Just a little quickie to recap the books I've read over the last few months before we get into the last quarter of the year.
- Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson - this was a fun read and I learned a lot about how to push your body to the limits (and how not to die)... it was so good I bought a copy for Jack to read in the backcountry. His jury is still out.
- Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, and Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery - been listening to these on audiobook read by Tara Ward through Hoopla. Similar to the Harry Potter books, they do a good job of growing with their audience/characters. I grew up watching the movies, but this was a first reading them and I've found them absolutely delightful: I've laughed, I've cried, I've pondered how I live my life... overall, very good. There are a few things that ring a bit outdated, especially with regards to xenophobia - or perhaps they're too ever-present... you decide.
- Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher by Timothy Egan - I really hoped to see the real photographs when I visited my family in Michigan (Muskegon Art Museum is an owner of the entire collection). I'll have to continue to keep an eye out. Overall, it was a pretty good book. Similar to the book about the first African American sports hero cyclist that I read awhile back, this was a bit depressing as things just never seemed to work out right for the Shadowcatcher while he was alive. Still, he led an amazing life and achieved an amazing accomplishment, even though it never brought him any success during his lifetime.
- The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemison - THE FINAL BOOK IN THE BROKEN EARTH TRILOGY!!!!!!! It was epic. It was intense. It made it difficult to get to bed on time. The end was SATISFYING. Mmmh! Loved it.
- 99 Nights in Logar by Jamil Jan Kochai - This one took me awhile to get into, but it was interesting. I enjoyed the unique setup (stories within stories), the toy with magical realism, and the insight into a world that I am very much not a part of. As the news of current events spooled out, I cannot help but think about what the situation would be for these characters today.
- Beyond the Wall by Edward Abbey - Problematic as he is, I still love Ed Abbey's nature writing.
Also, two partial reads, only one of which bears mentioning: Knitting Comfortably: The ergonomics of Handknitting by Carson Demers. If you're a handknitter, it's worth getting this tome from your library. I will likely request it again at some point.
I'm hoping that my reading can start to pick up again now that summer programs are done, but fire season might get in the way of that. My current "to read" list has bumped back up into the 90s again thanks to my relatively slow reading pace this summer. With any luck, I'll be able to get it back down to the 80s again... or maybe even into the 70s... It's a better problem to have than the alternative!
Until next time!
