54/101

I just finished Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture, a collection of 61 short stories, pieces of advice, lessons learned, etc. from his life. The book is based on a "last lecture" series given at Carnegie Mellon, but Pausch was actually battling cancer and giving his last lecture. You can read more about Pausch, his life, dreams, and trials on his Wiki page HERE.

From page 149... Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.

Honestly, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would... And I was reading it at the same time I watched the movie, P.S. I Love You, which I also enjoyed more than I thought I would. Maybe I am just getting older and am able to deal with illness and loss better, but these are both stories I would have shyed away from in the past and found depressing. Now I find them heartwarming and inspiring. I would recommend both the book and the movie I mentioned.

It's 12:30 am, and I have a long day of packing ahead tomorrow. We leave on Friday for 10 days in Italy, Greece, and Croatia! Bon Voyage! Will update tomorrow with all the books I am taking on my trip! Goodnight!

53/101

This book was a quick read with just enough history and a good range of restaurants and sites to see. Too bad we're only going to be in Athens for one day on our cruise, but I will definitely be taking this book with me to use as a guide.

So I'm over the halfway mark with the number of books I am reading, and I'm not yet to the halfway mark for time, so I'm in good shape. Also, my post earlier today was the 101st which is kind of symbolic in my journey to 101 books in 1001 days!



Next Up: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Eyewitness Travel's The Greek Islands by Marc Dubin.

52/101

I just couldn't get into this book. Mole goes into way too much detail about everything, spends way too much time talking about drinking, and has a dry sense of humor (maybe it is British humor that I just didn't get?). I really struggled to get through this one, especially the parts about slaughtering birds and sheep. I am happy to be finished and moving on...


And I'll be even happier in just 6 days when we're setting sail on our cruise to the Greek Isles and Croatia!

Next Up: Lonely Planet's Best of Athens by Victoria Kyriakopoulos

Detour

I went to Dublin for the weekend and wanted a lighter airport read, so I traded the book I was reading for another Adriani Trigiani book. My #51 is Home to Big Stone Gap: A Novel by Trigiani... And with our Mediterranean cruise coming up in a little over a week, I am not going to go back to A Civilization of Love just yet. I'm currently reading (#52) John Mole's It's All Greek to Me: A Tale of a Mad Dog and an Englishman, Ruins, Retsina, and Real Greeks.

Next Up

I started this book earlier today, and with all the references to philosophy and history, I kind of feel like I'm back in college in a Poli Sci or Ethics class. I've been out of college almost five years now, so it's probably good to keep that part of the brain fed. Anyway, I don't have much else to say about it yet... Back in a few days!


Visit the website HERE for an author bio, more on the book, discussion boards, and more...

Spanish Vacation

Just in from Malaga, Spain, and I wanted to update on the two books I read and loved... In between seeing a Cirque du Soleil show, sightseeing, and going to the beach, I did manage to finish my two books and a few magazines. I read Milk Glass Moon (49) by Adriana Trigiani and Knitting Under the Influence (50) by Claire LaZebnik. I think, by know, I've made my feelings about Adriana Trigiani clear (and if I haven't, I thoroughly enjoy her books... see #s 41, 43, 46 and 47), and I really enjoyed LaZebnik's book too. It didn't shake up my life or move me to change the world, but it was full of loveable, fun characters (who I wish were my own friends!) and a fun, light beach read (although it did include a serious storyline about autism). I'm not sure what I'm going to read next... I do know it's 11 pm, and we had a long day of traveling across Europe, so I'm headed to bed. Will pick a new book and update tomorrow... Buenos Noches!

48/101

I usually don't read short stories... Actually, I don't think I've read them since high school English class, but I enjoyed these. I found each story a little fulfilling. They left me wanting more. I wanted the rest of the story. I think a collection of short stories was a good chance of pace, but I'm more of a novel girl. I need details and dialogue and at least three hundred pages of a story to feel fulfilled. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not a huge short story fan!

I went to the library and found my copy of Milk Glass Moon (49) by Adriana Trigiani, so I guess I did accidentally return it early. We're leaving for Spain tomorrow, and I am bringing Milk Glass Moon, Knitting Under the Influence (50) by Claire LaZebnik, and a stack of magazines I've been meaning to read (back issues of O and Conde Nast Traveler). I am looking forward to relaxing on the beach in the Costa del Sol, getting a tan, and reading for the next week!

Hasta luego, Amigos!
M