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Just for the hell of it
Crybaby Ranch
Tina Welling
307 pages
I picked up this book on the discount table at Borders. Pretty much wish I had left it there. Not sure what it was about the concept that attracted me - woman leaves a loveless marriage, moves to Wyoming, continues to make jewelry as an artistic outlet, meets cute male neighbor, they fall in love. And as with any good love story, there are obstacles thrown up in front of the destined couple: mother with alzheimers, crazy in laws, a vixen trying to get the man.
If I wasn't participating in this challenge, I wouldn't have finished the book, but by the time I made my final determination, I was over half way through. Figured then, that I might as well finish it.
While I didn't really enjoy the book, I still had to pull a quote or two that piqued my interest.
"He said in boot camp he was taught to think FIDO: Fuck it, drive on. I use it now when I get stuck. The idea is to just keep the flow going."
I can't help but appreciate this approach.
Hopefully, I'll have better news from the next book. I guess I can't love every book I'm going to read in this coming year.
For no other purpose than if I don't post them I'm likely to forget them...here is a first round of recommendations from my friend and fellow book junkie Robin:
- Her Fearful Symmetry – Audrey Niffenegger
- Anything by Ann Patchett, but particularly The Magician’s Assistant, Bel Canto and Truth & Beauty (memoir)
- Hypocrite in a Poufy White Dress – Susan Jane Gilman (memoir)
- Driving with Dead People – Monica Holloway (memoir)
- How to Be Good – Nick Hornby
- High Fidelity – Nick Hornby
- Little Children – Tom Perotta
- Election – Tom Perotta
- How to Be Lost – Amanda Eyre Ward
- Sleep Towards Heaven – Amanda Eyre Ward
- Bury Me Deep – Megan Abbot
- The Sookie Stackhouse Novels – Charlaine Harris (Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead, Dead to the World, Dead as a Doornail, Definitely Dead, All Together Dead, From Dead to Worse, Dead and Gone and A Touch of Dead)
Autobiography/biography
How Starbucks Saved My Life
Michael Gates Gill
272 pages
This book was an interesting dichotomy between past ego and a new-found humility. Michael Gates Gill was let go from his position as a high-powered executive at J. Walter Thompson, an international advertising agency. After failing to get his own consulting business off the ground, he was hanging out at a New York City Starbucks when a 28-year-old store manager offered him a job. He said yes.
This book is his journey at Starbucks and the shift in his consciousness and understanding of what is most important. This passage came from his team of Starbucks Partners when he was leaving the store at 93rd and Broadway to transfer to one in Bronxville.
To Mike,
For all the times you have stood by us, we thank you for showing us what legendary service truly means, we applaud you. You have taught us never to give up our dreams. That one day they come true. This is our prayer for you.
Dear Lord please give him,
- A few friends who understand him and remain his friends
- A work to do which has real value, without which the world would be poorer
- A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be rough
- An understanding heart
- A sense of humor
- Time for quiet, silent meditation
- A feeling of the presence of God, the patience to wait for the coming of these things, with the wisdom to recognize them when they come
May God continue to guide you, Mike. We love you.
From all of your Partners at 93rd & Broadway
Other Nonfiction
Have a Little Faith
Mitch Albom
272 pages
This is the first book of my challenge that I finished. I enjoyed reading it, especially the juxtaposition of the rabbi's story against that of the inner-city minister, as well as the intersections where their stories met in the author's life.
I need little reason to pick up an interesting book and dive in. Every since I got my grubby little hands on my first book, it's rare not to find one (or 10 or 20) within arm's reach.
Throughout my life, there have been clear examples that I became a bookworm early on:
- Cleaning my room: Growing up, my bedroom was pretty much always a disaster. So when my mom was at her wits' end and forced me to clean it, she would have to regularly check on me, as I would be hiding on the far side of my bed with my nose buried. After a couple of hours, the rolltop desk in the hallway supported a nice pile of books a foot or so high that she had confiscated.
- Want Kate to shut up? Stick a book in her hands: As no one who knows me will be surprised, I can be verbose. Example: Spent most of first grade facing the wall by the pencil sharpener for talking in class. Anyway, family vacations consisted of many, many hours and hours and miles and miles in our camper/van, so my parents learned early on that the best way to manage me was to put a book in my hands. I think my dad instituted a "Kate's book budget" every summer vacation, since I was also a quick reader.
- Everybody knows your name: At our neighborhood library in Lisbon, all of the librarians knew my sister and I by first name. I bet we were there at least once a week picking out a new stash of books to enjoy. (We'll skip the part where I was hoooooorrrrrrriiiiiible about returning books on time. My mom swears I personally paid for the library's addition. Note: She also made me pay the fines out my weekly allowance, which somehow did not deter me from continuing to rack up more.)
Ok, enough of this stupid rambling, this blog isn't about my weirdness (well, it may be down the line) as much as it's about me taking on the challenge of reading 100 books in a year. The book challenge gauntlet was originally thrown down by my friend, The Book Pimp, who obtained the it from her cohort, Magnolia Kelly. (Want to make sure to give credit where credit is due.)
And as it isn't just any 100 books, I'm going to loosely use the same rules as The Book Pimp:
Rule #1: All new material. Although I love to re-read books, and have a number that I re-read on a yearly basis, re-reading kind of defeats the purpose of this exercise.
Rule #2: No audio books. I will limit my audio book listening in the workplace to books I have already read.
Rule #3: The 100 books have to represent a variety of genres and subjects. (From me, I'm changing up my categories from her's a little bit.)
- 20 recommendations from friends, colleagues or random people I meet on the street (or anyone brave enough to leave a comment here) (20 = done)
- 10 books that have been adapted into movies (1)
- 5 autobiographies or biographies (5 = done)
- 10 other non-fiction books (5)
- 3 short story collections (2)
- 1 Oprah's book club pick (1 = done)
- 5 "just for the hell of it" books (5 = done)
Hopefully, that equals 100.
Rule #4: I will post a book report style review for each book that I finish, and I will also rate them, using a 1-5 star rating. (From me: I'm not much of a book report writer, so I'm going to choose one quote or passage from each book that is meaningful or impactful to me.)
Ok, I'm ready, are you? Game on!
(By the way, I started my challenge on October 21. And, any book recommendations for the above categories will be much appreciated...)
Just for the hell of it
