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!

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

Change of Plans

I think I accidentally returned the wrong books to the library the other day, and it was closed today, so I couldn't call to find out. Anyway, my book is MIA, so I'm moving on until I can get to the library and see if the book is there. My new #48 is Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth. We're going out of town for the weekend, so hopefully I'll be able to get some reading time in, and I can finish this book before we leave for Spain on Wednesday. I'm going to find some fun, light beach reads for that trip!

TGIF!
M

47/101

I will admit, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others I have read by Trigiani, but I was still hooked from the start. I read the entire book yesterday, but I think I am starting to read faster because I was only up until 12:15 am finishing it, lol. Still, I feel like Ave Maria is my Appalachian Italian cousin who I am just getting to know... I can't wait to read the third book, Milk Glass Moon. I should be able to get started today...


I'm not sure how much I'll be able to read though. Bil comes tomorrow to visit for two weeks, and I need to get the house straightened up, the fridge stocked, and go for a run. #45 was really a motivator, I've been running everyday!

And on a different note, I got this email this morning from Oprah with her five books that everyone needs to read once. Visit Oprah's Book Club Website!

Continuing the Trilogy

The library had both Big Cherry Holler (#47) and Milk Glass Moon (#48) by Adriana Trigiani, so I checked them both out. I just started Big Cherry Holler, and I'm already over 100 pages into it. I think I'll have them both finished by the end of this weekend. I was so happy to see Ave Maria and Jack Mac and Theodore and all my favorite characters from Big Stone Gap back! I know I just finished the first book like 15 hours ago, but still, I missed them. I think Trigiani is moving up on my list of favorite fiction authors. Before I discovered her, I wasn't a huge fiction fan, but I really enjoy her books. I can't seem to get enough of them... Speaking of, I want to get back to my book. Ciao!

46/101

Another great book by Adriana Trigiani. Every time I fall in love with the characters, and I am compelled to read and read. It's bittersweet though... I read fast because I want to know what happens, but then I get to the end and I'm sad that it's over. I stayed up until 1 am finishing this book last night... I look forward to reading the whole trilogy! I'm going to have to go and see what the library has today...


Next Up: I'm not sure... I had Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat checked out from the library and sitting on my desk to read next... But I don't think I'm in the food for it. I'm going to have to look through the bookshelves and see if anything jumps out at me. I'll update later...

Now Reading...

Last night I started reading (#46) Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani. I just started reading Trigiani this summer, but I really enjoy her stories... This is part of a trilogy with Big Cherry Holler and Milk Glass Moon, and I look forward to reading the whole series. You can see the Amazon page HERE. Also, you can visit the author's website at www.adrianatrigiani.com. Enjoy!