Runners Fly

walkers walk… but runners fly

Books, Books! (And More Books.)

Last week Lisa mentioned the book she was reading, Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko.  It sounded so interesting that I immediately went to my library website, only to discover they don’t have it.  So I decided to splurge, and on Wednesday went to Barnes and Noble.

I LOVE the bookstore!  I don’t go often these days, because I get most books from the library.  But I love going in, getting a cup of tea, and browsing all around.  It’s lucky I like browsing, because I can never, ever find a specific book easily.  This trip was no exception.

Despite my track record, I thought THIS time I would be able to find the book.  It’s fantasy, right?  But no- I couldn’t find it in fantasy.  I looked all through the D’s and also the C’s and E’s in case it was mis-shelved.  Nope.  Okay… science fiction?  No.  I tried fiction, mystery, and even young adult, with no luck.  Finally, I gave up (as I always do, eventually) and asked a bookseller for help.

She couldn’t find it either, although on their website it said there were copies available at that store.  She said she would ask her manager, and disappeared for about five minutes, during which I despaired of getting this book.  And then!  She returned holding one single, precious copy!  She explained that it was in a special category called “dark fantasy” and gestured to a vague corner of the store. Um…. okay?  That seemed odd to me- some books are so dark they need their own category?  I’m intrigued!

But first, I had to finish the book I was already reading:

Probably the polar opposite of Vita Nostra.

People seem to LOVE this book.  I liked it just fine.  Molly had a fascinating and odd childhood, and it was interesting to see how it shaped her as a performer.  I didn’t even really watch Saturday Night Live during those years, and yet I realized I still knew her most iconic characters, like Mary Katherine Gallagher, which is a testament to what she accomplished.  I would say this is a must-read if you’re an aspiring performer, or if you’re a fan of her work.  Otherwise, to me it was an “I’m glad I read it but my life would have been complete even if I hadn’t” kind of book.

I also recently reread two Agatha Christie mysteries.  During my middle school, high school and college years I LOVED Agatha Christie.  Sadly, I’ve read them all but every once in a while I’ll reread one, if I can’t remember the plot.  I read these books the way I imagine people read romance novels- just for the fun of it, but not expecting great literature.  I did have fun reading these; I love when Hercule Poirot gathers everyone together and reveals the murderer.

Then there was Des’s book!  This was a fun, quick read.  I’m starting to feel like an a-hole here, because once again I didn’t love this book.  I can’t even imagine the work it takes to write a memoir, and I know it’s a huge accomplishment to complete one and have it published.  But I guess I’m comparing it to Deena Kastor’s Let Your Mind Run, which was an extraordinary book that I could read over and over again.  Des’s book was good, and the behind-the-scenes look at her Boston win was interesting, but I can’t imagine wanting to reread it.

Next up!

I’m excited to read this… I’ll report back!

What are you reading now?  Do you ever buy books from the bookstore?

 

More Posts

Friday Coffee Date

Hello friends!  We made it to Friday and GUESS WHAT.  Sunday is officially the first day of fall!  Pour yourself a delicious fall-themed beverage and let’s talk about what that means. This week, Elisabeth posted her Top Five/Bottom Five Fall lists.  In her Top Five was the delightful fall weather, and in her Bottom Five was “winter is coming.”  Well, in Florida that is reversed. One of the WORST things about fall is our weather.  September is absolutely terrible.  Hot, steamy, rainy, and the chance of hurricanes increases every day.  Now that my kids are older, it doesn’t bother me as much.  But when they were young, there were all sorts of outdoor activities we thought we should be doing… like the PUMPKIN PATCH. The “pumpkin patch” was actually the yard of a nearby church that had hundreds of pumpkins- obviously no pumpkins actually grew there- they were imported from another state.  It seemed like a fun thing to do, but the weather just wasn’t conducive.  One year stands out starkly. The day we planned to go to the pumpkin patch, it rained.  But then the rained stopped- oh, good!  Let’s go to the pumpkin patch!  The problem is, when it rains here in September, it just makes things unbearably steamy.  Our time at the pumpkin patch was muggy, muddy, and horribly uncomfortable. (They don’t have that pumpkin patch anymore- I WONDER WHY.) Okay, so we don’t have fall weather here.  But you’re probably thinking that I’m guzzling down all the fancy fall drinks, right? No pumpkin spice lattes for me!  Starbucks does have some vegan seasonal drinks, but they all have a ton of sugar.  This year I’ve been having some serious FOMO, so I’ve tried a couple things… This is a vegan, unsweetened creamer, and I’ve been putting it in my tea (NOT in my Earl Grey- that would be gross.  Just regular black tea.) I think I like it?  I can’t really decide, but it does make me feel festive and fall-ish. Some friends gave us another new (to me) beverage: It’s sugar free!  The ingredients are black tea, chai spices, and sucralose.  Okay, I know sucralose isn’t good for you.  I know!  But I’m more willing to have sucralose every once in a while than sugar.  I’ve only tried it once- I mixed it with soy milk and made a DELICIOUS chai latte.  My daughter went a step further and added the pumpkin creamer to hers and made a super fancy fall beverage. Let’s go back to Elisabeth’s Bottom Five Fall item: winter is coming.  YES.  Winter is coming!  In Florida that means a break from the heat and humidity.  We’ll get some cool nights and beautiful days.  It won’t happen until November/December, but we’re here, waiting patiently. What would you tell me over coffee?  Do you like festive fall beverages?  Are you excited for the first day of fall?    

Reading and Eating

I’ve started Edge of Eternity and we are now in the 1960s!  It’s amazing to me how much I actually don’t know.  Yes- I did know there was a wall in Berlin.  But if you asked me when it was built, I would have said… right after WWII?  No!  It was built in 1961, after the US and USSR threatened war over the Berlin crisis.  This was going on during the Civil Rights protests in the US.  What an incredibly turbulent time!  Needless to say, I’m loving this book. This is the third book in Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy, and in between books 2 and 3 I quickly read this: This was a reread, as all Agatha Christies are for me.  I found it at the used bookstore, flipped through it and didn’t recognize any of the character’s names.  I took that as a good sign, and decided to risk it.  So many times I start an Agatha Christie (I read them all at least thirty years ago) and remember the ending about halfway through. Not this time!  I KNOW I read this one, but I truly couldn’t remember it.  I even tried out different “ingenious” solutions: “The narrator is the murderer!  The priest isn’t really a priest!  Someone is a long-lost son!”  Nope.  The ending was a complete surprise.  I really enjoyed this reread! Eating wise… I’ve continued to pretend that it’s not hot, muggy, and steamy here, and made chili!  I while ago I made Vegan Cincinnati Chili from this website. I was planning to make that again, but when I went to the website, I noticed he also has a recipe for “Texas Chili” which is called Best Damn Vegan Chili Ever.  Well!  I had to try that. It was very good!  I’m not sure I believe the claims that this chili is “award winning.”.  But to be fair, I did leave out two “optional” ingredients, pickled jalapenos and masa harina.  Mayne next time I’ll put those in and see if it wins any awards. I will say that my husband LOVED it!  We ate it for two dinners, and both times he exclaimed over how much he enjoyed it. Chili: Cincinatti, or Texas style? What are you reading now?

Fall Fun

I had a really nice, fall-ish weekend!  When I say “fall-ish,” I don’t mean I visited a pumpkin patch or went apple picking.  No, we don’t have that in Florida- although, I’m pretty sure it’s too early for those things just about everywhere right now.  But those are things that never happen in Florida, so we have to make our own fall. We may not have cool temperatures and falling leaves, but we do have football and homecoming!  Saturday night was our high school homecoming dance, and my daughter went with two of her friends, looking amazing in her new dress.  I got a lot of GREAT comments on my post about the suit vs. dress dilemma, including one from Julie saying that she wore a tux to her prom!  For this dance, my daughter wore a dress- who knows what will happen in the future. I dropped my daughter and her two friends at the dance, and I loved seeing all the kids dressed up.  I also loved that these three girls didn’t feel like they needed dates- they were happy to be going together.  I was excited that it was my daughter’s first high school dance. I was also excited that after the dance, another mom was picking the girls up and bringing them back to her house for a sleepover.  I knew that my daughter would be in good hands and I knew she would have fun- and my job was done for the night. I got home just in time for the start of the Baylor game.  It was gloomy and rainy outside (a typical South Florida evening in September) and my house was so cozy!  We broke out the fall food and beverages. We tried each of the beers: the Oktoberfest was very good; the Pumpking Ale was okay, and the Howling Gourds was terrible.  The only one we actually finished was the Oktoberfest.  It turns out some things just shouldn’t taste like pumpkin, and beer is one of them.  But it was fun to try them all. I LOVE chips and salsa, but don’t normally eat them.  It’s one of those thing I can’t stop eating once I start, so I usually don’t let myself start.  But I made an exception since they were “fall-themed” (holiday foods don’t really count, right???) and I loved them.  The pepita salsa is delicious, and chips are always good.  Plus they looked like fall leaves! We also had this: It was good.  I mean- it was good for a prepared dinner.  Elaborate cooking wasn’t in my plan for this night, so we definitely enjoyed these “heat and serve” enchiladas. We watched Baylor win, and oh yes- I was wearing my new favorite pajamas. After the game, I stayed up late reading, and finally crawled into bed, knowing that there was no work or school tomorrow, and no one would be needing me for anything.  I could sleep as late as I wanted, and didn’t wake up until 9 am.  It felt AMAZING. After a nice slow start to the morning, Sunday got underway.  I picked up my daughter, did the grocery shopping, and started thinking about plans for the week.  I felt a little melancholy that the weekend was coming to an end.  Sometimes everything just comes together perfectly.  I know there will be more fun times this fall, but it’s possible that I’ll look back and say “Yes, that was the best night of the whole season.” Are you starting to think about fall, or are you still in a summer frame of mind? Pumpkin ale- yay, or nay?

Weekly Rundown- Everything is Awesome!

I don’t want to say this injury is behind me, because that would be tempting fate a little too much.  But let’s just say “Everything is Awesome” from The Lego Movie has been running through my head, and life seems good!  I’m linking up as always with Kim and Deborah for this Weekly Rundown.  Here’s how it all played out… Sunday I walked one mile and ran 3. Everything felt good! Monday I did lower body strength at home, including single leg exercises and squats.  One of the (few) things I’m proud of from my work this summer is the progress I made in the one leg sit-to-stand.  It’s one of the foundation exercises on Sally McRae’s app and also one of the hip stability exercises from Brad Beer’s book.  You start sitting on a chair or bench, and stand up using one leg, then sit back down, stand up again, etc. only on one leg.  When I first started I could only do five reps on each leg- now I can do 36 reps!!!  At least something has improved. I also did Caroline Girvan’s deadbug workout..  I’m really tired of it by now! Tuesday I walked 3 miles… … and then did a different core workout!  I did Caroline Girvan’s Standing Abs Workout, and I liked it.  At least, I liked doing something different. Wednesday Again, I walked one mile and ran 3.  Still feeling good! Thursday I did my single leg exercises, and another core workout.  This one Engie recommended, MadFit Standing Core Workout..  I liked this one too!  Then I had time for 20 minutes of walking. At night we watched the Dolphins game, which was a complete fiasco.  We lost, and our quarterback got ANOTHER CONCUSSION.  The poor guy will be out for… ever?  The rest of the season?  I feel really bad for him, and now our season is a shambles after only the second game. Friday Gym day!  It was a very squat-focused workout, because I skipped deadlifts.  My low back is nagging at me again, and deadlifts sadly make it worse.  After squats and Bulgarian split squats I did some core (abs and low back machines.) At night I planned to go to our high school football game, but it rained so much that the band couldn’t play (so I didn’t go.)  They did manage to play in the rain and our team won!  This was our homecoming, and last year’s homecoming was completely rained out.  September outdoor events just shouldn’t be a thing in South Florida. Saturday This was a big day- I walked one mile and ran 4!!!  I’m getting there! At night we watched the Baylor game.  FINALLY.  A game where it didn’t rain, no one got injured, and we WON!  At least the football week ended on a high note. Sunday Off!  Sleeping in and waffles will be involved (obviously.) So, it was a good week.  Moving forward, I’m going to cautiously try running every other day.  Running every third day was great to get me back from this injury, but I can’t do that forever! How was your week?  Were there any moments where you sang “Everything is Awesome?” Top photo by Stainless Images on Unsplash

31 Responses

  1. I DO buy books from the bookshop because since six months ago we have had a local independent bookshop, The Heath Bookshop, and I’m so noble and support them! I have used up a big stock of Christmas and birthday book tokens there but just go in and pick something up or buy a book or two at author events. Before that, I used to order from bookshop.org where you can divert the profits made to a bookshop of your choice – I supported one in Penzance I liked a lot and then the first new not-quite-so-local indie, the Bookshop on the Green in Bournville. Great books there, I did enjoy Des’s one even though I knew nothing of her beforehand.

    Reply

    1. I would probably be more likely to support a local independent bookstore than Barnes and Noble. Although I’m grateful to Barnes and Noble for staying open! One of the problems with Des’s book (for me) is that I knew TOO much about her before I read it- I heard her on a podcast and she talked a lot about the health issues she had leading up to the marathon- so nothing in the book was too surprising for me.

      Reply

  2. The last time I went to a bookstore and bought a book……………………..uh let me get back to you on that.

    For some reason it doesn’t work for me to read nonfiction, I have to listen to it. Let Your Mind Run is the perfect example – I DNF’d it when I tried to read it and later on I gave it another shot on audio and it was great. I think Des’s book would have been a bit of a slog on the page for sure.

    Reply

    1. Well… I heard from someone (can’t remember who) that Des’s book on audio wasn’t that great! I really love Des and it sounds like I’m trashing her- but she’s kind of introverted and not very charismatic when you hear her speak. I mean- she’s not a motivational speaker, she’s a runner. So it’s fine.

      Reply

  3. I have gone to the bookstore recently and loved it, but would not have gone if I had not gotten a gift card from a friend. I have not paid out of my own pocket for a book in probably five years (?) as I exclusively get books from the library. However, during the pandemic a bookish friend of mine was trying to support local bookstores so I got not one but two gift cards from him. I really enjoyed browsing around in the store and I did not go in with a book in mind but of course came out with several new ones each time!

    I read Kara Goucher’s book recently and I felt that it was good but not excellent if you know what I mean. I will have to try Kastor’s book since you loved it so much!

    Reply

    1. Yes, I haven’t read Kara’s book (yet?) because I hear her talking about it on a podcast, and feel that I already know all the juicy details. If you read Deena’s but I want to hear what you think!

      Reply

    1. Ha ha… sometimes while I’m at the bookstore and see a book I want, I’ll immediately take out my phone to go on the library website. If they have it there, I definitely won’t buy it.

      Reply

  5. So many books! Look at you go!!

    I am doing the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge this year and one of the prompts is “a celebrity memoir” and I am struggling so hard to find one that doesn’t make me want to roll my eyes into the back of my head. I actually really struggle with memoir/autobiography in general and to throw “celebrity” in there makes it even harder! So I read you blurb about the Molly Shannon book with interest, only to realize it would probably annoy me. Ha.

    I rarely buy books. I think the last two books I’ve bought at the bookstore were because I couldn’t get copies through the library for my book club books. We don’t have a lot of bookshelf space in our house and I really only buy books I know I’ll reread. But boy do I love a good stroll through a bookstore!

    Reply

    1. I’ll be honest- Molly’s book wasn’t well-written. I mean it had a certain charm- it felt like you were sitting down to have a personal chat with her. Bit if you wanted to be really picky in a literary sense, it could use some polishing.

      Reply

  6. I don’t go too often, but love going to the books store to buy books for other people and my kids mostly. I did buy myself a book from a bookstore for our spring break trip, though. Oh and used bookstores! I love going to used bookstores. I have to be honest, parking at the bookstores near me is such a hassle, that I don’t go casually to browse anymore.
    Agatha Christie is such a comfort read for me too. Though I prefer Ms. Marple to Poirot- controversial decision, I know!
    I’m currently reading a gothic mystery novel from the 1940s by Mabel Seeley called the Chuckling Fingers- it’s very melodramatic and heavy handed, which makes it kind of fun.

    Reply

  7. I don’t go to bookstores very often and, oddly enough, never seem to enjoy the experience. It’s overwhelming and I don’t love buying books (sad, I know, but I really do like getting them from the library not only because I don’t have to spend money, but then I also don’t have to store books or find ways to rehome them).

    I also read Let Your Mind Run and enjoyed it! Rich Roll and Scott Jurek books are great in a similar category. I also really liked The Pursuit of Endurance by Jennifer Pharr Davis, all about running the Appalachian Trail. My Year of Running Dangerously by Tom Foreman and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami.

    I have the Molly Shannon book on my to-read shelf at the library; I’ll report back on my take once I get a chance to read it.

    And is it just me, or are the missing letters in the display categories slowly driving anyone else crazy!! Where are the missing “I” and “F”? It’s a mystery…

    Reply

    1. That’s so funny… I didn’t notice the missing letters until I was posting those pictures.
      I’ll be interested to hear what you think of the Molly Shannon book. And yes- Ruch Roll and Scott Jurek have great books. I’ll check out the other ones you mentioned!

      Reply

  8. I buy WAY too many books from the bookstore. And then all my library holds come in and I neglect the ones I just bought! Vita Nostra looks interesting – I will have to check it out!

    I am technically reading The Hours and an Agatha Christie called The Third Girl, but neither of them is really doing it for me right now so I guess I’m not reading anything? I have a stack of books from the library that I could be reading, not to mention A MILLION books that I own and have yet to read, so there’s no dearth of options.

    Reply

    1. If I remember correctly, Third Girl was one of the lesser-successful Christie books. The ones that don’t have Poirot or Miss Marple aren’t as good. I’m envious of your bookstore shopping! And yes- sometimes I have so many books I want to just spend a week in an isolated cabin, reading.

      Reply

  9. I got a gift card to B&N for Christmas, but I spent it online–I just don’t get up to the nearest store that often, and there were a few things I knew I wanted anyway. Mostly I use the library (after going to AZ to “look inside,” which shows me a lot of books I don’t want to read after all! I do miss browsing, but it isn’t always successful for me.

    I just finished reading A House with Good Bones by T Kingfisher, which I really enjoyed, though it was a little creepy for me (I am a wuss, YMMV).

    Reply

    1. Oh, if I had a gift card I would love to go spend it in the store! But you’re right- browsing isn’t always successful. If you really want specific books, ordering online is the way to go.

      Reply

  10. I hope you enjoy the book since you bought it!! I enjoyed it but didn’t love it – but I am not the target audience for it since I don’t love science fiction or fantasy. The members of our club who like those genres have really enjoyed it. And I’m looking forward to the discussion!

    I just finished ‘Happy Place’ but didn’t love it as much the author’s other books. Now I am reading ‘symphony of secrets’ which is a musical mystery. You might like this author – Brendan Slocum. This is his 2nd novel where music features prominently. He’s a classically trained musician and also taught and now is an author. I liked his first book, too – the violin conspiracy.

    I only buy books from bookstores as gifts, usually for kids like my niece. I get all my books from the library and I donate to the library each year. I sometimes feel bad about not buying books at bookstores but I don’t reread books so I feel it’s not worth it to buy them!! I used to when I was younger and then stopped. My exception is books for the boys. I am happy to buy books for them!!

    Reply

  11. I just finished Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone. I think I saw it on your blog? I was really enjoying it, but in the end it had too many characters and I couldn’t keep them straight! But I did really enjoy listening to the person reading the book. Great voice!

    Reply

  12. I liked Hello Molly not because I thought it was a great work of art or anything, but because I ended up liking HER very much. What an inspiring person she is, I thought! I just loved her attitude about life and how she had a truly kind of awful childhood, but ended up thriving. I came away from that book feeling very warm and fuzzy.
    This is in direct opposition to the book I just finished, the Jennette McCurdy book. It was GRIM. Absolutely grim. I feel sick for having read it.

    Reply

    1. There is definitely something to be said about finishing a book and feeling really uplifted. And yes- she’s inspiring. Very positive, and her work ethic is admirable. I can see why everyone likes it so much.

      Reply

  13. I’m digging into ‘Up to Speed’ by Christine Yu. It’s being released this week, but I won a copy in a giveaway. It looks to be a good companion to Stacy Sims’ book, ‘Next Level’. I’ll report back!

    Reply

  15. Yes, I love a good bookstore wander! And I love having books in my apartment. I consider it my aesthetic, haha. I use the library a lot, but I also just love having books all around my apartment. I’m glad you were able to find the Vita Nostra book!

    Reply

    1. Yes, I think “lots of books” count as a decorating style! I know if I walked into someone’s apartment and there were books all around I would feel very happy.

      Reply

  16. There is NOTHING like browsing in a bookstore. I don’t do it enough – maybe your post will inspire me? I often go the easy route of just ordering the e-book when it’s on sale. Boooorrring. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think about that book – Lisa’s review was so intriguing! And, “Dark Fantasy”? Yikes!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Instagram
Instagram
Instagram