Like a turtle

I'm still reading, just slowly... I'm in Kentucky and getting over the jetlag. I'll get back on track soon!

M

59/101

I've had soooo much going on lately that I haven't as much time to read or update, but I did get through Bill Clinton's book, and although it was a little repetitive (stories of other do-gooders, what you can do, what he did, what Hillary did, etc.), overall I found it very inspirational and saved a lot of the websites and other resources that he shared in the book.

I start school this week, so I'm not going to start another book just yet... I'll update soon.

Still Around

I'm reading President Clinton's book now... I especially love the following quote:

"I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life giving my time, money, and skills to worthwhile endeavors where I could make a difference. I didn't know exactly what I would do, but I wanted to help save lives, solve important problems, and give more young people the chance to live their dreams. I felt obligated to do it because of the wonderful, improbable life I've been given..."

I haven't been making very much time for reading, but I don't have much planned for the long weekend, so I should finish this book and start my next then...

Happy Labor Day!

Next Up

I'm going to read Bill Clinton's book (#59), Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World.

From The Washington Post's Book World, Reviewed by Peter Baker

58/101

I'm back with a vengeance! I read Adriana Trigiani's The Queen of the Big Time from cover to cover today (and it's only 3 pm). It was sooo good (but be forewarned, the story is a tear jerker, at least it was for me!), but sadly, it is the last Adriana Trigiani book. I'm not sure what I'll read next. It's always so hard for me to find something to follow up Trigiani's books because I like them so much... I do have the following books from the library:

1) The Red Scarf by Kate Furnivall

2) Giving by Bill Clinton

3) Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir

I'm going to take a little snack break now and then figure out what I'll read next... Will update soon!

Ohhh and I almost forgot to mention my big news - I'm going back to school! I'm going to the University of Illinois at Chicago for a certificate in Nonprofit Management. I'll have to dig out a few of my grad school nonprofit books and read through them before classes start in September. More on that to come too...

Ciao!

Too many distractions!

I started a new knitting project this week (out of the blue I saw some yarn in my closet and decided I needed a skinny scarf) and got a new laptop... Hubby got seasons 1-6 of the tv show, 24, and it's his birthday on Saturday... So there has been a lot going on this week (on top of unpacking and adjusting to being off the cruise ship and back in the real world), and I haven't even started my book yet. Hubby leaves for a work trip on Sunday, so I'm sure I will get plenty of reading finished while he's away... Goodnight!



M

Trifecta

#55 The Story of a Marriage, by Andrew Sean Greer, was not what I was expecting. I found it through a recommendation in O Magazine, and I thought it would be a light, summer read. It was the opposite, but still a good and unique story. I have not read anything like it before, as it introduced me to life in the 1950s told by an African American woman married to a soldier. It definitely changed my "Stepford Wives" image of the era. For me, this book was a page turner. I found the story fascinating and unpredictable.

#56 James Patterson's Sundays at Tiffany's was an easy read for me. I read the entire book in an afternoon sitting on the deck of our cruise ship sailing from Greece to Croatia. Again, I found this another unique story about a girl and her imaginary friend. I was not sure what to make of this book while I was reading, but by the end, I was in tears and completely attached to the characters. I think I will read more James Patterson. I was looking at the list of all of the books he has written (I think we have Kiss the Girls somewhere in our stacks of books), and I am impressed by his range and depth. I want to try out something different by him.

#57 For One More Day, by Mitch Albom, was an okay book. I might have read this before, but I'm not sure... The story itself was probably good, but just not my style. I remember reading Tuesdays with Morrie in college and not being crazy about it either. Guess I'm just not a big Mitch Albom fan.

Next Up: Something fun!!! I'm reading Beth Harbison's Secrets of a Shoe Addict.

greetings from venice!

i read two great books and countless magazines on our cruise, and i will have the third finished (and probably most of the fourth) before we get home late tomorrow night. will write more about them next week when i am home, unpacked, and settled. ciao bellas!

p.s. on a sad note, i heard that randy pausch, the author of the last book that i wrote about, passed away. my condolences go out to his family. i was very sorry to hear about his death.

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!