tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59875569721707534902024-03-13T12:51:03.055-05:00Adventures of BadgergirlI'm not promising a super exciting adventure. But you're welcome to join me if you'd like. Mostly I read and write. And lately, I run. And bike. And swim. And every once and while you might find me doing something fun.Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.comBlogger1233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-76554321588625476142015-10-23T13:18:00.001-05:002015-10-23T13:18:12.418-05:00Madison Mini Race Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm really trying to make an effort to catch up on race reports for 2015 by the time the year ends. That's two more months. I can do it.<br />
<br />
So last time I blogged, I told you about running--err, trudging--up a bluff for some fantastic views at Dances with Dirt.<br />
<br />
August brought the Madison Mini. I love this race. I missed doing it in 2014 because I hadn't completely recovered from the car accident, so I was excited to run it this year. And play hostess to three good friends.<br />
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The race itself was a struggle. From the get-go. Like 3 miles in I just wanted to quit. But I kept putting one foot in front of the other. Covered some miles. Got a popsicle from a little kid around Mile 10. Cursed the slight course change over the final miles that made me run up the back of Bascom Hill. Longed for the final miles on the Lakeshore Path that were missing this year. And had a smile on my face when I crossed the finish line.<br />
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Most of my struggles were mental. I put in some decent training this summer, got some long runs in the 9 and 10 mile range in. Just mentally didn't have it. I need to work on that.<br />
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But the race got run, we enjoyed the post-race party on the terrace and had a fabulous weekend with friends. Looking forward to the 2016 version!Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-64723002184801736882015-09-03T08:30:00.000-05:002015-09-03T08:30:00.822-05:00Race Report: Dances With Dirt Half Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'll just say it.<br />
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This was the hardest thing I've ever done.<br />
<br />
I don't remember what I was thinking when I signed up for this race. Oh wait. A weekend with friends. Some running. A beautiful setting. It would be fun.<br />
<br />
Even though I had heard about how brutal this course was during the first four miles, I didn't think twice when I hit the "submit" button on my registration. But it was. Brutal. And in a sadistic way, pretty fun.<br />
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The weekend started with the drive up to Devil's Head ski resort, where the race started. You can't really argue with a road trip that involve a ferry ride.<br />
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I ran with four other friends for the first 5 miles or so. Actually, I'm not sure "ran" is an appropriate word. Especially since the first two miles consists of something crazy like 800 feet of elevation gain. Yeah. There's no running on stuff like that. More like a slow trudge while hoping there's a branch you can grab on to to pull yourself up.<br />
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Our little group split into two groups somewhere around mile 5. Surprisingly this was a fairly flat section of the course. Ha. It was just lulling you into a comfort zone before you turned a corner and were faced with another steep uphill climb. This was like 200 feet of elevation gain in just a half mile. Crazy.<br />
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But once you got to the top of the bluff. The view.<br />
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It made all those hills worth it.<br />
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Yes, I may have just wanted to sit down on the bluff and hang out there the rest of the day, but I had to keep running.<br />
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I stuck with my friend Erica until Mile 10 and then headed off on my own for the final three miles. That massive two-mile long uphill at the beginning? Well, I got to run down it. It was a little scary at times, but kind of fun to run downhill while avoiding the rocks. Of course, since my banged up knee from Ragnar was finally starting to heal (in other words, no scabs and I could bend it with screaming in pain), I was a little cautious. Didn't want more of that.<br />
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So I finished. Eventually. There was a lot of walking. Some running. But overall it was a fun trail race, even if it was the hardest thing I've ever done.<br />
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<b>Up next:</b> The Madison MiniBadgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-86658599993517243912015-09-01T08:30:00.000-05:002015-09-01T08:30:00.570-05:00Race Report: Ragnar Chicago<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
So during a seven-day span in June I:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Moved from Oshkosh to Madison on a Tuesday;</li>
<li>Unpacked an entire apartment;</li>
<li>Left for Milwaukee on Thursday afternoon;</li>
<li>Picked up a swanky 15-passenger van, gathered all my teammates and drove BACK to Madison Thursday night;</li>
<li>Ran Ragnar Chicago on Friday and Saturday;</li>
<li>Drove back to Madison Saturday night;</li>
<li>Slept like a brick; and </li>
<li>Started a new job on Monday.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Looking back, I'm not sure I'd recommend anyone else do that. You kind of forget what city you're in.<br />
<br />
But I couldn't pass up Ragnar Chicago. I mean, I didn't want to let my teammates down. And besides, it's one of the most fun weekends of the year.<br />
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I was runner 2 this year. New to me legs and the first time I actually got to run in the city of Madison! We woke up Friday morning and it wasn't raining. By the time we got to the start line and had to check-in, the rain was coming down pretty steady. Great.<br />
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<b>Leg 2: 4.5 miles</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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It's still raining. I opt for no jacket or anything. Just my shorts and tank. Hey, if I'm going to get wet, I'm going to get wet. Renee comes in the chute, I get the slap bracelet and I'm off. I got less than 100 yards and get to a crosswalk staffed with volunteers and controlled with traffic lights. The volunteer waves me through. The light says "walk" so I start to run through the intersection.<br />
<br />
And a stupid woman decides I don't deserve the right-of-way and decides to turn right in front of me. Almost hits me. What is it with me and drivers who refuse to wait an extra 10 seconds? Luckily I saw her, otherwise I would have been hit.<br />
<br />
Rattled, I continued through the intersection. I get to the other side and promptly get attacked by a sidewalk. Face planted. Stunned, I sit up. Check my palms (not bleeding), gather my stuff and stand up. I check my Garmin (yes, yes I did). I'm one-tenth of a mile into my 2015 Ragnar Chicago and I've already almost been hit by a car and took a digger on the sidewalk. Great. My teammates aren't around, so I did the only thing I could. I started to run.<br />
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My knee, which took the brunt of the damage from the sidewalk, is bleeding. The blood is running down my leg (some guy filling up his gas tank yelled at me that my knee "didn't look too good." Really? I didn't know.), and it's a little sore. But really, what could I do? I didn't have my phone with me.<br />
<br />
I eventually make it to the exchange zone, run up to Erica to pass off the slap bracelet and am met with, "Yay, Jen! What did you do?"<br />
<br />
First aid? Anyone?<br />
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I met up with the rest of my team, explain what happened and do a quick clean up with the limited first aid kit that we have in the van. Once I get to the first major exchange at Lake Mills High School, I seek out some actual medical attention from the first aid tent, where they patched up my knee and elbow pretty good (it stayed on through the rest of Ragnar).<br />
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<b>Leg 14: 4.5 miles</b><br />
<br />
I tried to keep the knee pretty loose during the day. Thankfully getting in and out of the van to cheer on runners helped. So it wasn't as stiff as I thought it would be for this leg.<br />
<br />
The run itself went pretty well. The rain finally quit (right after I finished my first leg), and the temperatures were perfect for a late June afternoon. This leg was mostly on the Glacial Drumlin Trail and just had a little bit of city sidewalks when I got into Waukesha. I was very, very careful on the sidewalks. I didn't want to get into anymore fights with them.<br />
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<b>Leg 26: 6.3 miles</b><br />
<br />
I started this leg at 3:30 a.m. It's pretty dark at 3:30 a.m. And it was kind of foggy and SUPER humid. I've never actually had a Ragnar leg in the actual middle of the night before, so this was a first. I left from a school in the Racine area and the first 3 miles or so of my leg was along a recreational path. Bordered on both sides by woods. So I'm running in the dark along a path with heavy trees and it seems like my headlamp is on the verge of dying.<br />
<br />
Of course I'm thinking animals are going to come out and attack me.<br />
<br />
So I try to run faster. And since this is my final leg and my bloody, wrapped knee is finally starting to get stiff, my legs decide somewhere around Mile 3.5 that they're done. No more. Thankfully I'm off the wooded trail and back on city sidewalks (again, watching them carefully!). So I do the run-walk thing.<br />
<br />
I make a turn and pass the "Welcome to Carthage College" sign in Kenosha at Mile 5 and I see three fat rain drops. Which immediately turn into a torrential downpour.<br />
<br />
Really? More rain? And not just a nice, soothing light rain. A cold, downpour.<br />
<br />
Well, I'm going to get wet anyway, so who cares if I walk some, right? Only 1.3 more miles to go. If anything, that cold rain definitely wakes you up at 5 a.m. when you're working on 2 hours of Ragnar sleep.<br />
<br />
I finally hand off the slap bracelet, get back into the van and set about trying to find some dry clothes. Oh, and it was the downpour that finally was too much for my bandaged knee. At the next major exchange (before we headed off to our post-Ragnar breakfast feast), I had another stop at a medical tent for some re-bandaging.<br />
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Aside from the sidewalk attacking me a tenth-of-a-mile into my Ragnar and having two of my three legs run in the rain, it was a great Ragnar. Can't wait for 2016.<br />
<br />
<b>Up next:</b> I climb a freaking mountain (OK, more like a bluff) during a trail half marathonBadgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-8631152636990714442015-08-31T08:30:00.000-05:002015-08-31T08:30:00.893-05:00Race Reports: Wisconsin and Cellcom Green Bay half marathonsLet's play a little catch up.<br />
<br />
Because even though my life was undergoing some major changes, I still had races on my calendar for the summer. I ran them, although not particularly well, but I ran them and had fun.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wisconsin Half Marathon</b></span><br />
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So first up was the Wisconsin Marathon in Kenosha on May 2, I headed down to Milwaukee Friday night to crash at my friend Erica's place. I remember having problems deciding what to wear - short sleeves? Tank? Tank and arm warmers? I went with the tank and arm warmers, shed the warmers by Mile 2 and tossed them to a friend at Mile 5.<br />
<br />
I don't remember much about the race itself. I ran with Erica for the first 4 or 5 miles and then we split apart. I always had her in sight thought, which was good, since I finally caught back up with her around Mile 9. We both looked at each other, realized both of us had stopped sweating miles ago and we just decided to shut it down and walk it in. It had gotten REALLY warm during the first 9 miles of the race. Like sunshine, not a cloud in the sky and warm temperatures. And water stops were really far apart. So we pulled out the "run to the stop sign" and then walk method.<br />
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It was a nice course and well organized event. I just wasn't ready for the heat in early May. And I may have been a tiny bit undertrained.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon</b></span><br />
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Oh Green Bay. <a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/05/three-letters-dns.html">I missed you in 2014</a>. Stupid teenage girl who couldn't wait 10 more seconds at a stop sign.<br />
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Another half marathon, another race where weather was troublesome. The first 5 miles were brutal. No wind. Sunshine. No clouds and warm. A struggle-fest from the get go. Thankfully some clouds appeared and the wind kicked in for the second half.<br />
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They got rid of the industrial park this year. Yay!<br />
<br />
Otherwise, I finished. That's all.<br />
<br />
That takes care of May.<br />
<br />
Up next: Ragnar.<br />
<br />Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-37693005930122488892015-08-28T09:00:00.000-05:002015-08-28T09:00:00.961-05:00Ch-ch-changesIt's been four months and my world has changed pretty significantly in that time.<br />
<br />
It all started because I was offered a new job. Gone were my days of working in a newspaper newsroom. I'm still writing. Still editing. Still working with words. But it's in a new environment. There are new challenges. New co-workers. New topics. But a little over two months in and I like it. A lot. Pretty sure I made the right decision career-wise.<br />
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But the new job means a new city.<br />
<br />
So I packed up my Oshkosh apartment and headed south at the beginning of June. To Madison. A city I've always loved and was super excited to move back to.<br />
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And of course, because a new job and new city weren't enough, my car died. So I've got a new set of wheels too.<br />
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I don't think there are any more major life changes that I can pack into a month. Well, a friend did mention I could add in a boy to the equation. We'll see what happens there.<br />
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I've found time to explore my new home on foot and by bike and am looking forward to more adventures. And then there were the running adventures that were already on the calendar before all these changes took place.<br />
<br />
But that's for another time.<br />
<br />Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-83920053241018995052015-05-06T09:00:00.000-05:002015-05-06T09:00:02.249-05:00A March and April reading recapSo there's been a little lapse in my blogging.<br />
<br />
Because I needed that two-month break, you're now getting a two month catch up on what I was reading during that non-blogging time. Get ready.<br />
<br />
In March I read six books for a total of 2,247 pages. That's an average of 72 pages a day. It brings my yearly total to 23 books and 8,220 pages. Add another nine books in April for a total of 3,024 pages. It's an average of 101 pages a day and that brings the yearly total to 32 books and 11,244 pages through the first quarter of the year.<br />
<br />
What'd I read?<br />
<br />
<b>March</b><br />
<i>Finding Perfect</i> by Susan Mallery<br />
<i>What Alice Forgot</i> by Liane Moriarty<br />
<i>Only Mine</i> by Susan Mallery<br />
<i>Only Yours</i> by Susan Mallery<br />
<i>One Wish</i> by Robyn Carr<br />
<i>Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard</i> by Laura Bates<br />
<b>April </b><br />
<i>The Look of Love</i> by Sarah Jio<br />
<i>The Nightingale</i> by Kristin Hannah<br />
<i>Only His</i> by Susan Mallery<br />
<i>Vanishing Girls</i> by Lauren Oliver<br />
<i>Summer Days</i> by Susan Mallery<br />
<i>What I Talk About When I Talk About Running</i> by Haruki Murakami<br />
<i>Summer Nights</i> by Susan Mallery<br />
<i>All Summer Long</i> by Susan Mallery<br />
<i>I Was Here</i> by Gayle Forman<br />
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And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars
given out on GoodReads. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5358421-jennifer">Follow me here</a> if you’d like a more timely update on
what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfRkh962Dbv0XzorOoiUOGmCwz-pVJdxZe4LpYMr2JPdtC7WGqviecoqvZMIUkUewnDwpPPJox43btNnnYFKX5ZGmByC_3QIU7SFmiVJxvreGrvxJaa7PzMvtIAijIU_IxakeFkc05hw/s1600/51TsqZ9yFOL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfRkh962Dbv0XzorOoiUOGmCwz-pVJdxZe4LpYMr2JPdtC7WGqviecoqvZMIUkUewnDwpPPJox43btNnnYFKX5ZGmByC_3QIU7SFmiVJxvreGrvxJaa7PzMvtIAijIU_IxakeFkc05hw/s1600/51TsqZ9yFOL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Perfect-Fools-Gold-Book/dp/0373774680/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430877982&sr=8-1&keywords=finding+perfect">Finding Perfect</a></i>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Only-Mine-Susan-Mallery/dp/0373775881/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1WRMEZK71E3SHDW7RF22"><i>Only Mine</i></a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Only-Yours-Fools-Gold-Book/dp/0373775946/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1YW3VNV23RCDGVE2PZ1K"><i>Only Yours</i></a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Only-His-Fools-Gold-Book/dp/0373776012/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0BS63T34DCP893ZSCWHW"><i>Only His</i></a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Days-Fools-Gold-Book/dp/0373776837/ref=pd_sim_b_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=0HDRBP1QWAW1EFV95B8Z"><i>Summer Days</i></a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Nights-Fools-Gold-Book/dp/037377687X/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1AX9Y863GEB7292GHAY9"><i>Summer Nights</i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Summer-Long-Fools-Gold/dp/0373776942/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=05N5GX2R1CQNH9PZ6BT5"><i>All Summer Long</i></a> by Susan Mallery (all ***)<br />
These get thrown into one snippet because they're all part of the same Fool's Gold series. All quick, easy, boy-meets-girl type romances. Yes, they're a little predictable and a little cheesey, but I like them.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Alice-Forgot-Liane-Moriarty-ebook/dp/B004XFYN9M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430878200&sr=1-1&keywords=what+alice+forgot"><i>What Alice Forgot</i></a> by Liane Moriarty ***<br />
Not my favorite Liane Moriarty book. It was an interesting idea - woman falls at the gym and loses the last 10 years worth of memories - but the first half really dragged. Second half was more readable.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt878bP7bigVW7q3OdrrfwdeU4G8SO4i2sQLechHhxFRJlGWUUCaO4I9LNoyuIgGLx0BHDQEmXCzMkXV-mgVd9CMQYRfHeOaIkwxLpTKLb1sAXU5O0OjF0P-bjDuVZc_dcBMSBGqIg2cE/s1600/51Y23QLnUzL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt878bP7bigVW7q3OdrrfwdeU4G8SO4i2sQLechHhxFRJlGWUUCaO4I9LNoyuIgGLx0BHDQEmXCzMkXV-mgVd9CMQYRfHeOaIkwxLpTKLb1sAXU5O0OjF0P-bjDuVZc_dcBMSBGqIg2cE/s1600/51Y23QLnUzL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wish-Thunder-Point-Robyn-Carr-ebook/dp/B00OYBCSZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430878242&sr=1-1&keywords=one+wish"><i>One Wish</i></a> by Robyn Carr **<br />
Flat. Didn't care about the characters. Still wondering how this ended up on my "to read" list. Don't bother. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Saved-My-Life-Solitary-ebook/dp/B00APIVOHU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430878288&sr=1-1&keywords=shakespeare+saved+my+life"><i>Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard</i></a> by Laura Bates ***<br />
This was a community read thing offered through my library. No waiting list for a book? Sign me up. It was an interesting read, seeing how prison inmates connected with Shakespeare, but it got a little long. Made me want to revisit Shakespeare myself.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Look-Love-Novel-Sarah-Jio-ebook/dp/B00INIXEQ8/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430878326&sr=1-2&keywords=the+look+of+love"><i>The Look of Love</i></a> by Sarah Jio ***<br />
Not bad. Nothing really stands out though.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjZoGsTKVQ25Ls0Ppo9t0Y5uY8NfH-FFTHsax_G7ujU1-tDxu0stHgrgiWK9ZN__3EoovkMKT1uhGmcom3WPzbDJOEa3cPlylbHCYgc3D9X3EJRWBB6477RpLHNK9NWOuAG_ZQr8VD4U/s1600/515p3OrN1KL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjZoGsTKVQ25Ls0Ppo9t0Y5uY8NfH-FFTHsax_G7ujU1-tDxu0stHgrgiWK9ZN__3EoovkMKT1uhGmcom3WPzbDJOEa3cPlylbHCYgc3D9X3EJRWBB6477RpLHNK9NWOuAG_ZQr8VD4U/s1600/515p3OrN1KL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nightingale-Kristin-Hannah-ebook/dp/B00JO8PEN2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430878367&sr=1-1&keywords=the+nightengale+by+kristen+hannah"><i>The Nightingale</i></a> by Kristin Hannah *****<br />
Seriously, the best book I've read this year. So different from any other World War II ear book I've read. It was a great story with characters who really came alive. Very hard to put this down. Go to your library or bookstore and get your hands on a copy of this book and start reading it now.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Girls-Lauren-Oliver-ebook/dp/B00KVHZVI8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430878406&sr=1-1&keywords=vanishing+girls"><i>Vanishing Girls</i></a> by Lauren Oliver ***<br />
Interesting read. I figured there was a twist, but wasn't quite expecting what that twist ended up being.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-About-Running-Vintage-International-ebook/dp/B0015DWJ8W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430878450&sr=1-1&keywords=what+i+talk"><i>What I Talk About When I Talk About Running</i></a> by Haruki Murakami **<br />
I write for a living and I enjoy running long distances. So this should have been great. It wasn't. It had bright spots - moments when I went "YES!" - but more often than not I was annoyed with the writer's style and his tendency to repeat things over and over and over again. I think I need to give up on memoirs.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/I-Was-Here-Gayle-Forman-ebook/dp/B00KWG9J2W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430878478&sr=1-1&keywords=i+was+here"><i>I Was Here</i></a> by Gayle Forman ***<br />
I was disappointed. I've really liked other stuff by Gayle Forman (If I Stay and Where She Went), but this just wasn't as good. <br />
<br />
So that's what I spent two months reading. And of course, I have a stack of stuff just waiting to be taken off the pile and read this month. I need a job where I'm just paid to read. Too many books. What are you reading?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-24917212353369089002015-03-06T09:11:00.000-06:002015-03-06T09:11:00.064-06:00February reading recapLet's talk books and the month of February.<br />
<br />
It was cold - like the seventh coldest February since 1893 or something crazy like that - so I got a lot of pages read. I mean, when it's that freaking cold, I'd rather not venture outside. So I stayed inside and read. A lot.<br />
<br />
I finished nine books in that 28-day month of February. Nine books and 3,057 pages. In other words, an average of 109 pages a day. I told you it was cold. That means I've read 17 books and 5,973 pages so far during the first two months of 2015. Something tells me I should really revamp that 50 book goal I set for myself.<br />
<br />
What'd I read?<br />
<br />
<i>The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in the Jazz Age New York</i> by Deborah Blum<br />
<i>Charlotte's Web</i> by E.B. White<br />
<i>Be Safe I Love You</i> by Cara Hoffman<br />
<i>On the Rocks</i> by Erin Duffy<br />
<i>Chasing Perfect</i> by Susan Mallery<br />
<i>The Rosie Effect</i> by Graeme Simsion<br />
<i>First Frost</i> by Sarah Addison Allen<br />
<i>Almost Perfect</i> by Susan Mallery<br />
<i>Dorothy Must Die</i> by Danielle Paige<br />
<br />
And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars
given out on GoodReads. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5358421-jennifer">Follow me here</a> if you’d like a more timely update on
what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uHOvqv-ozSgh1T5z01eSm6p6h8yfXyvobaIM-JPsXBk3QmaKfIrnblGwSS5qn5dY1d1wukluNxAibtJ2HOx4EzyN8RznvQzXV2M9Wqt-VIyXHeHFXGV_-Nsq1esjHHgmwShO9zGLv2E/s1600/51Sb60NiirL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uHOvqv-ozSgh1T5z01eSm6p6h8yfXyvobaIM-JPsXBk3QmaKfIrnblGwSS5qn5dY1d1wukluNxAibtJ2HOx4EzyN8RznvQzXV2M9Wqt-VIyXHeHFXGV_-Nsq1esjHHgmwShO9zGLv2E/s1600/51Sb60NiirL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Poisoners-Handbook-Murder-Forensic-Medicine-ebook/dp/B004P1JDM6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611011&sr=8-1&keywords=poisoner%27s+handbook"><i>The Poisoner's Handbook</i></a> by Deborah Blum ****<br />
I picked this one up because the author was one of my journalism professors at the University of Wisconsin. She taught my creative non-fiction class and I learned a ton from her. I liked this. It was informative, but didn't read like a piece of straight non-fiction, science writing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charlottes-Web-White-Kate-DiCamillo/dp/B007HUEZW0/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611072&sr=8-8&keywords=charlotte%27s+web"><i>Charlotte's Web</i></a> by E.B. White *****<br />
What's not to love about a story involving a pig and a spider? Loved it when I was a kid and I still love it as an adult.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Be-Safe-I-Love-You-ebook/dp/B00DPM8066/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611134&sr=8-1&keywords=be+safe+i+love+you"><i>Be Safe I Love You</i></a> by Cara Hoffman **<br />
I just didn't like this. It was a hard story to get into and it never really grabbed my attention. Come to think of it, I don't think I liked the last book I read by this author.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rocks-Novel-Erin-Duffy-ebook/dp/B00DB32T3E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611178&sr=8-2&keywords=on+the+rocks"><i>On the Rocks</i></a> by Erin Duffy ***<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhM-KzeCllexaHaZ9JvhP0wfLPIassWfK0SQbu_skQ12Zlso483ZRFnZ9b_fpEueX9yiieKiD-0rvjqLawx4Y8eKnJY4jDfvSFp1D8QAivOHwebjCtWQHDgDRqivajRtJcH6pcP3k3v2E/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhM-KzeCllexaHaZ9JvhP0wfLPIassWfK0SQbu_skQ12Zlso483ZRFnZ9b_fpEueX9yiieKiD-0rvjqLawx4Y8eKnJY4jDfvSFp1D8QAivOHwebjCtWQHDgDRqivajRtJcH6pcP3k3v2E/s1600/index.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a>A quick, easy, chick lit kind of read.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Perfect-Fools-Gold-Book/dp/0373774524/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611213&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=chasing+perfecgt"><i>Chasing Perfect</i></a> by Susan Mallery ***<br />
Cute story. Fast read. Probably my new go to series when I'm looking for an enjoyable, but mindless read. Doesn't hurt that the male lead character was a former pro cyclist.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rosie-Effect-Don-Tillman-ebook/dp/B00L6C313E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611254&sr=8-1&keywords=the+rosie+effect"><i>The Rosie Effect</i></a> by Graeme Simsion **<br />
Sigh. I wanted to like this. I really did. I loved The Rosie Project, so I was hoping the follow up would be just as good. It wasn't. I couldn't get into this. I didn't care about the characters (even though they were the same characters from The Rosie Project). The middle was an absolute drag. The end was decent, but by that point, I just wanted to finish the book.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MDHl0oLyJOgdb-rbs18E7EyhEroTVPSpaxsXgQaBiFlzy4J_dHEQRvY5B-JqX3XTylwpEmlmUbvh9n9nf0HSIwzf4aMhujWtjKy5P77jPdBD2Dla1eEicDzYV7y1bDCcG93eNzhO0Lo/s1600/51EWt6q24cL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MDHl0oLyJOgdb-rbs18E7EyhEroTVPSpaxsXgQaBiFlzy4J_dHEQRvY5B-JqX3XTylwpEmlmUbvh9n9nf0HSIwzf4aMhujWtjKy5P77jPdBD2Dla1eEicDzYV7y1bDCcG93eNzhO0Lo/s1600/51EWt6q24cL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-Frost-Sarah-Addison-Allen-ebook/dp/B00LDQXASE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611281&sr=8-1&keywords=first+frost"><i>First Frost</i></a> by Sarah Addison Allen ***<br />
Not a bad book, but a little slow to get into. Apparently this is a second book in a series, but could be read as a stand alone. Maybe if I had read the first one it would have grabbed my attention quicker.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Almost-Perfect-Fools-Gold-Book-ebook/dp/B0084ZZAMG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611307&sr=8-2&keywords=almost+perfect"><i>Almost Perfect</i></a> by Susan Mallery ****<br />
Yup. I still like this series.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dorothy-Must-Die-Danielle-Paige-ebook/dp/B00DB3D302/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611335&sr=8-1&keywords=dorothy+must+die"><i>Dorothy Must Die</i></a> by Danielle Paige ***<br />
I guess Dorothy Gale went back to Oz, got power hungry and now the people of Oz are revolting. And another girl from Kansas just happens to be brought to Oz via a tornado. She's supposed to help free Oz of Dorothy's wickedness. This was actually a pretty good read. I'm looking forward to the next book.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-12685301232286947932015-02-05T09:18:00.000-06:002015-02-05T09:18:00.044-06:00January reading recapAfter hitting triple digits in books read last year, I thought I told myself I was going to slow down on the reading.<br />
<br />
Yup. Didn't happen.<br />
<br />
I finished eight books in January. Eight books and 2,916 pages. That means I read an average of 94 pages per day. Like I said, lots of reading.<br />
<br />
What'd I read?<br />
<br />
<i>The Auschwitz Escape</i> by Joel C. Rosenberg<br />
<i>Where She Went</i> by Gayle Forman<br />
<i>Echoes of Scotland Street</i> by Samantha Young<br />
<i>The Book of Life</i> by Deborah Harkness<br />
<i>Goodnight Tweetheart</i> by Teresa Medeiros<br />
<i>Gray Mountain</i> by John Grisham<br />
<i>The Reckoning</i> by Jane Casey<br />
<i>All of You</i> by Christina Lee<br />
<br />
And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars
given out on GoodReads. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5358421-jennifer">Follow me here</a> if you’d like a more timely update on
what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHJcMoFgS0-xgZ1eu1xFFISCJZlODGuysAbmC0DksEjgu_pDY7vk1Dicr5zpfRRHEPA8S1pLFVlwvl2OaIewJI3f7fgP4ZDG-fljlVqmyqxw_u4hl-fXtaIGdN410cfRqUFqRIhqLkws/s1600/51UBMUo+tSL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHJcMoFgS0-xgZ1eu1xFFISCJZlODGuysAbmC0DksEjgu_pDY7vk1Dicr5zpfRRHEPA8S1pLFVlwvl2OaIewJI3f7fgP4ZDG-fljlVqmyqxw_u4hl-fXtaIGdN410cfRqUFqRIhqLkws/s1600/51UBMUo+tSL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Auschwitz-Escape-Joel-C-Rosenberg-ebook/dp/B00E1O7EZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423106094&sr=8-1&keywords=auschwitz+escape"><i>The Auschwitz Escape</i></a> by Joel C. Rosenberg *****<br />
Seriously one of the best books I've read in a long time. I've always been fascinated by the Holocaust, so I got sucked into this book, which tells the story of a man trapped in Auschwitz and his escape attempt. Hard to put this one down, even though I had to due to the nature of the story.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-She-Went-Stay-Book-ebook/dp/B004H4XDBI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423106063&sr=8-1&keywords=where+she+went"><i>Where She Went</i></a> by Gayle Forman *****<br />
This was a re-read. I watched the movie version of If I Stay and just had to read this one. By the way, the movie? Good.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Scotland-Street-Dublin-Novel-ebook/dp/B00L9AXVJM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423105796&sr=8-1&keywords=echoes+of+scotland+street"><i>Echoes of Scotland Street</i></a> by Samantha Young ****<br />
A bit of chick lit. It's the latest in a series that I enjoy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjF1Qv_AaVMQqO_PaUX46sWkB19NCh-AJe0t60lXqf9i7DAq3ow4DB6S2-_yRKBMgM_yqKb60EoZwHczG5c57-jTr9b7GBx0rCUh72vEV3eDja30wlXbfgu9E5Kh7wBVtdORx6rLKt_4/s1600/618ruOJKqxL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjF1Qv_AaVMQqO_PaUX46sWkB19NCh-AJe0t60lXqf9i7DAq3ow4DB6S2-_yRKBMgM_yqKb60EoZwHczG5c57-jTr9b7GBx0rCUh72vEV3eDja30wlXbfgu9E5Kh7wBVtdORx6rLKt_4/s1600/618ruOJKqxL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Life-All-Souls-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00G3L6KQI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1423105828&sr=8-3&keywords=the+book+of+life"><i>The Book of Life</i></a> by Deborah Harkness ****<br />
This one has been sitting on my to read pile since I finished the first two books in the trilogy in early December. Good final book to wrap up what I thought was a pretty fantastic series.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Goodnight-Tweetheart-Teresa-Medeiros-ebook/dp/B0042VJ19O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423106028&sr=8-1&keywords=goodnight+tweetheart"><i>Goodnight Tweetheart</i></a> by Teresa Medeiros ***<br />
Kind of cute. The story of how two people fall in love via tweets. Not sure I remember how this ended up on my to read list. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gray-Mountain-John-Grisham-ebook/dp/B00JYWUHO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423105869&sr=8-1&keywords=gray+mountain"><i>Gray Mountain</i></a> by John Grisham ****<br />
Not quite the kind of John Grisham that I'm used to, but good. Not so much courtroom drama, but a good story wrapped around legal issues.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PLLm5T1a3sxaixvS9KxHQ6xwZhq1ubjCNF74D1eyy26kDIWuAE1z437fBIlNVMPTi0Tjh4I4YBB8Z6TPPSljtokOa0IOhIrqEgeTwNrTsxF7uCtKm-UENttqtBshfvawQ-zwYLgLH0M/s1600/51TiegY+a-L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PLLm5T1a3sxaixvS9KxHQ6xwZhq1ubjCNF74D1eyy26kDIWuAE1z437fBIlNVMPTi0Tjh4I4YBB8Z6TPPSljtokOa0IOhIrqEgeTwNrTsxF7uCtKm-UENttqtBshfvawQ-zwYLgLH0M/s1600/51TiegY+a-L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-Maeve-Kerrigan-Novels-Book-ebook/dp/B006JJPGFK/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1423105897&sr=8-9&keywords=the+reckoning">The Reckoning</a></i> by Jane Casey *****<br />
I liked this. A legal thriller/who dunit with lots of twists and turns that kept you guessing. This author reminds me of Tana French's stuff, so if you liked <i>In the Woods</i>, <i>The Likeness</i> or other books in that Dublin Murder Squad series, definitely check out Jane Casey.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-You-Between-Christina-Lee-ebook/dp/B00CX5V74I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423105994&sr=8-1&keywords=all+of+you"><i>All of You</i></a> by Christina Lee ****<br />
Pretty sure this came from the GoodReads recommendations list. Quick, easy, enjoyable chick lit.<br />
<br />
<br />Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-43840216127344709422015-01-02T16:00:00.000-06:002015-01-02T16:00:00.737-06:002014 will be known as the year I read alot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzH7y3-XVr0Ovurig2MlDg4DRq7HqlnCsFPqkoc4Uhns-SCRiIdO91fiyDhH28D9PSpbxNmc7es5xu6Aaze1wFXlvAfwjmOs9TLhE_lPEWBp4WskrE7jxgvE2gI5SkspG7yI3s4SFrbI/s1600/IMG_20121119_170514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzH7y3-XVr0Ovurig2MlDg4DRq7HqlnCsFPqkoc4Uhns-SCRiIdO91fiyDhH28D9PSpbxNmc7es5xu6Aaze1wFXlvAfwjmOs9TLhE_lPEWBp4WskrE7jxgvE2gI5SkspG7yI3s4SFrbI/s1600/IMG_20121119_170514.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
I hit triple digits.<br />
<br />
I may never do it again, but I'll always be able to say I read 100+ books in 2014.<br />
<br />
First, a look at some stats. I finished 102 books and 33,136 pages. That's a lot. A lot of books. A lot of pages and a lot
of trees that are probably dead. Fear not, I'm starting to save a few
trees by reading more titles on my Kindle, which I love. Each book
averaged 325 pages. I finished an average of 8.5 books and 2,761 pages
per month.<br />
<br />
Other numbers that jump out?<br />
<br />
The shortest book I read was <i>Castle Hill</i> by Samantha Young at 97
pages. OK. Maybe it's more of a novella, but it's still on my list and
therefore counts as the shortest thing I read. The longest was <i>A Feast for Crows</i>
by George R.R. Martin, which came in at 976 pages. That was a beast,
but so so good. There were a couple of authors that showed up on my list
multiple times, including Samantha Young (5), Richelle Mead (6), Kiera Cass (3), Tara Sivec (3), Deborah Harkness (2), John Green (2), Jill Shalvis (3), Tara French (2), Rainbow Rowell (2), Janet Evanovich (20), Liane Moriarty (2), Ian Doescher (3), Sylvia Day (4) and Emma Chase (4).<br />
<br />
My takeaways for the year?<br />
<br />
A big reason I was able to hit 102 had to do with Janet Evanovich and the Stephanie Plum series. I mean seriously. When I plow through 20 books in the series as quickly as I did, that's a big chunk of my reading totals. That being said, they weren't the most amazing things I read this year.<br />
<br />
Absolute favorites for the year include <i>A Feast for Crows</i>, the two Tana French books and<i> Big Little Lies</i> by Liane Moriarty. Two that I would tell people to put down and run far, far away from would be <i>Love in the Time of Algorithms</i> and <i>Someday Maybe</i>.<br />
<br />
For 2014's "classic" I read Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms," which wasn't bad.<br />
<br />
Throughout the year I did a fairly detailed monthly review of what I
read. Check out the links for lists, ratings and a sentence or two about
what I thought.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/02/january-reading-recap.html">January</a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/03/february-reading-recap.html">February</a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/04/march-reading-recap.html">March</a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/05/april-reading-recap.html">April </a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/07/double-reading-recaps.html">May and June</a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/08/july-reading-recap.html">July</a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/09/august-reading-recap.html">August</a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/10/september-reading-recap.html">September</a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/11/october-reading-recap.html">October</a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2014/12/november-reading-recap.html">November</a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofbadgergirl.blogspot.com/2015/01/december-reading-recap.html">December </a><br />
<br />
So what kind of reading goals have I set for 2015? Last year it was all about chasing numbers. I know it would be really hard to break 102, so I don't even know if I'm going to try. I'm going to set a reasonable book number, because I want 2015 to be about reading for enjoyment again, not necessarily numbers. I'll aim for 50 again because that's been about average the last few years. Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-21416118514909599082015-01-01T09:00:00.000-06:002015-01-01T09:00:01.520-06:00December reading recapWell. I did it.<br />
<br />
I hit triple digits for the number of books I read in a year. It took a lot of reading in December and it was HEAVY on the light, fluffy, vacation-type reads, but I did it.<br />
<br />
Sitting at 87 completed books at the beginning of the month, I went into December with the mindset that I'd just read and see how high into the 90s I could get. But somewhere around the middle of the month, I looked at the number of books I'd read, how close I was to 100 and how many days I had left in the month. Suddenly I was shooting for 100. Of course, knowing I had a week of vacation at the end of the year helped sway my decision.<br />
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I finished the month with 15 books and 4,012 pages. That brings the year's final total to 102 books and 33,136 pages. Needless to say those are new reading records. More on year-end stats in a future blog post.<br />
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For now, what'd I read?<br />
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<i>A Discovery of Witches</i> by Deobrah Harkness<br />
<i>The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances</i> by Matthew Inman<br />
<i>Shadow of Night</i> by Deborah Harkness<br />
<i>A Beautiful Wedding</i> by Jamie McGuire<br />
<i>Shame on You</i> by Tara Sivec<br />
<i>Shame on Me</i> by Tara Sivec<br />
<i>Shame on Him</i> by Tara Sivec<br />
<i>Tangled</i> by Emma Chase<br />
<i>Twisted</i> by Emma Chase<br />
<i>Tamed</i> by Emma Chase<br />
<i>Tied</i> by Emma Chase<br />
<i>Maybe Someday </i>by Colleen Hoover<br />
<i>In Your Dreams</i> by Kristan Higgins<br />
<i>Instant Temptation</i> by Jill Shalvis<br />
<i>An Abundance of Katherines</i> by John Green<br />
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Sense a trend? Lots of series by authors. Fluffy, easy, vacation-type reads. And of interest? Everything except the Matthew Inman book was read on my Kindle. For being someone who really likes the feel of an actual book in my hands, I really enjoy my Kindle.<br />
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And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars
given out on GoodReads. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5358421-jennifer">Follow me here</a> if you’d like a more timely update on
what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkV3nDgqSlf8ie9RN3LGyCJ7OeGvLt6MIn0U-R_bHrUjp6ngIYE1jurMuGVxM9Ce82CpvqKE5ZemX8_UvyDe-_ROv1zkSqkmOzDdCW4_2ObUWrz4dw29M6_dk_-Kj6PuzR7Ps8KTV4WIg/s1600/51nGchfJPKL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkV3nDgqSlf8ie9RN3LGyCJ7OeGvLt6MIn0U-R_bHrUjp6ngIYE1jurMuGVxM9Ce82CpvqKE5ZemX8_UvyDe-_ROv1zkSqkmOzDdCW4_2ObUWrz4dw29M6_dk_-Kj6PuzR7Ps8KTV4WIg/s1600/51nGchfJPKL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Witches-Novel-Souls-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B004DI7HZ6/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1WDAFQQEPJRK88SM43AM"><i>A Discovery of Witches</i></a> by Deborah Harkness ****<br />
When I started this, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. The first chapters just didn't draw me in. But I set it down and came back to it a week or so later and let me tell you. Good decision. Somewhere around Chapter 4 I got hooked. I was drawn into the characters of Matthew and Diana, developed so well that at times I sometimes forgot I was reading about vampires and witches.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Terrible-Wonderful-Reasons-Long-Distances-ebook/dp/B00JKNMFVU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419972703&sr=1-1&keywords=the+terrible+and+wonderful+reasons+why+i+run+long+distances"><i>The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances</i></a> by Matthew Inman ****<br />
I run and I like cartoons from The Oatmeal. No brainer that I would pick this one up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7WNB0xOtZCmHxNDJkiCXeS8yP7saUXPS97nOUxot1AVKcqIMSEIgUwKfkqslLg2QkpfbB7X7BCsKpEJhmbRbJFsAU-nycl2hSpQi7OyVoIIaoeopq1hGpQv9IRaclQJ1-SATAw4zJDI/s1600/515HTITMGlL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7WNB0xOtZCmHxNDJkiCXeS8yP7saUXPS97nOUxot1AVKcqIMSEIgUwKfkqslLg2QkpfbB7X7BCsKpEJhmbRbJFsAU-nycl2hSpQi7OyVoIIaoeopq1hGpQv9IRaclQJ1-SATAw4zJDI/s1600/515HTITMGlL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Night-Novel-Souls-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B006WEZ9TK/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419972621&sr=1-2&keywords=shadow+of+darkness"><i>Shadow of Night</i></a> by Deborah Harkness ****<br />
The second book in the All Souls trilogy. More Matthew and Diana and more character development, particularly Matthew. Good stuff. I have the final book in the trilogy, but this was around the time when I decided I was going to hit 100, so I opted for shorter, fluffier reads for the rest of the month.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Wedding-Novella-Jamie-McGuire-ebook/dp/B00FCAW93O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419972594&sr=1-1&keywords=a+beautiful+wedding"><i>A Beautiful Wedding</i></a> by Jamie McGuire ***<br />
I generally don't read those "between the whole number" books in series, but this had been sitting on my Kindle for a while. Eh. It was OK.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shame-You-Fool-Me-Once-ebook/dp/B00F2OSFMO/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419972528&sr=1-1&keywords=shame+on+you"><i>Shame on You</i></a> ***, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shame-On-Me-Fool-Once-ebook/dp/B00FL3YL8I/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=16JWQEQ8VYV341HAN149"><i>Shame on Me</i></a> ***, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shame-Him-Fool-Me-Once-ebook/dp/B00HRIDFVY/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0ACQ1XTCHR2GCDXCQT4A"><i>Shame on Him</i></a> *** by Tara Sivec<br />
This three-book series reminds me of the Stephanie Plum series with a bit of chick lit thrown in. Three women form a private investigation company and during the course of their cases fall for some man. Not bad. Entertaining.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDf4MB0s-XvaIO2Js9it6ZShs0e7w8kR_Gyrq9e5QwoZ37bGgvWcrqAzfU1XE6igPTcW53L34dtCmdx5hFgnRPtmHb6_82cK7_LWh6Oh8QllidYRCvLp3Lo3yM5H6mKg3ZMFxOhD10A80/s1600/5191xxc9k3L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDf4MB0s-XvaIO2Js9it6ZShs0e7w8kR_Gyrq9e5QwoZ37bGgvWcrqAzfU1XE6igPTcW53L34dtCmdx5hFgnRPtmHb6_82cK7_LWh6Oh8QllidYRCvLp3Lo3yM5H6mKg3ZMFxOhD10A80/s1600/5191xxc9k3L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tangled-The-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00DJWV11I/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1J8CFQVNCY8T8QHEF8SR"><i>Tangled</i></a> ****, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-The-Tangled-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00EB9ZA24/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0BK7C1MJS8M4YRY21NH1">Twisted</a></i> ***, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tamed-The-Tangled-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00EB9ZA7O/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0X9CKH03VAKPDTS6XWPV"><i>Tamed</i></a> ***, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tied-Tangled-Emma-Chase-ebook/dp/B00IWTWFOU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419972430&sr=8-1&keywords=tied"><i>Tied</i></a> *** by Emma Chase<br />
I really liked <i>Tangled</i> and the other three books were entertaining as well. My biggest beef would be the order. Technically I think Tamed should have been second in the series, not third, since if you're reading it in order you're actually going back in time. The first and final books (<i>Tangled</i> and <i>Tied</i>) are told from the male point of view. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Someday-Colleen-Hoover-ebook/dp/B00DPM7RJW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419972379&sr=8-1&keywords=maybe+someday"><i>Maybe Someday</i></a> by Colleen Hoover **<br />
No. Just no. I don't remember how this ended up on my list, but if it's on yours, just stay away. Rambly. Repetitive. Parts could have been axed to make it shorter. I didn't like the characters. I just didn't like it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Dreams-Blue-Heron-Book-ebook/dp/B00KF49TUS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419972348&sr=8-1&keywords=in+your+dreams"><i>In Your Dreams</i></a> by Kristan Higgins ****<br />
Enjoyable. Emmaline needs a date for her ex-fiance's wedding so she takes the town heartthrob Jack. They go just as friends, but you know that's not how it ends. And plus, the puppy on the cover? Adorable.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Temptation-Wilder-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00A3FTZ58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419972308&sr=8-1&keywords=instant+temptation+jill+shalvis"><i>Instant Temptation</i></a> by Jill Shalvis ***<br />
This is the third in a series and just like the other two, I liked it. However, I felt this was the weakest.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Abundance-Katherines-John-Green-ebook/dp/B001GA1RFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419972267&sr=8-1&keywords=an+abundance+of+katherines">An Abundance of Katherines</a></i> by John Green ***<br />
I don't think I should read John Green anymore. After being blown away by <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i>, everything I've read after (this and Paper Towns) has just been, meh. I didn't like the main character Colin, he was whiny and self-centered and the actual plot didn't do much for me either. Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-46062670851664029262014-12-31T12:40:00.001-06:002014-12-31T12:40:19.837-06:00And 2014 is in the books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hard to believe 2014 is done. It was a year full of memories created with friends and family. Some good stuff and some bad.<br />
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It was the winter of the Polar Vortex. So dang cold I pretty much only left my apartment to go to work.<br />
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<i> Ragnar Florida Keys #Whale Van 1 girls!</i></div>
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<i>Soaking up the Key West sunshine with Mo and Erica.</i></div>
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<i>Goodbye, Florida Keys. It was fun</i>.</div>
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But for the first time ever, I planned a winter vacation and it couldn't have come at a better time. In February I boarded a plane bound for Miami for Ragnar Florida Keys. After two days of running, I spent a few days soaking up the sunshine and warmth in Key West.<br />
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Who can forget the Badgers run to the Final Four? That was spectacular.<br />
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I was supposed to run the Green Bay Half Marathon in May, but a teenager from Kimberly had different plans for me when she ran a stop sign and crashed into my car when I was on my way to packet pickup. My little blue Ford Focus died. It was a good 12 years with that car.<br />
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<i> Ragnar Chicago Eve with Erica and Renee.</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Another Ragnar Chicago in the books!</i></div>
<br />
June brought another Ragnar adventure with a van full of 5 friends during Ragnar Chicago. I still say Ragnar is the best 36 hours of little sleep a person can have.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasfopjNrOPgKnLPiJQU3AVGe_2xZEmdH6anbMrGhLC5gDBEQ9RMCRysdtG02DYGRmS2VO8W-nkXuzQpJ5sjCrvJz4JypzesjCWr0G8H9KnXVJBj17TNf6zPORwD_EFaoEPrCq5myBIDQ/s1600/2014-08-31+08.45.40+HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasfopjNrOPgKnLPiJQU3AVGe_2xZEmdH6anbMrGhLC5gDBEQ9RMCRysdtG02DYGRmS2VO8W-nkXuzQpJ5sjCrvJz4JypzesjCWr0G8H9KnXVJBj17TNf6zPORwD_EFaoEPrCq5myBIDQ/s1600/2014-08-31+08.45.40+HDR.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>A foggy run on Milwaukee trails.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukCqyP4XzBUYiYpQgc_AkHa8b8a8BrBleDHyDh6NiHXJ6A7Y_3Zw5z31hLl4uPn8DVR8C7fA9Svca2iIH7RBxZtZ6xEt-Pfzt4nSG_euY0xZxMMYxR7dzRGl9B1V2IFfdWTl7x2p1LAg/s1600/2014-09-07+19.55.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukCqyP4XzBUYiYpQgc_AkHa8b8a8BrBleDHyDh6NiHXJ6A7Y_3Zw5z31hLl4uPn8DVR8C7fA9Svca2iIH7RBxZtZ6xEt-Pfzt4nSG_euY0xZxMMYxR7dzRGl9B1V2IFfdWTl7x2p1LAg/s1600/2014-09-07+19.55.21.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Madison, one of my favorite cities.</i></div>
<br />
The rest of the summer was spent recovering from a pesky back injury, exploring state parks, wandering amongst thousands of airplanes, "running" a half marathon on trails through Milwaukee parks and more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmrZ2L32nf2sG-Io_-hBdcDJQQ7HGQM3zReQLZfRj-8xF_neFZgBuuoIKGlqjI7PFm2oq7P-oste2i0w4QdnDm-kSUEcy2jmSaTkQjATcB2yNZQD-tre2-4qbDeh5X0vsUzrirleh_Po/s1600/2014-11-16+05.53.57.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmrZ2L32nf2sG-Io_-hBdcDJQQ7HGQM3zReQLZfRj-8xF_neFZgBuuoIKGlqjI7PFm2oq7P-oste2i0w4QdnDm-kSUEcy2jmSaTkQjATcB2yNZQD-tre2-4qbDeh5X0vsUzrirleh_Po/s1600/2014-11-16+05.53.57.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Badger football tailgating with Sara, Renee and Erica!</i></div>
<br />
There were trips to Madison for Ironman Wisconsin spectating and Badger football.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0P3hzB3LlL6pXyCeTEIxQDLEVuzXo8sb_7nKpybg6pvrcLWljyOZ4og6taedeS7y-HsmF6fxvRinx5fSrRBFjslPaT-6FYYiQYQtCIFgDGrGVdCejpzxv1FyQhkqlid_19wr3nAov5Q/s1600/2014-12-14+19.56.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0P3hzB3LlL6pXyCeTEIxQDLEVuzXo8sb_7nKpybg6pvrcLWljyOZ4og6taedeS7y-HsmF6fxvRinx5fSrRBFjslPaT-6FYYiQYQtCIFgDGrGVdCejpzxv1FyQhkqlid_19wr3nAov5Q/s1600/2014-12-14+19.56.29.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
And suddenly, it's New Year's Eve. Looking forward to seeing what 2015 has in store.Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-31604840726272945152014-12-07T10:00:00.000-06:002014-12-07T10:00:00.326-06:00Tyranena Beer Run race report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWxHfJ_R9UwmjK0LW8vKVrDapIvNgN_zjQcUch6kdrWxNg_8MvhXthHLASWvI_n7UphkdZ-sUik5dHjQeeQrEgNR4f2h7MQNPW2VsR1EzqfnbyCmepTKdztK3YhBzw-Lo9ERv9JGXqYw/s1600/tyranena2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWxHfJ_R9UwmjK0LW8vKVrDapIvNgN_zjQcUch6kdrWxNg_8MvhXthHLASWvI_n7UphkdZ-sUik5dHjQeeQrEgNR4f2h7MQNPW2VsR1EzqfnbyCmepTKdztK3YhBzw-Lo9ERv9JGXqYw/s1600/tyranena2014.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The calendar says I'm getting this race report written before the race was technically a month ago, so that's a win, right?<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I went into the Tyranena Beer Run with absolutely no
expectations. I mean, I hadn’t run in a month. I was going to be fighting a
steady 20 mile per hour wind. I didn’t have a clue what to expect on the course
since I’ve never run the sixth-barrel at Tyranena before. Lots of unknowns.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All I wanted to do was finish. And have fun with my friends.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I did.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But if you really want to know, I finished in 54 minutes, a
solid 12:00 minute/mile pace. Which yes, is a little slow. But remember, no
expectations. And that does include a couple of walk breaks. I’m proud to say I
ran most of the hills.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like I said, the route was new to me. It started out the
same 1.5 miles or so through downtown that the half marathon runs, but then it
makes a left hand turn uphill into a neighborhood. This was the only hill that
I walked in its entirety. It was long. And kind of steep. The course stayed in
neighborhoods, winding its way passed some pretty houses to a lakeside park,
where there was a water stop at Mile 2. I then ran along the lake for a bit
more and eventually ran back up a long hill into some more neighborhoods and
suddenly found myself running passed Lake Mills High School, the site of
Exchange 6 for Ragnar. Unlike the half marathon route, we never got dumped into
the industrial park, and the one small section where it had that little bit of
an industrial park feel, it was still pretty. If that makes any sense. Then one
last turn and I was back at the brewery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can I let you in on a secret? Yes. I didn’t get a medal and
there was no unofficial beer stop on the race route. And yes, it was kind of
annoying that we had to wait an hour after the half marathoners started before
we could run, but I liked this option.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So many times I say I’m going to keep training after Fox Cities,
but I always end up going into Tyranena kind of undertrained and not quite in
race shape. So it takes me longer than normal to finish. And by that time, my
friends have all been done for up to 45 minutes, they’ve inhaled their
post-race lasagna and are nearing the time when they pack up and are getting
ready to go home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In other words, I miss out on some of the post-race fun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year? We all finished within 15 minutes
of each other. So we were all basically sitting down to enjoy our beer, lasagna
and post-race fun at the same time. It was great. If I had to register tomorrow
for the 2015 race, chances are I’d sign up for the sixth-barrel option, unless
I am certain that I’m going to be in race-ready shape to run 13.1 miles. It’ll
be a decision I’ll make next summer though.</div>
Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-42376755891500187722014-12-05T21:12:00.000-06:002014-12-05T21:12:02.866-06:00November reading recapI always have good intentions to blog, but apparently I've become a once or twice a month blogger. Eh. Someday that might change.<br />
<br />
At least I'm consistent with coming back at the beginning of the month to tell you what I read the month before. In November I read a lot. Like 11 books or 3,758 pages a lot. It brings the yearly total to 87 books and 29,124 pages. Yup. That 77-book goal I set way back in January was crushed. And I'm still reading.<br />
<br />
What'd I read?<br />
<br />
<i>Station Eleven</i> by Emily St. John Mandel<br />
<i>The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry</i> by Gabrielle Zevin<br />
<i>The Best of Me</i> by Nicholas Sparks<br />
<i>Before Jamaica Lane</i> by Samantha Young<br />
<i>Dare to You</i> by Katie McGarry<br />
<i>Fall From India Place</i> by Samantha Young<br />
<i>The Burning</i> by Jane Casey<br />
<i>Bared to You</i> by Sylvia Day<br />
<i>Reflected in You</i> by Sylvia Day<br />
<i>Entwined in You</i> by Sylvia Day<br />
<i>Captivated by You</i> by Sylvia Day<br />
<br />
Apparently I wanted to read multiple books by single authors this month. <br />
<br />
And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars
given out on GoodReads. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5358421-jennifer">Follow me here</a> if you’d like a more timely update on
what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtpbCkQeVXJADrLQntlgYi1kFfEn4XTjeLCGfS3yhBP27lD8w8XPMDdk0-YKuEkPysNQVozLXvQlQGPYjX-Ir7svJQ4iEgfhI-9BSSY3SUPSNstTOmHn0cwLLBQhTMme0k3kYiVkXx8Q/s1600/51FRpCUMngL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtpbCkQeVXJADrLQntlgYi1kFfEn4XTjeLCGfS3yhBP27lD8w8XPMDdk0-YKuEkPysNQVozLXvQlQGPYjX-Ir7svJQ4iEgfhI-9BSSY3SUPSNstTOmHn0cwLLBQhTMme0k3kYiVkXx8Q/s1600/51FRpCUMngL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Station-Eleven-Emily-John-Mandel-ebook/dp/B00J1IQUYM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417834753&sr=8-1&keywords=station+eleven">Station Eleven</a></i> by Emily St. John Mandel ****<br />
I honestly can't remember how this ended up on my "to read" list. I didn't know a whole lot about it going in, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was different. And I liked it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Storied-Life-J-Fikry-ebook/dp/B00GU2RLMC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417834810&sr=8-1&keywords=the+storied+life+of+aj+fikry"><i>The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry</i></a> by Gabrielle Zevin ****<br />
I had heard some good reviews of this one and I liked the cover. It was a good, quick read<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Me-Nicholas-Sparks-ebook/dp/B00I30RCZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417834855&sr=8-1&keywords=best+of+me"><i>The Best of Me</i></a> by Nicholas Sparks ****<br />
A typical Nicholas Sparks book. I think it's really a 3.5, but I was feeling generous and rounded up. Always a good option when you want quick and mindless.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9IdmXNcIJBfZYViknhqzJqMldqOc8K0Eh4XosFb4AkFvQ0H2Amc47OB0MN_rUFlYZe03vVKdUMEOYDZjNJeTbLli5tp3wLb8z39jkW-tEY59g8ZSyLAG-Sxpqiwk9942sXztmF8sBio/s1600/51nSOZ3y0AL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9IdmXNcIJBfZYViknhqzJqMldqOc8K0Eh4XosFb4AkFvQ0H2Amc47OB0MN_rUFlYZe03vVKdUMEOYDZjNJeTbLli5tp3wLb8z39jkW-tEY59g8ZSyLAG-Sxpqiwk9942sXztmF8sBio/s1600/51nSOZ3y0AL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Before-Jamaica-Lane-Dublin-Street-ebook/dp/B00DGZIBWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417834918&sr=8-1&keywords=before+jamaica+lane"><i>Before Jamaica Lane</i></a> by Samantha Young ****<br />
I like the series and while they all have followed the same basic plot, they're different enough that they're still enjoyable.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dare-You-Pushing-Limits-Book-ebook/dp/B00DSX0M2C/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1417834972&sr=1-1&keywords=dare+to+you"><i>Dare to You</i></a> by Katie McGarry ***<br />
Still trying to remember why I even bothered. Kind of predictable and honestly, a bit too long.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fall-India-Place-Dublin-Street-ebook/dp/B00GMY6YXU/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=04TZ5MSJHXKPBVNKAT32"><i>Fall From India Place</i></a> by Samantha Young ***<br />
As much as I like this author and this series, this was just kind of "meh."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rg00xpE_OB8b0tSfut2S_d5X7TvrOqvWKiKCIGcrAobII6hCAsB6vZD-xWMV36WZDRDy5C8gBo1RMUUmcMyPx4SsaCv_gILHh5Mddr9tsb8v6xudLpDu8PEArwbzYRBM4LFiTN8kEE4/s1600/51HI6ga2LcL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rg00xpE_OB8b0tSfut2S_d5X7TvrOqvWKiKCIGcrAobII6hCAsB6vZD-xWMV36WZDRDy5C8gBo1RMUUmcMyPx4SsaCv_gILHh5Mddr9tsb8v6xudLpDu8PEArwbzYRBM4LFiTN8kEE4/s1600/51HI6ga2LcL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burning-Maeve-Kerrigan-Novels-Book-ebook/dp/B004VMV4YY/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1417834999&sr=1-2&keywords=the+burning"><i>The Burning</i></a> by Jane Casey ****<br />
Another one that I don't remember how it ended up on my list, but I'm glad it did. If you like Tana French, chances are you'll like this. It's a murder with a female detective trying to figure out what's going on. Good stuff.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bared-You-Crossfire-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00846REIS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1417835036&sr=1-1&keywords=bared+to+you"><i>Bared to You</i></a> ****, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reflected-You-Crossfire-Book-2-ebook/dp/B008673ZAQ/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1J8DR9TT2NAT03Z6E5G3"><i>Reflected in You</i></a> ****, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Entwined-You-Crossfire-Book-3-ebook/dp/B008UCJ7KO/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0BRJZ7X1150XCZXV4EFJ"><i>Entwined With You</i></a> **** and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captivated-By-You-Crossfire-Book-ebook/dp/B00NEQRNVG/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0DKJQWEBTNC6ARE7TBB3"><i>Captivated by You</i></a> **** by Sylvia Day<br />
I've read the first three, but I read them one to two years ago. When the newest installment came out earlier this fall, I knew I would have to reread the first three in order to refresh my memory about what's going on with Eva and Gideon. I still say while similar, this is far better series than 50 Shades of Grey.<br />
<br />
With one month to go, I'm still going with the goal to "read as many books as possible" before the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. While I think it would be cool to hit triple digits, that would require a lot of reading and I know December will be a busy month. I'd be happy to finish somewhere in the 90s though.<br />
<br />
What have you got on your "to read" list before 2014 is done?Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-25587915501004951522014-11-05T09:00:00.000-06:002014-11-05T09:00:01.384-06:00It's Tyranena week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRYMNzZ7XDxsMDmCi-CFvN5Mbn8TyLJ0ViQJqCEfv9zSB7FvNAf2JdVwS0vWIfxfqkF2-Olle7JYPruGfAlWfgnjx494pKpHh1Gi99RNJSrOdUkA9vctupfeRD65dWbPAQEMppx_0iJU/s1600/Screenshot_17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRYMNzZ7XDxsMDmCi-CFvN5Mbn8TyLJ0ViQJqCEfv9zSB7FvNAf2JdVwS0vWIfxfqkF2-Olle7JYPruGfAlWfgnjx494pKpHh1Gi99RNJSrOdUkA9vctupfeRD65dWbPAQEMppx_0iJU/s1600/Screenshot_17.jpg" height="400" width="397" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<i>My last run </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It's been four weeks and one day since I last decided to go for a run.<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm not hurt. I just don't have the motivation to lace up my shoes and head out the door. I've missed some pretty spectacular fall running days, but I've also missed some terribly miserable fall weather. There's part of me that just can't quite face the idea of running to nowhere on a treadmill yet.<br />
<br />
Normally this wouldn't be a problem.<br />
<br />
But I'm actually registered for a half marathon this weekend. It's <a href="http://www.tyranena.com/beerrun/">Tyranena Beer Run</a> weekend. And I'm all registered to run the half marathon for the third year in a row.<br />
<br />
See how the four weeks and one day since my last run is a problem?<br />
<br />
Actually, it's not quite so problematic. During that run a month ago, I was running on the WIOUWASH Trail, which is quite similar to the Glacial Drumlin Trail where a good chunk of this weekend's half marathon is run, and I came to a realization.<br />
<br />
I didn't want to run long distances in an attempt to get myself somewhat ready to tackle 13.1 miles. I just didn't want to. So on that bright, sunny, early October day, I decided to drop down to the sixth-barrel race, which is 4.4 miles. Much more manageable to wing it for that distance.<br />
<br />
And then I stopped running.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SI8lR-CH8k0Z37UrkP2fbaVF5h7OPO3gp_K6pIrb0J5_SOMLJW4UH8zHq7fefOkvbqiYokMMvDTh1qAwJGtWr-Das6LcvgPy2K2Up5-SAIu2M9031EGaC63XMdeJePgoBSJ8d_CC53A/s1600/Screenshot_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SI8lR-CH8k0Z37UrkP2fbaVF5h7OPO3gp_K6pIrb0J5_SOMLJW4UH8zHq7fefOkvbqiYokMMvDTh1qAwJGtWr-Das6LcvgPy2K2Up5-SAIu2M9031EGaC63XMdeJePgoBSJ8d_CC53A/s1600/Screenshot_1.jpg" height="90" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
So this weekend will be interesting. The weather is looking less than ideal, but I just keep telling myself that other than the turkey trot on Thanksgiving, this is my year-end race. But more importantly, it's a race weekend with my running friends. So we'll run, we'll eat, we'll drink the post-race beer and we'll have a good time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxiuqYFWUJdSopyjw7ce2MDZAav69xWOLdF8Kxd0r3VVmRShDOHVoNkLz6xot3PoiykqcfZYXfgxDsUrXHrevP6Mdn8PNba7Yt8e02oBK24JTw8t0nz6rwb5PQRZ9u1atdPL6E9QPMl0/s1600/tyranena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxiuqYFWUJdSopyjw7ce2MDZAav69xWOLdF8Kxd0r3VVmRShDOHVoNkLz6xot3PoiykqcfZYXfgxDsUrXHrevP6Mdn8PNba7Yt8e02oBK24JTw8t0nz6rwb5PQRZ9u1atdPL6E9QPMl0/s1600/tyranena.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Last year at Tyranena.</i></div>
<br />
Because even though there are many times that I (along with so many other people I know) think running is completely stupid, it's connected me with a really great group of friends.Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-12255867035852848062014-11-02T12:47:00.002-06:002014-11-02T12:47:19.608-06:00October reading recapAnother month, another round of books that I read.<br />
<br />
In October I finished seven books for a total of 2,456 pages. That brings the yearly total to 76 books and 25,366 pages. Yup. I'm definitely going to hit that 77-book goal for the year. With two months to go, maybe I should consider revising it. One hundred seems like a scary number and that would mean I'd have to read 12 books a month for the last two months. Maybe I'll just aim for the "read as many as you can" kind of goal. Although it would be pretty cool to hit triple digits.<br />
<br />
So what'd I read?<br />
<br />
<i>Top Secret Twenty-One</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Instant Attraction</i> by Jill Shalvis<br />
<i>Instant Gratification</i> by Jill Shalvis<br />
<i>The Vacationers</i> by Emma Straub<br />
<i>Big Little Lies</i> by Liane Moriarty<br />
<i>Anatomy of a Misfit</i> by Andrea Portes<br />
<i>The Secret Place</i> by Tana French<br />
<br />
And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars
given out on GoodReads. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5358421-jennifer">Follow me here</a> if you’d like a more timely update on
what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Top-Secret-Twenty-One-Janet-Evanovich-ebook/dp/B00H1294XO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414953367&sr=8-1&keywords=top+secret+twenty-one+a+stephanie+plum+novel"><i>Top Secret Twenty-One</i></a> by Janet Evanovich ****<br />
Not going to lie. I'm glad to be done with this series. Well, at least for now. It was OK. A typical Stephanie Plum book.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Attraction-Wilder-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0091L9LCC/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=027496AMN3EE9FE8BD7J"><i>Instant Attraction</i></a> **** and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Gratification-Wilder-Book-2-ebook/dp/B009L82WOE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414953450&sr=8-1&keywords=instant+gratification"><i>Instant Gratification</i></a> *** by Jill Shalvis <br />
Total chick lit. Girl meets boy in remote mountain village. Fast and enjoyable reading. I did enjoy the first one more though. I've got a request in at the library for the final book in the trilogy.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAy2y1V-LHFMSTEBck3aHq3RCOxNHgQ9gLDtoEHcRWf0DMzLpvp6BuEwO2YIcvCQOzcsIdaV8uE9QDdxVAh-kUSBJuURKb4Xz9XyLrra7j7CIcPHiHSCM8i4wB2HWhDrKhMzIdSh-zmU/s1600/51ckd8X3xQL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAy2y1V-LHFMSTEBck3aHq3RCOxNHgQ9gLDtoEHcRWf0DMzLpvp6BuEwO2YIcvCQOzcsIdaV8uE9QDdxVAh-kUSBJuURKb4Xz9XyLrra7j7CIcPHiHSCM8i4wB2HWhDrKhMzIdSh-zmU/s1600/51ckd8X3xQL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vacationers-Novel-Emma-Straub-ebook/dp/B00G3L7TPY/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414953510&sr=1-1&keywords=the+vacationers"><i>The Vacationers</i></a> by Emma Straub ***<br />
I'm not sure why I picked this up. Or kept reading it. It was a fairly short book, but it dragged. I didn't really get where it was going. My recommendation? Pass.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Little-Lies-Liane-Moriarty-ebook/dp/B00HDMMISA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414953536&sr=1-1&keywords=big+little+lies"><i>Big Little Lies</i></a> by Liane Moriarty *****<br />
One of my favorites this month. Think chick lit with a murder thrown in. I liked this one even more than The Husband's Secret, which a lot of people raved over. A must read.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Misfit-Andrea-Portes-ebook/dp/B00H7LYMWM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414953573&sr=1-1&keywords=anatomy+of+a+misfit"><i>Anatomy of a Misfit</i></a> by Andrea Portes ****<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaiQweoGgJh-yvlaBCHLduKHYwUQhye7fQ2VJlGph_PrZYDt13a-NDdHbebnB3m9th7EUnUztuBIHu_hTdg47SBEj0oRWC6cO8BbBQv93yiosW8EZU9FoK7WZ2UMe31L2bsQfHgbcH3g/s1600/514TH+fTJZL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaiQweoGgJh-yvlaBCHLduKHYwUQhye7fQ2VJlGph_PrZYDt13a-NDdHbebnB3m9th7EUnUztuBIHu_hTdg47SBEj0oRWC6cO8BbBQv93yiosW8EZU9FoK7WZ2UMe31L2bsQfHgbcH3g/s1600/514TH+fTJZL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>I didn't have any intention of reading this, but I saw it was offered through a program at the library for everyone (as in, no holds necessary). Plus a few friends were also reading it at the same time. I struggled for a bit with this book, wondering where it was going. But I definitely had one of those "a-ha" moments during the last quarter of the book and everything finally made sense.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Place-Dublin-Murder-Squad-ebook/dp/B00IOE4JXS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414953594&sr=1-1&keywords=the+secret+place"><i>The Secret Place</i></a> by Tana French *****<br />
I really, really like this author. I had been waiting to get my hands on this so I was excited when I finally did. It's your typical French book. A murder to be solved full of twists and turns throughout the investigation that keeps you guessing up until the very last pages. A definite must read.<br />
<br />Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-14536614352392488322014-10-06T09:00:00.000-05:002014-10-06T09:00:05.544-05:00Fox Cities Half Marathon race recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I guess I should write something about my sixth attempt at the Fox Cities Half Marathon. After all, it is my favorite race.<br />
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The race was on Sept. 21 and even though I had told myself earlier that month that I was going to get a long run or two in between the Lake Michigan Trail Half and Fox Cities, I didn't. So it was another race that I was super under trained for. Oh well. At least I knew it wasn't going to be fast.<br />
<br />
The forecast for race day wasn't all that ideal, with rain chances in the morning. When I woke up at 5 a.m. I could hear the rain falling. Great. Thirteen miles in the rain and slightly chilly temperatures. Wonderful.<br />
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My Mom, who was playing photographer and chauffeur, and I headed out at 5:30 to pick up my brother and sister-in-law and two of my nephews. My brother was going to be running his first full marathon that day.<br />
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We did the typical pre-race stuff. Port-a-potties, stretching, photos. The rain had died down a bit, but it was sill kind of windy and chilly and misting, making it hard to decide what to run in. Long-sleeves? Arm sleeves? Just my tank top? I ended up going with my arm sleeves, but tossed those to my mom when I went past her at the starting line.<br />
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Like I said, I had no expectations for time since I wasn't prepared for this. So there was no pressure. I planned on walking the aide stations and whenever I needed to. I just wanted to run, finish the race, collect my medal, have a good time and cheer on my brother to his first marathon finish.<br />
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Thoughts from the course:<br />
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Mile 1: Running feels hard. This is going got be a long day.<br />
Mile 6ish: Oh, great. The first race walker just passed me. Usually that happens around Mile 7.<br />
Mile 6-7: This is the worst stretch of the course. I hate it.<br />
Mile 7.5: "Eye of the Tiger" comes on my playlist. Reminds me of Lake Michigan Trail Half Eve with my friend Erica. Alabama Week! <br />
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Mile 8: I see my mom and two nephews. This is the first time I've seen my family since the start and makes me happy. Also get an update that my brother's through Mile 10 and doing well. Then I get told that I need to beat him to the finish.<br />
Mile 8.3: Oh. It's starting to rain harder.<br />
Mile 8.5: Menasha is a freaking long city. That, or I'm running really slow.<br />
Mile 9: Still raining. The drips off the brim of my hat are coming faster.<br />
Mile 10: There's Mom and the Rugrats again. Three miles to go.<br />
Mile 11.5: There goes the marathon pace car. Kind of thought the leader would have passed me sooner.<br />
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Mile 12.25: Oh, it's the Capt. America-clad Rugrats again. I wasn't expecting to see them, but then I glance left. There's the finish line and I've still got to run around the park. Sigh.<br />
Mile 13.1: Finish!<br />
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Overall, I never really felt bad during the race. Sure, I got into a few mental dark spots, but they were short lived. My legs? I think I did a good job of mixing in the walk breaks with my runs to keep them somewhat feeling fresh given the lack of training.<br />
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It was my fastest half of the year (OK, OK, so I only ran two of them), but the finish time (2:47) gave me hope that if I just buckle down and actually, you know, train next spring, I can maybe be "fast" again next spring/fall. <br />
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After I finished, it was time to get some food, change into some dry (although not much warmer) clothes and wait for my brother to come in. And the wind? Let's just say I was glad I finished when I did, because holy windy.<br />
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Soon my brother came across the finish line, crossing it in around 4:15, looking great for his first marathon finish. After pictures it was time to head home, shower and then over to his house for some pizza and Packers. It was a good day.<br />
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<br />Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-58564432836663401962014-10-05T15:46:00.002-05:002014-10-05T15:52:00.537-05:00September reading recapAnother month, another recap of what I read. Which, let's be honest. That seems to be the only blog posts I actually write anymore. That may change someday, but for now. Let's talk about books.<br />
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I finished eight books in September for a total of 2,051 pages. That brings the yearly numbers to 69 books and 22,910 pages. I'd say I'm well on my way towards hitting the yearly goal of 77 books. Heck, at this point, there's a little piece of me that kin of wants to try for triple digits, but at this point it might turn into a "read as many books as you can" kind of goal.<br />
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What'd I read? Take a look:<br />
<br />
<i>Landline</i> by Rainbow Rowell<br />
<i>Until Fountain Bridge</i> by Samantha Young<br />
<i>Notorious Nineteen</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Castle Hill</i> by Samantha Young<br />
<i>So Much Pretty</i> by Cara Hoffman<br />
<i>A Farewell to Arms</i> by Ernest Hemingway<br />
<i>Going Somewhere: A Bicycle Journey Across America</i> by Brian Benson<br />
<i>Takedown Twenty</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<br />
And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars
given out on GoodReads. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5358421-jennifer">Follow me here</a> if you’d like a more timely update on
what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Landline-Rainbow-Rowell-ebook/dp/B00HP1JYZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412541278&sr=8-1&keywords=landline">Landline</a> by Rainbow Rowell ****<br />
I didn't even leave a review on GoodReads about this book. While I gave it four stars, I think it was more of a 3.5 and I rounded up. It was decent, but definitely not my favorite book by this author.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Until-Fountain-Bridge-InterMix-Dublin-ebook/dp/B00C5R83E6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412541381&sr=8-1&keywords=until+fountain+bridge">Until Fountain Bridge</a> by Samantha Young ***<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Castle-Hill-Braden-Novella-Dublin-ebook/dp/B00FKERXXS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412541405&sr=8-2&keywords=until+fountain+bridge">Castle Hill</a> by Samantha Young *** <br />
As general rule, I don't read those "in-between" numbered books when it comes to series. I kind of think if it isn't an important enough storyline to include in the main books of the series, why bother? That being said, I did read these. Filler. Eh.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFe9XSIRArw9WT3OiRD7aAaGFYZh6IcjW0m6XCg4eZkGrYU2zhdEJJIRtByv3BXsf4I7KkqERaKBM4-uL5cwydhR2Zl_C3K9m90rlYjpn1rDM76eShxJWdEIjIRFH-D8vFCscxrrKoPMM/s1600/41yEqOTKymL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFe9XSIRArw9WT3OiRD7aAaGFYZh6IcjW0m6XCg4eZkGrYU2zhdEJJIRtByv3BXsf4I7KkqERaKBM4-uL5cwydhR2Zl_C3K9m90rlYjpn1rDM76eShxJWdEIjIRFH-D8vFCscxrrKoPMM/s1600/41yEqOTKymL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Notorious-Nineteen-Stephanie-Plum-19-ebook/dp/B0086N7AV0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412541316&sr=8-1&keywords=notorious+nineteen">Notorious Nineteen</a> *** <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Takedown-Twenty-Stephanie-Janet-Evanovich-ebook/dp/B00D0OPD6O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412541351&sr=8-2&keywords=notorious+nineteen">Takedown Twenty</a> *** by Janet Evanovich<br />
Good, light, mindless reading. That being said, I'm glad I'm nearing the end of what's been published in this series.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/So-Much-Pretty-Cara-Hoffman-ebook/dp/B0043RSJ9U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412541432&sr=8-1&keywords=so+much+pretty">So Much Pretty</a> by Cara Hoffmann ***<br />
This is been on my "to read" list forever and I'm not sure how it got there. It was really, really hard to get into. The last 80 pages or so were pretty good, but I'm not sure they were worth the struggle it took to get into this book. Probably wouldn't recommend it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Farewell-To-Arms-Ernest-Hemingway/dp/0684801469/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412541504&sr=8-1&keywords=a+farewell+to+arms">A Farewell to Arms</a> by Ernest Hemingway ****<br />
This counts as my classic this year. I decided to read it since you hear the title tossed around a lot and I was in Key West and walked by Hemingway's house earlier this year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZRJagNEz0rJ9ADyTRoL2pEzR4INYCyWfxMRgMnmIjJh0EFVqqGz6_hjAYxkCI_-bHqNOxJLARPwXV0oRv7_EG-15cq2BcKLcNs1SrCWmD-zJu6Ai21utYZB_9dOqYQAXXhoNs8wfZe4/s1600/51+KluS7xrL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZRJagNEz0rJ9ADyTRoL2pEzR4INYCyWfxMRgMnmIjJh0EFVqqGz6_hjAYxkCI_-bHqNOxJLARPwXV0oRv7_EG-15cq2BcKLcNs1SrCWmD-zJu6Ai21utYZB_9dOqYQAXXhoNs8wfZe4/s1600/51+KluS7xrL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Going-Somewhere-Bicycle-Journey-America-ebook/dp/B00FX7R2CE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412541226&sr=8-1&keywords=going+somewhere">Going Somewhere: A Bicycle Journey Across America</a> by Brian Benson ****<br />
I stumbled across this one as a giveaway on GoodReads. I didn't win the giveaway, but I still put in the request at the library. It was decent, probably a 3.5 but I was feeling generous. Let's just say reading this left me thinking I'd probably NEVER ride my bike across North Dakota, but some areas sounded pretty gorgeous.<br />
<br />
So that was September. Spoiler alert. It's five days into October and I've already finished the last Stephanie Plum book. Well, the last one that's been published. I'm sure there will be more since there's been no nice, wrapped up conclusion to the series.<br />
<br />
What's on your to read pile for October? <br />
<br />Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-36000583490590691572014-09-06T12:00:00.000-05:002014-09-06T12:00:06.064-05:00Lake Michigan Trail Half Marathon race report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was totally unprepared, but I went and ran a half marathon last weekend.<br />
<br />
Last winter, it was announced there was going to be a new race in Milwaukee that was going to utilize county parks and trails. Along with a bunch of friends, I signed up. At that point, I figured it was going to be half marathon 2 of 3 during a one month period for me.<br />
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Well, it's turned into my first half marathon of the year since I was in a car crash the day before the Green Bay Half Marathon and I decided to take a DNS at the Madison Mini in mid-August because I didn't want to hate the race that I love so much.<br />
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So the <a href="http://www.lakemichiganmarathon.com/">Lake Michigan Trail Half Marathon</a> was going to be my first attempt at 13.1 miles this years. The race also offered a full marathon, 50K and 20-mile training run option, so there was no worry about coming in dead last.<br />
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But still. I was woefully under trained. Oops.<br />
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I went to the starting line with no expectations other than to eventually finish and have a good time.<br />
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That lack of expectations was a good thing since it was super warm and humid. As in, just standing at the starting line I could see the salt crystals starting to form on my arms. Oh boy.<br />
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And did I mention it was foggy? Yeah. A good portion of the route was along Lake Michigan (hence the name), but given the amount of fog, if you didn't know you were running next to a big ole lake, you would have never realized it. So much thick fog.<br />
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Kind of made it a little eerie, but oh so cool at the same time.<br />
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So like I said. No expectations. I just decided to aim for getting 7 or 8 miles in without feeling like I was going to die and then just coast until the finish line.<br />
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The first five miles were on a pave multi-purpose trail that ran through some of the parks. Then we got to play on the trails in the woods. And oh my gosh. Was it gorgeous. Even with all the fog.<br />
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Somewhere around mile 8.5ish, the wheels started to fall off. My legs were getting cranky and tired, it was hot and I was rationing water because I wasn't quite sure when I was going to be coming up upon the next aid station. So I started adding in more walking. On the final back portion of an out and back, I ran into my friend Erica, who was struggling with an injury. We walked it in the final three-quarters of a mile and called it a day.<br />
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In the end, it was my worst time ever for a half marathon. But I enjoyed my time out there. The route was gorgeous, it was a good weekend with friends and after we had some food and drink, Erica and I went to go float in the pool at her condo for a good chunk of the afternoon.<br />
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I'm hoping to go back next year and actually be prepared to run the race for a decent time. Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-44544197944654253222014-09-05T19:19:00.001-05:002014-09-05T19:22:47.460-05:00August Reading RecapOK. I may have been on vacation for a week in August, but even I have to admit. My reading totals? Kind of out of control.<br />
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I finished 13 books in August for a total of 3,859 pages. That brings the yearly total to 61 books and 20,859 pages. The average length of a book I read last month? 297 pages. Needless to say, with 61 books already read, I'm well on my way of meeting my goal of 77 books for the year.<br />
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I admit, it's not like the books I read last month were very taxing on my brain. I mean, seriously. They were the definition of mindless, summer vacation reading. So what'd I read? Take a look:<br />
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<i>We Were Liars</i> by E. Lockhart<br />
<i>Twelve Sharp</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>4:09:43: Boston 2013 Through the Eyes of Runners</i> by Hal Higdon<br />
<i>Lean Mean Thirteen</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Fearless Fourteen</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return</i> by Ian Doescher<br />
<i>Down London Road</i> by Samantha Young<br />
<i>Finger Lickin' Fifteen</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Sizzling Sixteen</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>The Geography of You and Me</i> by Jennifer E. Smith<br />
<i>Smokin' Seventeen</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Explosive Eighteen</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>The Husband's Secret</i> by Liane Moriarty<br />
<br />
Yes. Yes. A lot of Stephanie Plum. The good news? I've only got three more left in the series. And honestly, I'm kind of glad. While they're quick, fun, entertaining reads, I'm a little Stephanie Plum-ed out at this point. But I need to finish them.<br />
<br />
And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars
given out on GoodReads. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5358421-jennifer">Follow me here</a> if you’d like a more timely update on
what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/We-Were-Liars-E-Lockhart-ebook/dp/B00FPOSDGY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409962236&sr=8-1&keywords=we+were+liars"><i>We Were Liars</i></a> by E. Lockhart ****<br />
I liked this. It was different and kind of kept me guessing until the end.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Sharp-Stephanie-Plum-12-ebook/dp/B000UB9NFC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409962277&sr=8-1&keywords=twelve+sharp"><i>Twelve Sharp</i></a> ****, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lean-Mean-Thirteen-Stephanie-Plum-ebook/dp/B0010SGQUY/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=009P6KE2WNW145FZTKK6"><i>Lean Mean Thirteen</i></a> ***, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Fourteen-Stephanie-Plum-Novel-ebook/dp/B0011UGLR4/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=180SE3NH44G6F9EXYQS2"><i>Fearless Fourteen</i></a> ****, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Finger-Lickin-Fifteen-Stephanie-Plum-ebook/dp/B00FO7JQHW/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0T1JTBWCM6XVAFM7EX98"><i>Finger Lickin' Fifteen</i></a> ****, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sizzling-Sixteen-Stephanie-Plum-Book-ebook/dp/B003GYEGMU/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=09CK6X7TW4BKMH7H5WJE"><i>Sizzling Sixteen</i></a> ***, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smokin-Seventeen-Stephanie-Plum-Novel-ebook/dp/B004HFRJCG/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0W00C8EV6G8389WE3ZM7"><i>Smokin' Seventeen</i></a> ****, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Explosive-Eighteen-Stephanie-Plum-Novel-ebook/dp/B004UI0NVE/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1KWT7BDA31FHFRWTQF8X"><i>Explosive Eighteen</i></a> **** by Janet Evanovich<br />
Short, fun, entertaining reads. Perfect for summer vacation. Which is why I really should have finished the last three of the series before September started. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boston-2013-Through-Eyes-Runners-ebook/dp/B00HFEFP04/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1409962424&sr=1-1&keywords=4+09+43"><i>4:09:43 Boston 2013 Through the Eyes of Runners</i></a> by Hal Higdon ***<br />
Not bad. Of course I know the story of Boston 2013, but it was kind of interesting to read it through the minds of those who were actually out on the course that day.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/William-Shakespeares-Jedi-Doth-Return-ebook/dp/B00HP3PGAO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1409962450&sr=1-1&keywords=jedi+doth+return"><i>William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return</i></a> by Ian Doescher ****<br />
The final installment of the Star Wars trilogy written in the style of Shakespeare. How can you possibly go wrong with Shakespeare speaking Ewoks?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Down-London-Road-Dublin-Street-ebook/dp/B00AYJIKMM/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1409962501&sr=1-1&keywords=down+london+road"><i>Down London Road</i></a> by Samantha Young ****<br />
I liked this. A good friendship into lovers kind of story.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Geography-You-Me-Jennifer-Smith-ebook/dp/B00ECE9NEO/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1409962535&sr=1-1&keywords=the+geography+of+you+and+me"><i>The Geography of You and Me</i></a> by Jennifer E. Smith ***<br />
It was OK. At least it was a fast read. I read a lot of young adult stuff, but this kind of felt young adultish.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Husbands-Secret-Liane-Moriarty-ebook/dp/B00D7Z4GQY/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1409962563&sr=1-1&keywords=husband%27s+secret"><i>The Husband's Secret</i></a> by Liane Moriarty ****<br />
This took a bit to get into and to figure out how the characters connected, but once it did. Man. It was one of those books that I didn't want to put down until I finished. I definitely recommend this.<br />
<br />
So, yeah. I was a bit out of control in terms of reading last month. Now wonder my running and biking numbers were so freaking low. I always had my nose in a book apparently. Oh well. It was worth it.<br />
<br />
What are you reading this month?Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-46541069803088656972014-08-11T21:24:00.001-05:002014-08-11T21:25:00.305-05:00What I Did On My Summer VacationIn grade school fashion, I give you my essay: What I did on my summer vacation.<br />
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<br />
I went kayaking.<br />
Watched five of my 7-year-old nephew's baseball games over the span of two days.<br />
Went for four bike rides, totaling 33.5 miles.<br />
Thought about running multiple times, but only logged one 3.6 mile run.<br />
I binge-watched 12 episodes of <a href="http://www.nbc.com/chicago-pd">Chicago P.D.</a><br />
I read 5.5 books (finished the last half of a book I started Sunday today during lunch).<br />
Enjoyed one fire in the backyard.<br />
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Went exploring at <a href="http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/whitefish/">White Fish Dunes State Park</a>.<br />
Met my high school BFF's new baby daughter, whom I've been meaning to meet for the last four months.<br />
Watched the Packer's <strike>practice</strike>, err, preseason game with friends.<br />
Thoroughly enjoyed not having anything that I absolutely had to do.<br />
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And now it's back to the working world. Yuck. When's my next vacation?Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-42559158600621915882014-08-03T20:21:00.002-05:002014-08-03T20:21:35.698-05:00July reading recapI may have binged on Stephanie Plum last month. Why do I say that? Well, just keep reading and you'll find out.<br />
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I finished eight books in July that totaled 2,530 pages. That brings the yearly total to 48 books and 17,000 pages. I'm not kidding. It comes out to exactly 17,000 pages. For giggles, that means the average length of a book I read has been 354 pages. Anyway. Safe to say I'm well on my way to finishing my goal of 77 books in a year. Four more months to read 29 books. I think I can do it.<br />
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So what'd I read?<br />
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<i>Hot Six</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Seven Up</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Hard Eight</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>To the Nines</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Ten Big Ones</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Eleven on Top</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Paper Towns</i> by John Green<br />
<i>Stronger</i> by Jeff Bauman<br />
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I told ya I went on a Stephanie Plum binge. I can't help it. Those are fun, easy reads. Notice I did take a time out from Stephanie after I finished up No. 11. That's called restraint. I have it.<br />
<br />
And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars
given out on GoodReads. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5358421-jennifer">Follow me here</a> if you’d like a more timely update on
what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Six-Stephanie-Plum-No-ebook/dp/B0017DC5UC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407114833&sr=8-1&keywords=hot+six"><i>Hot Six</i></a> ***, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Up-Stephanie-Plum-Novel-ebook/dp/B0017POSDC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407114920&sr=8-1&keywords=seven+up"><i>Seven Up</i></a> ****, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Eight-Janet-Evanovich-ebook/dp/B0017I1IZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407114945&sr=8-1&keywords=hard+eight"><i>Hard Eight</i></a> ****, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nines-Janet-Evanovich-ebook/dp/B0019FPCWG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407114976&sr=8-1&keywords=to+the+nine"><i>To the Nines</i></a> ****, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Big-Ones-Stephanie-Plum-ebook/dp/B00179FNRI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407115007&sr=8-1&keywords=ten+big+ones"><i>Ten Big Ones</i></a> *** and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eleven-Stephanie-Plum-Janet-Evanovich-ebook/dp/B0025VO4JA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407115040&sr=8-1&keywords=eleven+on+top"><i>Eleven on Top</i></a> *** by Janet Evanovich<br />
These are short, fun and easy reads. They take me an average of three days to read.<br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41IssSrVjiL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41IssSrVjiL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<i> </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Towns-John-Green-ebook/dp/B001ANSS5K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407115071&sr=8-1&keywords=paper+towns"><i>Paper Towns</i></a> by John Green ***<br />
I like John Green's stuff, but I have to admit. This was not one of my favorites. Don't get me wrong. It was still good, but I've just read better. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stronger-Bauman-Jeff-ebook/dp/B00EXTVTOA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407115145&sr=8-1&keywords=stronger"><i>Stronger</i></a> by Jeff Bauman ****<br />
This is the story of the guy everyone remembers from the Boston Marathon bombing. We all saw the photo: The guy in the wheelchair with no legs being pushed away from the scene with the guy in the cowboy hat running alongside him. Jeff Bauman was the guy in the wheelchair and this tells his story, from the time leading up to the bombing to his recovery.<br />
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Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm on vacation this week and I've got a stack of books just waiting to be read. And yes, a few of them may feature Stephanie Plum. What are you reading?Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-43826253000254201612014-07-29T22:21:00.002-05:002014-07-29T22:21:41.841-05:00I went flying with eagles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's my favorite week of the summer as far as work goes.<br />
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It's <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eaa.org%2Fen%2Fairventure&ei=vl_YU_j9KpekyAT7tIGQCw&usg=AFQjCNGQZNNmNh6aYhPq2svyoSVSqJBY3A&sig2=WnLpLVrD-K22FneEBibYtg&bvm=bv.71778758,d.aWw">EAA AirVenture</a> week. Also known as the week airplanes and pilots from around the globe converge on Oshkosh for a week of all things aviation-related. There are the military aircraft, the vintage aircraft, the Warbirds from World War II and other conflicts and the new advances in aviation.<br />
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It's also the week I really don't need an alarm clock. Seeing as my apartment is right behind the airport where all the action is happening and the loud rumbles of the Warbirds usually fill the skies around 8 a.m., although today I swear they were taking off at 6:57 a.m.<br />
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I. Love. It.<br />
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And for work, I get to spend an entire week on the grounds, finding the great stories and listening to people talk about their aircraft.<br />
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It's been no different this year.<br />
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Today I got a pretty spectacular assignment. EAA has a program called Young Eagles, which aims to give kids a free airplane ride as a way to introduce them to aviation. The chairman of the program is <a href="https://www.oracle.com/corporate/teamoracle/index.html">Sean D. Tucker</a>, this crazy <a href="http://youtu.be/sEsCh3bA6Xw">aerobatic pilot</a> who is amazing to watch. But Tucker's also pretty cool when it comes to Young Eagles. As chairman, at each air show he performs at <a href="http://www.thenorthwestern.com/picture-gallery/news/local/oshkosh/airventure/2014/07/29/sean-tucker-young-eagles-flight-at-airventure/13331409/">Tucker gives one kid a Young Eagles flight</a>.<br />
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Today was that flight.<br />
<br />
And me? I got a spot in the chase plane so I could get video of the flight.<br />
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How's that work, you say? Well, the plane was missing a pretty important piece. It's called the side panel. Yup. There's a big gaping hole cut out of the side of the airplane that allows people to have a great vantage point to shoot video or photos. Normally I'd so, heck no. I'm not going up in a plane that's missing large chunks of siding. But this was an opportunity I couldn't miss.<br />
<br />
So I strapped myself in, made sure the cord attaching me to the inside of the plane was secure and said, let's fly.<br />
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I admit, it was a little hairy at first. I mean, there I was, flying way above the ground (who knows how many feet) and there was nothing solid to my left. Just an open hole and the ground, really far below. But the view? Amazing. The shots I got of the aircraft (there were four planes that flew in formation during the Young Eagles flight)? Spectacular. Find the story I wrote <a href="http://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/news/local/oshkosh/airventure/2014/07/29/young-eagle-airventure/13328817/">here</a>, the video is below.<br />
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So much fun and such a great experience.<br />
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Now I just count down the days until the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds get to town on Thursday. So. So. Excited for them.Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-63744335361045911332014-07-27T13:07:00.000-05:002014-07-27T13:07:00.286-05:00Chickenfest 5K Race ReportIn another installment of "race reports from a month ago," I bring you the Chickenfest 5K.<br />
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Every year, there's a small community festival called Chickenfest in my parents' neighborhood. It's held at the park that's a 5 minute walk from my mom and dad's. It's your typical Wisconsin festival. Beer, food, music, kids' rides and (because we're lucky) fireworks. Oh, and they do the chicken dance every hour, on the hour.<br />
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Fun times.<br />
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This year, they added a 5K run and since it's Chickenfest and the route is on roads I run regularly when I'm at mom and dad's, I had to do it. Plus it was cheap.<br />
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Going into the run, I was a bit worried. Remember, car accident. Hurt back. And heading down to the park and walking on the uneven, muddy ground for the fireworks the night before didn't do it any favors. In other words, it was already angry with me.<br />
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Dad was walking the race and I was running, so we headed down to the start line. It was pretty low key start. A state trooper who lost his leg when he was hit by another car while responding to an accident earlier this year basically yelled "go" into the bullhorn. And we were off.<br />
<br />
And pretty much immediately I thought I might have to pull out. My back hurt so bad. Like, sharp, throbbing pain. When I got to my mom, who was standing at the end of her block less than a half-mile into the race, I briefly considered stopping. But I kept running.<br />
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About a mile in, the pain subsided a bit and I was able to run a bit more comfortably. But it still hurt a bit. I ended up finishing the race, grabbing my cookie and water and went to wait for my dad.<br />
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It was a fun little community 5K. I kind of hope they bring it back next year.Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-10251665340993022662014-07-26T13:51:00.002-05:002014-07-26T13:51:36.859-05:00Ragnar Chicago recapIf I don't write this soon, I should just wait until next year's version of Ragnar Chicago.<br />
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For the third year in a row, I packed up my duffel bag and embarked on a 36-hour journey in a big white 15-passenger van with five of my running friends, set out to run the 200ish miles from Madison to Chicago.<br />
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Because it's been almost two months, I'm going with the short and sweet version.<br />
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I met up with my friends in Milwaukee on Thursday night. We had beer and pizza and then set off for Madison, where we checked into our hotel for the night and were greeted with hotel rooms the size of matchboxes.<br />
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Sure. Three people. One bed. And barely any floor space? And they called this a handicapped accessible room. Ummm, no. But I like these girls. And all we were doing was sleeping.<br />
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The next morning Ragnar started bright and early. I think we had a 6 a.m. start. Or maybe 6:30. I told you, it's been a while.<br />
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I was in Van 1, a first for me at this race, so I was excited to see all the new areas that I hadn't seen before. As Runner 3, my first leg was just a short 2.7 miles jaunt with some baby hills. In the sun, with no clouds and it was starting to get a bit warm. I managed to forget to hit start on the Garmin, so I have no idea how long this took me.<br />
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After all of our runners were done with their first legs, we took off to get some food. And make a backup plan just in case that stabbing pain Renee was feeling in her foot meant she wouldn't be able to run the rest of her legs. (Spoiler: She couldn't run.) After that we headed to the next major exchange and hung out in the grass underneath a tent. It was glorious.<br />
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Our second set of legs were our night legs. Mine was 5.5 miles through Waukesha and New Berlin. Let's just say it really seemed like I ran uphill for all those miles. So many uphills, but not downhill. What the heck? But I ran. Even when I was trying to run on the tiny little shoulder of the road and I feared for a few minutes that I was going to get schmucked by the the cars, which were driving really fast and coming straight at me.<br />
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Then we got to sleep. Like 3 hours next to the lake in Racine. The rhythmic blowing of the light house put me to sleep and I was dead to the world. Also, this sleeping thing during Ragnar? Fabulous. Before Key West I had never really gotten to sleep. Amazing.<br />
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Way too soon we had to wake up and run some more.<br />
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Sunrise in Racine. Not quite Key West, but still beautiful.<br />
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My final leg was another 5.5 through Kenosha. I'm not going to lie. This sucked.<br />
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I think 24 hours of running and sitting in a 15-passenger van was finally starting to make my back mad. Remember, I was in a car accident 3 weeks before Ragnar and was still dealing with a fairly messed up back.<br />
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During this run through Kenosha, it reminded me it was still hurt and it was getting angry. I ran the first half of the run, being distracted by the ginormous houses along the lake was helpful. But sometime around Mile 3 I just couldn't do it anymore. Every step hurt my back. And it didn't help that I hadn't had decent food since lunchtime the day before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8cEF4IBGdRLXRiInTl36x4Fc5idJG8vmEu-fJRuDqwqEm5lw75H1ya0Lj4imdirJM-bsv-3TZSp8o493VckQcIyGVgKiXIdiucq7UhqyT7x_J9f1-1DGeRzm_Gl1FIuJB1YIf7y6wNg/s1600/3656455_race_0.9871668822337595.display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8cEF4IBGdRLXRiInTl36x4Fc5idJG8vmEu-fJRuDqwqEm5lw75H1ya0Lj4imdirJM-bsv-3TZSp8o493VckQcIyGVgKiXIdiucq7UhqyT7x_J9f1-1DGeRzm_Gl1FIuJB1YIf7y6wNg/s1600/3656455_race_0.9871668822337595.display.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a>So I walked. I tried to run at times, but it wasn't going to happen. Too bad I was running through a commercial district, so I didn't even have pretty scenery to distract myself. Oh well. I eventually finished and got some food and water in me.<br />
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After our last runner finished, we headed off to a swanky Chicago suburb for this amazing breakfast at a waffle house. So much food. So many dishes. Really. They brought our drinks to us in a glass, in a small (warm) bowl. What? But so, so good.<br />
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After we were in a food coma, it was back to the van to navigate our way to the finish line, where we got our free beer and pizza and then found ourselves a spot of grass to hang out and chat with other friends until our team came running in.<br />
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Overall, another great Ragnar Chicago is in the books. Can't wait for 2015.Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5987556972170753490.post-76425526668837354262014-07-02T20:34:00.000-05:002014-07-02T20:34:04.453-05:00Double the reading recaps!Yup. I disappeared for a month.<br />
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Let's just say when you're working long hours to make up for missed time at work for chiropractor appointments, coming home at night and sitting in front of a computer to blog isn't on the top of my list of things I want to do.<br />
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So I didn't.<br />
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Which means you get a double dose of a reading recap today. Go grab yourself a drink, because this is going to be long.<br />
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I read 13 books in May and June. I finished six in May and seven in June. I read 2,633 pages in May and 2,266 pages in June. That brings the yearly total to 40 books and 14,470 pages. Remember, I'm aiming for 77 books for the year and after six months, I've read 51.9 percent of my goal. I'd say I'm on track.<br />
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So what'd I read?<br />
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<b>May</b><br />
<i>Inferno</i> by Dan Brown<br />
<i>Love in the Time of Algorithms: How Online Dating Shapes Our Relationships</i> by Dan Slater<br />
<i>Two for the Dough</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Three to Get Deadly</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>A Feast for Crows</i> by George R.R. Martin<br />
<i>The Selection</i> by Kiera Cass<br />
<b>June</b><br />
<i>The Elite</i> by Kiera Cass<br />
<i>The One</i> by Kiera Cass<br />
<i>Life After Life</i> by Kate Atkinson<br />
<i>Four to Score</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>High Five</i> by Janet Evanovich<br />
<i>Burial Rites</i> by Hannah Kent <br />
<i>Where You Are</i> by Tammara Webber<br />
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And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars
given out on GoodReads. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5358421-jennifer">Follow me here</a> if you’d like a more timely update on
what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Inferno-Robert-Langdon-Dan-Brown/dp/1400079152/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404350546&sr=8-1&keywords=inferno+dan+brown"><i>Inferno</i></a> by Dan Brown ****<br />
Dan Brown puts lots of twists and turns into his stuff, so even when you think you know what's happening, you get surprised. The end did drag a little bit.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Time-Algorithms-Technology-Meeting/dp/1591845319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350609&sr=1-1&keywords=love+in+the+time+of+algorithms"><i>Love in the Time of Algorithms</i></a> by Dan Slater **<br />
It's about online dating. Parts were interesting, parts were just boring. Jumped around a lot.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Two-Dough-Stephanie-Plum-Novels/dp/0312948964/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350632&sr=1-1&keywords=two+for+the+dough"><i>Two for the Dough</i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Three-Deadly-Stephanie-Plum-Novels/dp/0312966091/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350671&sr=1-1&keywords=three+to+get+deadly"><i>Three to Get Deadly</i></a> by Janet Evanovich ***<br />
These are just good summer reads. A few parts had me chuckling out loud.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Feast-Crows-Song-Fire-Thrones/dp/055358202X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350703&sr=1-1&keywords=feast+for+crows"><i>A Feast for Crows</i></a> by George R.R. Martin *****<br />
Game of Thrones. I love these. <br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Selection-Kiera-Cass/dp/0062059947/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350738&sr=1-1&keywords=the+selection">The Selection</a></i> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Selection-Kiera-Cass/dp/0062059971/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350767&sr=1-2&keywords=the+selection"><i>The Elite</i></a> by Kiera Cass ****<br />
These were a re-read in preparation for the final installment.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Selection-Kiera-Cass/dp/0062059998/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350794&sr=1-3&keywords=the+selection"><i>The One</i></a> by Kiera Cass ****<br />
Nice way to wrap up the series.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=life%20after%20life&sprefix=life+%2Cstripbooks&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Alife%20after%20life&ajr=2"><i>Life After Life</i></a> by Kate Atkinson **<br />
I'd heard mixed reviews about this one. Once I started reading it, I almost quit. But I didn't because I had a policy where I don't give up. It had potential, but it got confusing at times skipping around to the different versions of Ursala. Just didn't enjoy it much.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ds7neL4GoFyqyN_Cf4WsxZcw3m-ZjVVj4_ZCyIsuhDqTnoxwh6IJxV3gLkH1dl1afeNx6fJZquvQV4X2Z_ZG5lMGlIGfxIhV4LcEfH_R6YfYlWtQ5m3TPsuT6xWzW9BHcB2M63HlCX4/s1600/c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ds7neL4GoFyqyN_Cf4WsxZcw3m-ZjVVj4_ZCyIsuhDqTnoxwh6IJxV3gLkH1dl1afeNx6fJZquvQV4X2Z_ZG5lMGlIGfxIhV4LcEfH_R6YfYlWtQ5m3TPsuT6xWzW9BHcB2M63HlCX4/s1600/c.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Score-Stephanie-Plum-Novels/dp/0312966970/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350854&sr=1-1&keywords=four+to+score"><i>Four to Score</i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Five-Stephanie-Plum-Novels/dp/0312971346/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350876&sr=1-1&keywords=high+five"><i>High Five</i></a> by Janet Evanovich ****<br />
Still like these<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burial-Rites-Hannah-Kent/dp/0316243922/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350900&sr=1-1&keywords=burial+rites"><i>Burial Rites</i></a> by Hannah Kent ***<br />
Interesting read. A decent story about an Icelandic woman sentenced to die and her last days. Dragged a bit in the beginning, but it picked up over the second half.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-You-Are-Between-Lines/dp/0983593175/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404350954&sr=1-3&keywords=where+you+are"><i>Where You Are</i></a> by Tammara Webber ***<br />
Eh, it was OK. I didn't have high expectations. I generally don't have a problem with YA, but this was really young adult-y in my taste.<br />
<br />
And there we go. I've caught you up on my reading progress. I have no worries about finding stuff to read right now. In true library fashion, about a million holds came in all at once, so I've got quite the stack sitting on my table. And that doesn't even include all the unread goodies that are sitting on my Kindle. So many books. So little time.<br />
<br />
What are you reading?<br />
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<br />Badgergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07754339442790529116noreply@blogger.com0