowledge of this time was/is fascinating to me! Though it is a long read I highly enjoyed it!

24. Gumption by Nick Offerman (416 pages) 4/5 stars

Like Aziz Ansari’s book, this one was a bit too factual for me as well. Though Offerman has a great way of delivering the facts and make it fun to listen to at the same time. This was a great read and I learned a ton about different leaders of our past at the same time!

25. Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan (592 pages) 4/5 stars

This was a fun book I read for a reading club with kids from my school. A mysteriously fun book about a traveling harmonica. I would absolutely read this book again and thoroughly enjoyed the musical stories throughout the book. It was an added bonus to get to listen to this book because all of the harmonica music pieces were played during the reading of the book.

26. Finders Keepers by Stephen King (544 pages) 4/5 stars

A great typical Stephen King thriller, would recommend!

27. Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica (368 pages) 5/5 stars

I actually meant to read The Good Girl instead of this one, but ended up reading this one first and thought it was much better than The Good Girl. I loved the main girl (on the cover) and the twists and turns this book took. I look forward to reading more from this author.

28. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (336 pages) 5/5 stars

This book quite surprised me as it is told from the perspective of the dog. It is a great read and had me crying by the end.

29. The Good Girl by Mary Kubica (384 pages) 4/5 stars

This is a good book with great twists and turns, but just not as great as Don’t You Cry. I look forward to seeing this movie soon.

30. Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling (240 pages) 5/5 stars

I love listening to Mindy Kaling read her books. She has such a natural style of writing which makes me think we are sitting having a cup of coffee. It was great to hear about choices she has made in her life. This book was really funny and a great read!

31. The Leftovers by Tom Perrota (384 pages) 4/5 stars

I read this book after watching both seasons of The Leftovers, hoping to glean some extra hints into the what/why that came at the end of season 2. But this story is only about the first season and is pretty much an exact telling of the story. So though a great read, if you’ve already seen the show I would skip this one.

32. Same Kind of Different as Me (256 pages) 3/5 stars

I had heard this was a great book and it was good. But I didn’t really enjoy all the characters, perhaps that was due in part to the person who read the book to me. But I thought this book could have went deeper and been so much more. Though I was hoping for more, it was still a good read of learning about those different from us.

33. Inferno by Dan Brown (576 pages) 4/5 stars

I read this after seeing the movie trailer for the book. I absolutely loved Brown’s other books - Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code. But this book was not near as good as those two. Plus I am not sure how much I care about satan and all things associated with that topic. So though it was a good book, I felt it wasn’t near as good as the other two.

34. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (656 pages) 5/5 stars

All that being said about Dan Brown, I had heard this book was really good...so being on a Dan Brown kick i thought I’d give this one a go. And boy was I in for a great ride! I absolutely loved it! It was great to learn about all the masonic folk-lore and the history of Washington D.C. A great and thrilling read, would highly recommend!

35. Is Everyone Hanging Out without Me? by Mindy Kaling (240 pages) 5/5

Another great Mindy Kaling read. This one told more about how she got started in the world of television and about her role in acting/writing on The Office. A great fun and easy listen with special appearances by B.J. Novak.

36. Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella (272 pages) 2/5

I started reading this book after hearing that the author had passed away. This book is the basis for one of my all time favorite movies, Field of Dreams. I enjoyed hearing the differences between the movie and the book. But in the end it was a really clunky telling of the story of Shoeless Joe that I am so glad they just took bits and pieces of to make the movie.

37. Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris (288 pages) 3/5

I really enjoy David Sedaris, but this book never clicked for me. I enjoyed many of the stories, but I didn’t feel they were as funny as many of his other books have been.

38. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (392 pages) 4/5 stars

This was a fun read! I enjoyed the story and it reminded me much of the Harry Potter series, I’m excited to see the movie soon.

39. Where’d You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple (330 pages) 3/5 stars

I was told this book was like the female version of A Man Called Ove. I would say that though it has some of the same characteristics, it did not live up to my expectations. It was a fun easy read, but nothing much more than that.

40. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (416 pages) 4/5 stars

Another fun read by this author, looking forward to the third book in this series and the eventual movie that this book will be made into.

Total Page Count = 16,370

Thanks for following, here’s to another great year of reading!

#2016readingchallenge #40books #readingchallenge #mary kubica #paul kalanithi #ransom riggs #garth stein

Here are the most influential, striking, and beautiful pictures from 2016.

#vice

Brexit, climate change, Trump, Syria, white nationalism, Turkey, racism and police violence, the Flint water crisis, nat

#swissmiss #swiss-miss

2017 will be here soon

Here I am - writing on a blog that it says I created way back in 2008...9 years ago! Crazy! I’ve had a great ride since then, but have changed a bit of my life from what I was. So...I have lots of thoughts that go through my head at times and have decided that this year, I’m going to write those thoughts down on this blog. More for me to see where I am this time next year rather than to entertain the masses. If you choose to follow, I am sure you will learn at least one thing!

#2017herewecome #2017heresoon

icanread

John Cage on Life

I enjoy the music and art of John Cage. I enjoy sharing how awesome his music and art are. He is one of the best composers to use silence as an instrument. Recently I read and article on www.brainpickings.org where I saw a great article with some quotes from John Cage.

“It is essential that we be convinced of the goodness of human nature, and we must act as though people are good. We have no reason to think that they are bad.”

Check out some of my favorites from John Cage

In a Landscape

Water Walk

4′ 33″

John Cage talking about silence

What color is?

What color is this dress?

http://gawker.com/what-color-is-this-goddamn-dress-1688330170

blue & black?

gold & white?

#blueorblack goldorwhite whatisgoingon

It is quite natural that people who really have something particular about them should be different from each other on the outside as well as on the inside.

j-term

Learn to say ‘no’ without explaining yourself.

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