November Reading Recap

Eleven months down, one more to go.

I finished four books in November that checked in at 1,505 pages. That brings the total to 68 books and 24,270 (give or take a few pages since some are Kindle books with no page info). I'm kind of impressed with those totals if I do say so myself.

So what'd I read? Take a look:

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
Just One Year by Gayle Forman
Faithful Place by Tana French
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

I'll let you in on a little secret. There wasn't a lot of amazing reading last month. Just kind of so-so.

And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars given out on GoodReads. Follow me here 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.

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks  ****
This is your typical Nicholas Sparks novel. Boy and girl meet. They fall in love. They run into a problem and (most of the time) they overcome the problem and live happily ever after. That being said, I like Nicholas Sparks's stuff.

Just One Year by Gayle Forman  ****
The companion to Just One Day. This is told from the viewpoint of Willem, the boy in the story. It was decent.

Faithful Place by Tana French  ****
This was probably my favorite book this month. Tana French is an author I discovered this year from a friend's recommendation and she's quickly become one of my favorites. It's another crime novel with a little bit of drama thrown in. Good stuff.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight  ***
This one got a lot of hype and I actually put it on my to read list because I saw it on some "best of 2013" list. Well, it fell short. Really didn't live up to the hype and the story seemed to drag.

So that brings us to December. One month left in 2013 and if you paid attention at the beginning of this post, you'd know I need to read seven books in December to hit my 75 book goal. That might be tough given all of the craziness that usually comes with the holidays and December. But darn it, I'm sure going to try. And I'm lucky I have a ton of options sitting in a pile, just waiting for me to read.

What are you reading this month? Are you like me, scrambling to hit a reading goal for the year?

Tyranena Half Barrel Race Report

Some of the funnest runner peeps I know.

I ran my fourth and final half marathon of the year on Nov. 2, the Tyranena Beer Run Half Barrel.

This was my second shot at running this race, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite fall races. Maybe it's because of the late start - seriously, an 11:30 a.m. start means I can sleep in my own bed and not have to get up in the dark in order to make the 1.5 hour drive to Lake Mills - or the full lasagna dinner they give you after the race in addition to all the usual post-race snacks. But mostly likely it's the people. Due to its location, this race draws a ton of runners from the Madison and Milwaukee areas, which means of a ton of my friends do it.

So who would argue with running a little race and then hanging with friends for a bit? Not me.

I went into this race with no expectations, other than to run some miles, have fun and hang out with my friends. And you know what? I accomplished every goal.

I ran with my friend Aaron and we ended up leapfrogging our friend Erica throughout the race.

The important things to know?

• I ran every single hill
• Of course I stopped at the unofficial beer stop right before Mile 5
• I was a bit disappointed the guy manning that beer station didn't know the Badger score, even though he was decked out in Badger gear. In his defense, I guess he was probably busy providing beer to runners.
• The Glacial Drumlin Trail was absolutely gorgeous with all the fall colors.
• The three of us may have had in-depth discussions about the need for an additional beer stop some where on the trail and all of the delicious food we'd be eating in 5 miles. Yes, we were hungry.
• Speaking of hunger, it's hard to fuel for a race that doesn't start until 11:30 a.m.
• My legs decided they were done somewhere around Mile 10, which unfortunately is right when the race course dumps you off into an industrial/business park.
• Aaron left me around Mile 11.5.
• In general, the weather was perfect. Except for the final mile when you were running right into a somewhat nasty wind. That was kind of brutal.
• I did pass two people in the final mile.
• I finished, collected my medal and walked into the post-race party tent just as they were announcing the Badgers beat Iowa. Made me a happy girl.

Then it was time for food, beer and friends. It wasn't my fastest half marathon by far, but it was a fun one. 

I'll be in catch mode for the next few posts

Things I should probably blog about include:

• Fox Cities Half Marathon
• Tyranena Half Barrel
• Madison Marathon spectating
• Gratuitous Badgers pictures and other lovely sites from campus
• My decision to start incorporating YMCA classes into my workout schedule
• The desire to actually set goals and train for 2014 races.

In a perfect world, I'd already have touched all of these things already. I mean really, Fox Cities Half? That was two months ago already. Oops. But the world isn't perfect. Obviously. In a nearly perfect world, I'd blog these things chronologically. But it's not a nearly perfect world either.

So I'm going to do whatever I want. And that means write about those things in whatever order I wish. So hold on to your hats. It's going to be a random ride over the next few days.

October Reading Recap

A month between posts. That's what this blog has come to.

Oh well. I'm back. I guess. I have things to write about, I was just going through a funk last month. Maybe November will be the month I get back on track. Maybe.

So let's start with a quick recap of what I read last month. Because while I wasn't blogging, I was reading. I finished five books last month that checked in at 3,179 pages. That brings the yearly total to 64 books and 22,765 pages (give or take a few since some books were Kindle titles without page counts).

So what'd I read? Take a look:

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
Allegiant by Veronica Roth

So yeah, a few re-reads last month in preparation for the release of Allegiant.

And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars given out on GoodReads. Follow me here 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.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson ***
I picked this up because I really liked Devil in the White City. This one? It was OK, but not as good in my opinion. It was interesting to read about what was happening in Germany during Hitler's reign from an ambassador's perspective. The first half (the background/ buildup) was slow. The second half was much more interesting.

Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth  both *****
I really liked both of these. Do I need to say more? And like I said, they were re-reads.

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin  ***** 
OK, these books are intimidating mostly due to the number of pages. But they're so, so good. This one started a little slow, but right around the halfway point it picked up speed. Then it was non-stop twists and turns. So many good parts. By far, my favorite of the three books so far. 

Allegiant by Veronica Roth  no rating yet
I finished this a few days ago and I'm still not completely sure what to think. It definitely was the weakest of the three books in this series, in my opinion. The first 75 percent of the book was good, pulled you in. The ending? Well, I kind of knew something like that would happen, but I guess I'm still a bit in shock that the author went about it that way. Read it yourself and tell me what you think.

So 11 books and two months stand between me and my 75-book goal for the year. Good thing I have a stack of books just waiting to be read. What are you all reading? 

September Reading Recap

Yes. I read in September. A decent amount. But for once? I really wasn't blown away by anything. There were a lot of so-so pages turned last month.

I ended up reading seven books last month. So to go through 1,940 pages of so-so words? That was kind of surprising to me. Anyway. That brings the yearly total to 59 books and 19,586 pages (give or take a few since some were Kindle titles with no page info).

Remember last month I said I may need to revamp the reading goal? To refresh your memory, Reading Goal Version 3.0 was set at 60 books. I started 2013 aiming for 40, then upped it to 52 and then had to bump it up to 60. Well. Guess what? I'm upping it again. Reading Goal Version 4.0 is now set at 75.

Anyway. What'd I read last month?

Bridesmaid Lotto by Rachel Asstor
Gamble on Engagement by Rachel Astor
The Wedding Wager by Rachel Astor
The First Affair by Emma McLaughlin
The Confession by John Grisham
Just One Day by Gayle Forman
The Week Before the Wedding by Beth Kendrick

See a theme there? Other than somewhat sub-par reading selections. Yup. Lots of wedding-related chick lit.

And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars given out on GoodReads. Follow me here 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.

Bridesmaid Lotto by Rachel Astor  ***
A Kindle freebie, so I wasn't expecting much. It was an easy read, a cute story. Which is why I picked up...

Gamble on Engagement *** and The Wedding Wager *** both by Rachel Astor 
Neither were amazing. I really didn't get the point of Gamble on Engagement other than it was needed to make it a trilogy and throw a little bit of, oh no! Is the wedding going to happen? Overall, the series was quick, fluffy, easy reading. Actually kind of perfect for a summertime beach read.

The First Affair by Emma McLaughlin  **
Oh, such a waste of reading time. The first half was slow, the second half was better, but not much. Basically, a White House intern who has an affair with the President. And I guess we're supposed to feel sorry for her when the crap hits the fan and the affair becomes public. Do yourself a favor. Stay far away from this and pick something else up.

The Confession by John Grisham ***
Not my favorite John Grisham novel. Drawn out, long. I kind of gotten the feeling it was never going to end. It's about an innocent man who's executed for a murder he didn't commit and the actual murderer who comes forward at the last minute, but not before the innocent man is killed. The third part, where the innocent man is exonerated dragged and I felt like it got a little too preachy for my taste.

Just One Day by Gayle Forman ****
Some YA reading for the month. And I liked it. Good story. And it made me want to pick up some Shakespeare.

The Week Before the Wedding by Beth Kendrick ****
It's been a long time since I've plowed through an entire book in one day, much less one work day. But that's what I did with this one. It was a good piece of chick lit with a good story. Not too cliche. An entertaining read.

Spectating at Ironman Wisconsin

 Good morning, Madison. Looks like a great day for an Ironman.

It's become a September tradition. Take the second weekend of the month, head down to Madison and cheer on athletes as they tackle the 140.6 miles of the Ironman Wisconsin course.

This was my third year down there and the second that I've been down there to cheer for my good friend Myriah's husband, Josh.

I headed down to Madison Saturday afternoon. The original plan was to get a 12-mile run in before I left, but I woke up to a pretty constant downpour with thunder and lightning for the 3 hours or so that I had blocked off for the run. So no run, but I'd be doing plenty of running around during the race Sunday.

Plotting a spectating plan.

I met up with my friends at their hotel, we got food and then plotted our spectating plan for Sunday. Like last year, Myriah and Josh would be leaving the hotel early and I'd be in charge of getting their families (about 15 of them) from the hotel to the Monona Terrace in time for the swim start. And for the second year in a row, I'm proud to say that I got them all there and no one was lost in the process!

Unlike last year, we decided to stake out spots on the upper level of the Monona Terrace for the swim portion. While it wasn't as crowded as the helix, it kind of lacked the energy that the helix has. But on the plus side, it was easier to make it from the upper terrace to where you could see the athletes running to get their bikes in transition (which is a nightmare if you're on the helix).

 Josh heading to his bike.

After Josh was off on his bike, we rounded everyone up and grabbed the shuttle bus back to the hotel. We then loaded up the three vehicles and headed out on to the bike course.

 Bikers coming up the hill on Timber Lane.

We first caught Josh around Mile 45 on the hill at Timber Lane and he looked like he was having a blast on the bike. And he was flying. As in, going so fast we didn't make it to stop #2 in time. We were getting out of our cars as we saw him fly around the corner. Oops. So it was back to Timber Lane - a little past the hill - to wait until he passed the Mile 90ish mark. And yup, he was still looking good and having fun when he flew by us.

Josh smiling and waving on his bike.

Then it was back to the hotel. Everyone else got on the bus to head back to downtown and I jumped in my car to head downtown to find a place to park.

Then the fun part started. I met up with my friend Jeff and we chased Josh around the run course on our bikes. We caught up with Josh about 6 times on each loop. He looked great on the first loop and went through some ups and downs on the second loop, but Josh still finished strong.

Eventual men's winner heading out for the second loop of the run.

I met up with Myriah and Josh after he crossed the finish line and then I was off to try to find my friend Steena, who was tackling Ironman Wisconsin for her first time. I saw her somewhere around Mile 15 and while I would have loved to stick around to watch her cross the finish line and become an Ironman, I knew I needed to take off. I had a long-ish drive ahead of me and I was starting to get tired. And I was hungry. So I headed home.

But it was another great day at Ironman. So many stories. So much inspiration. People just like me who put in the training, the ups and downs, the sweat, the aches, the pains. The good runs and bikes, the bad ones. All of it came together for them on Sunday.

The tackled the 140.6 miles and they became Ironmen. And once again, I'll take that experience with me and remember it when I get to Mile 11 of a half marathon and start hurting.

12 years

12 years.

That's a lot of days, hours and minutes. Yet, I can clearly tell you where I was and what I was doing when I first heard the news about the attacks. I can remember the thoughts that went through my mind that day as the picture became clearer about what just happened and all the questions the events of that September day raised.

Over time, memories are supposed to become fuzzy.

But 12 years later, my memories of Sept. 11, 2001, remain crystal clear.

I thought about writing something, but I really can't put it into words any better than what I wrote in a 2007 post, six years after that day.

Go read it here.

And whether it's been six years, 12 years or 30 years after those twin towers fell, I'll always remember where I was.

And I'll remember those who lost their lives that day.

I will never forget.

August Reading Recap

August was a busy month, but I still found plenty of time to read. Granted, I did have a week's worth of vacation where I could literally sit with my book on the patio for an entire afternoon.

In August, I read eight books for a total of 2,371 pages. Wow. That's more than I thought I read. But I'll take it. That brings me to 52 books and 17,646 pages (give or take a few pages since some were Kindle books that I don't have page number information for). Compared to last year when I'd finished 30 books and 10,577 pages by the end of August. Heck, I should just stop with the comparison to last year since I've already read more so far this year than I did during the entire 2012 calendar year.

I may need to revamp the reading goal. Remember, I've now got it set at 60 books (I think that was Reading Goal Version 3.0), but I was reminded that it's now football season, which means my reading may decrease a bit. Maybe. I may just leave it at a goal of "read as much as you can" in 2013. I do like having a number to aim for though. We'll see at the end of September.

So what'd I read in August?

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris
Eden by Jamie McGuire
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
The Prince by Kiera Cass
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger by Beth Harbison
On Dublin Street by Samantha Young
The Racketeer by John Grisham

And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars given out on GoodReads. Follow me here 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.

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris  ****
This was the final installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series and I liked the way it wrapped it all up.

Eden by Jamie McGuire  ***
It was a decent ending to the three-book series, but there a bit of me that thought there was a lot of build up and then, BAM, it was all over. Almost like the author ran out of pages and had to finish the story up quickly.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan  ****
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up, but I was pulled into a fun, quirky story that wove together books, technology and friendships. A good read.

The Prince by Kiera Cass  ***
This almost doesn't count as a book, since it's all of 64 pages. It's one of those mid-series novellas that it seems like a lot of Young Adult authors are fond of writing. It was a decent lunchhour read though.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes  ****
Yes, I almost cried in parts. Take a controversial topic - assisted suicide - and throw in a little bit of a romance angle and one person's attempts to "save" a person.

Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger by Beth Harbison  ***
So many people were reading this and it seemed to get a lot of good reviews. So I tried. And honestly, the first three-quarters of the book were decent. A cute, fluffy beach read. But the ending? It felt rushed and left a little to be desired.

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young  ****
I read most of this in one sitting. Story pulled me in.

The Racketeer by John Grisham  ****
I haven't read a John Grisham novel in years, but I've always liked his writing style. This was a good crime/legal thriller that kept me guessing.

I'm not exactly sure what's next on my reading list. At the moment I have NO books checked out from the library. This never happens to me. I guess it's time to scroll through my "to read" list on GoodReads and pick out a few titles to get my hands on. Because, really, being with out a book is unacceptable.