A Leap Day 'What Are You Reading?'

Um, more like what am I NOT reading this week?  I've had a whole bunch of fun reading adventures going on lately.  Time to share!

What am I reading now?  Currently reading 3 different books...I know, craziness.  I've been trying to avoid multiple books at the same time lately, because it fries my brain and usually ends up making me dislike at least one of the books because I'm not paying it enough proper attention.  But sometimes you just can't stop yourself.  The three I'm currently immersed in:

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: Been on my TBR for YEARS, been listening to many many friends telling me how I need to read it for YEARS, and have been avoiding it...for yes, years.  I've heard great things, but the books in this series are so long, it felt like a giant commitment to start.  Not sure what finally pushed me to go for it, but I'm easing into them.  I'm about 150 pages in and have to be honest--I don't see the hype yet, but it's still very early on.  I enjoy historical fiction but I'm not a big fan of romance, so I could see this going either way for me.  I'll push on and let you know what I think at the end.

2. The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer: Just started this for a TLC book tour.  A mystery/thriller involving a mom and her missing daughter sounds like a good match for me!  Too early to give much of a reaction, but you'll have a full review in a couple weeks.

3. The Walking Dead: Compendium 1 by Robert Kirkman: I've mentioned here a few times that I LOVE LOVE LOVE The Walking Dead (TV show).  I knew about the comics and always meant to pick them up, but just never got around to it.  I finally put the first compendium (collection of the first 48 issues) on hold at the library and picked it up this week.  I'll admit that I was likely pushed into this by my curiosity over Negan, who is being introduced to the show soon and all the comics fans are FREAKING THE FRICK OUT over.  Plus, I'm just really excited to see the differences between comic and TV!

Up next?  After all that reading, I've got a couple books from the library that I'm hoping to get to: The Last Pilot by Benjamin Johnscock, and The Vacationers by Emma Straub.  If I like Outlander, I'd like to try the second book in the series (Dragonfly in Amber).  And I also have another TLC tour for the end of March, All Stories are Love Stories by Elizabeth Percer.

The reading is GOOD right now, people!  What are you reading this week?

February Minis: 3 for 3!

Hello, readers!  I know, I completely fell off the wagon with Book Blogger Appreciation Week halfway through.  MY BAD.  You know how my blogging is these days.  However, I have been busy reading, and I've got 3 new mini-reviews for you...and all 3 are books that I thoroughly enjoyed.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Penguin, 2009
borrowed from the library

This is the latest pick from my MOMS Club book club.  Right after I started reading it, my BFF Cari texted me to alert me that this is one of her top 5 books of ALL TIME!  Quite the endorsement!  And I have to say, I now completely understand why.  I loooooved this novel.  Book club is going to have a lot to discuss!

Synopsis: 29-year-old Alice wakes up on the floor of a gym after falling and hitting her head.  Which is weird, because she hates gyms.  But then she finds out that she's not 29 anymore--she's 39.  She's also not pregnant with her first child anymore (as she thought), but now has 3 kids.  And she's also not married to the love of her life anymore--she's getting a divorce.  Yes, Alice hit her head and lost 10 years of her memories.  Now she's trying to figure out what went wrong...and can she regain the person she thought she was 10 years ago?  (Does she want to?)

This is the first time I've read Moriarty's work, and it won't be the last.  The dialogue is lighthearted, but the core issues of this book are not.  The ending is perfection, and guaranteed to leave you with so much to mull over.  This novel is not even a little bit the predictable sappy love story that I feared it might be.  Can't recommend this enough!!

Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich
G.P. Putnam, 2015
borrowed from the library

This book was recommended by ALL THE BLOGGERS.  I saw it on a bunch of best-of lists for 2015, and finally decided to pick it up at the library.  Synopsis: Clayton Burroughs is the sheriff on Bull Mountain in the woods of north Georgia.  He also happens to be the youngest brother of the outlaw Burroughs clan, currently run by his oldest brother Halford.  But Clayton is trying to be different--he's a man of the law, and determined to keep his family's criminal ways out of his life.  And he's doing a pretty good job of it.  Until ATF agent Simon Holly shows up at his door.

I have to admit that I was skeptical of this one.  Half crime thriller/half historical fiction, I didn't know if this would be a great fit for me.  But let me tell you, I was glued from page one.  I even skipped a yoga practice to wake up early one morning and finish it!!  :)  The way Panowich makes this story unfold is absolutely brilliant.  Even if I guessed at some of the twists before they happened, I didn't care, because Panowich has such a way with words that he made them feel surprising anyway.  Complex characters, gripping conclusion--yup, this has it all.  Read it!

Hansons Half Marathon Method by Luke Humphrey with Keith & Kevin Hanson
Velo Press, 2014
borrowed from the library

Have to throw in my latest running read!  Since I am doing so many 13.1s this year, I've been enjoying reading about different training methods for the distance.  I heard amazing things about Hansons, so I had to pick this one up.  Full disclosure: when I first got the book, I immediately flipped to the training programs.  I took one look at these intense 6-day-a-week plans and said NOPE.  Not for me.  I put the book down and decided I'd save this one for a time in my life when I had more availability for such an involved program.

Then I got the notice that the book was due back to the library...and decided maybe I should at least read it first.  So I renewed it.  And I started reading.  And now I am a BELIEVER!  While I still think this is not the right time for me to follow a Hansons plan, I am 100% on board with their methodology, and I feel like I learned SO much more about the hows and whys of the training process.  Hansons plans are based in well-researched exercise science, and reading through them gave me a wealth of helpful new running information, even as I follow a different training calendar.  Absolutely a valuable read for anyone serious about the 13.1 distance, even if you're not going to use one of their plans.  I'm hoping to try one out when I have more time to dedicate to it.

What are your current reads?  Any good book club picks?  What's the last thing you read and loved because of a recommendation from a friend?

BBAW Day 2: Say hi to Lory @ Emerald City Book Review!

Book Blogger Appreciation Week continues!  Today is a most excellent day, as it's time for book blogger interviews.  I got to trade some questions with Lory over at Emerald City Book Review, which was great fun.  I learned a lot about her, even though I've already been following her blog for a bit.  And now you get to meet her, too!  Here's Lory!:

Let's start with the basics: Who are you?  Where are you from?  What do you do when you're not reading and blogging about it?

I grew up in the Seattle area — that’s one reason for the "Emerald City” name — but I now live in rural New Hampshire, where I work together with my husband as a houseparent for developmentally disabled adults. We have one bookaholic 9 year old son, and I read to him every night (currently Salamandastron by Brian Jacques); if I need him to behave I only need to threaten not to read our nightly installment! 

I’m lucky that I get to indulge many of my hobbies as part of my job; I enjoy cooking and baking, and working with fiber in our weavery, although I actually much prefer knitting. I’m also a part-time editor/book project manager and a self-taught graphic designer. So I get to be involved with the production of books from beginning to end, and that’s been very satisfying.

Choral singing is very important to me as an artistic outlet and way of connecting with others. I’ve been a choir almost constantly since I was 8 years old. For the last year I’ve been singing with a small a capella group that does a varied repertoire, from plainchant to spirituals to partsongs to carols, and I love it.

When did you start your blog, and why?

I started it on a total whim two years ago when I had some (rare) extra time and was browsing some book blogs. I just thought it looked like fun, and it was! Now I can’t stop, even though there are a million other things I should probably be doing.

What types of books draw you in the most?  Do you have any genres that you prefer not to read?

I used to be a heavy fantasy reader but I’ve moved away from that genre lately, though there have been a few fantasy novels that I really enjoyed in recent years. Reading blogs and participating in events and challenges has shifted my reading quite a bit; I think that I now read a lot more nonfiction than I used to, and I’ve been working through my list for the Classics Club. I also now tend to gravitate strongly toward historical fiction; the different time periods and settings are always so fascinating to me.

I don’t like books that are very scary or graphically violent, but I’ll read almost anything else. I tend not to read the hot new books that everyone is talking about, but it’s not because I consciously avoid them — I just have so many old books on my list already.

What were your top 3 books of 2015?

I really loved Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather, set in 17th century Quebec, for its beautiful writing and wonderful sense of place and time. Kate Forsyth’s The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth was incredibly powerful and moving, and illuminated the origins of the Grimm fairy tales, one of my literary touchstones. To pick something non-historical, El Deafo by Cece Bell was such a funny and brave and cleverly done graphic memoir, ostensibly about struggling with a “disability” but really about universal themes of acceptance and self-esteem.

In addition to being a reader, you are also quite the writer!  What sparked your love of writing?

My love of reading! I’ve always thought it would be wonderful to produce something that would give others the pleasure that books have given to me. And even though I haven’t become a fiction writer, I love writing about books and sharing my passion with others that way.

Tell us about the challenge you host: the Reading New England challenge.  What motivated you to start it?  Do you have any particular favorite New England novels?  (Or a favorite NE state?  I'm partial to Connecticut.)  ;)

I moved to this region only a few years ago, but my family roots actually go way back here. I’ve finally accepted that I’m no longer a West Coast girl, and I thought it would be interesting to delve into the history and literature of the places that are now closest to me. I’m especially looking forward to getting some insight into Connecticut — I seem to be always just driving through it on my way somewhere else.

Some of my favorite books from the region include Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Theophilus North by Thornton Wilder, and The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I’m also a fan of Jane Langton, both for her adult mysteries and her children’s books.

Do you have any fun blog-related experiences to share? (Ex. meeting an author at a book signing, attending a book-related conference, or even just getting a retweet from a favorite author!) :)

I haven’t been to many signings or conferences since I started blogging, as such events tend to be rather far away from me, but I’ve been so touched by the kindness of many people I’ve met only online. One of my proudest moments was when a rep from the UK publisher Slightly Foxed said they didn’t usually send review copies, but she was making an exception for me because she liked my blog and thought it was very in line with their style. Their magazine is one of my major inspirations, so I was tremendously pleased by that.

What are your plans for Emerald City Book Review going forward?

Right now it’s all about Reading New England for me — I have so many ideas I want to try and fit in during the year. Next year I think I’ll need to scale back and not run such a large-scale event, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something else new to try. My main hope is to continue pleasing my loyal readers, and to keep attracting new ones to join the conversation.

Thanks for the interview, Lory!  Head to Emerald City Book Review to check her out (and to see her interview with lil old me).  :)

Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Day 1!

Good morning, readers!  Guess what?  Today is Day 1 of the long-awaited return of Book Blogger Appreciation Week!  This was a fun event that I participated in when I first started blogging, but unfortunately it disappeared soon after.  However, it's BACK, thanks to The Estella Society!  I am so excited to celebrate the awesomeness of book blogging all week long.

For Day 1, bloggers are asked to share 5 books that represent you or your interests/lifestyle.  Ooooh, deep thinking here!  I reached back in my book archives and came up with these:

1. The Honest Toddler: A Child's Guide to Parenting by Bunmi Laditan

My life is so kid-focused these days, since I stay home with my 4- and 2-year-old sons.  And I could never make it as a stay-at-home-mom without having a solid sense of humor about it.  The Honest Toddler not only is hilarious, but is a fairly accurate representation of the lighter side of parenting.

2. Run Like A Mother by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea

Many of you already know that I do a Well-Read Runner feature on the blog, because I also love to run!  I read Run Like A Mother not long ago, and found that it accurately described the triumphs and struggles of being a running mom.

3. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Tina Fey is my spirit animal.  No need to elaborate beyond that.

4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Okay, this might seem like a weird choice to describe me, since I didn't grow up in Brooklyn, or in poverty, or in the early 1900's.  However, Francie Nolan is possibly my favorite fictional character of all time.  As a coming-of-age story, I found this entirely relateable, even if Francie's circumstances were extremely different from mine.  There is something about her voice that resonates with me.

5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

While I didn't think the hype for this book was entirely warranted, I still put it on this list because Gilbert's global journey certainly describes the love of travel and adventure that my husband and I share.  We did a fair amount of world traveling and exploring before our kids were born, and while our destinations are more thoroughly planned and kid-focused for now, we can't wait to one day return to the fun of globe-hopping.

Tell me a book that typifies YOU, dear readers!

Hit me up on INSTAGRAM :)

Hello, bloggy friends!  Just a little FYI that I (finally) started an Instagram account for my blog!  Follow me @thewellreadredhead for all things reading, running, and random.

I know a few of you follow me on my personal Instagram already, but I wanted to start a separate one just for blog-related topics...because you know, sometimes my friends probably get tired of pictures of my library books and post-run selfies.  :)

I use Instagram a LOT, so even if I'm not super active here, I'm sure you'll see me all up on the Insta.

Happy Valentine's Day, loves!

The Ramblers by Aidan Donnelly Rowley

Title: The Ramblers
Author: Aidan Donnelly Rowley
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: February 9, 2016
Source: copy provided for an honest review by the publisher

Summary from Goodreads: 

Set in the most magical parts of Manhattan—the Upper West Side, Central Park, Greenwich Village—The Ramblers explores the lives of three lost souls, bound together by friendship and family. During the course of one fateful Thanksgiving week, a time when emotions run high and being with family can be a mixed blessing, Rowley’s sharply defined characters explore the moments when decisions are deliberately made, choices accepted, and pasts reconciled.

Clio Marsh, whose bird-watching walks through Central Park are mentioned in New York Magazine, is taking her first tentative steps towards a relationship while also looking back to the secrets of her broken childhood. Her best friend, Smith Anderson, the seemingly-perfect daughter of one of New York’s wealthiest families, organizes the lives of others as her own has fallen apart. And Tate Pennington has returned to the city, heartbroken but determined to move ahead with his artistic dreams.

Rambling through the emotional chaos of their lives, this trio learns to let go of the past, to make room for the future and the uncertainty and promise that it holds. The Ramblers is a love letter to New York City—an accomplished, sumptuous novel about fate, loss, hope, birds, friendship, love, the wonders of the natural world and the mysteries of the human spirit.

My Review:

The Ramblers tickled my fancy to pick up for review because you all know I just looooove a good character-driven, relationship-based drama.  This sounded like exactly the sort of thoughtful contemporary fiction that I'd be into, especially because the 3 protagonists are all in my age range (early- to mid-thirties).  And who doesn't love New York City?

In the end, I have to say I liked The Ramblers, though I can't go so far as to say I adored it.  Let's break down the pros and cons.

Pros: The prose is incredibly perceptive, peppered with insightful observations about self-actualization, the trials and tribulations of romance, and family bonds.  Rowley creates many a gorgeous metaphor between the characters' lives and the book's common plot points (birds, Central Park, photography, etc), so there's no lack of symbolism here.  Thoughtful writing: check.

I also especially enjoyed Clio as a character, along with her handsome Irish suitor, Henry.  (Seriously, if there is someone who is prime candidate for Book Boyfriend of the Year, Henry is IT.)  Clio appeals to me because she comes from humble beginnings and a turbulent childhood, so her now-privileged adulthood comes off as more unpretentious.  Her problems feel tangible, relateable.  I was a big fan of her storyline.

Cons: While the writing is perceptive, it is also incredibly verbose--borderline tedious at times.  The protagonists' long-winded introspections about their lives started to get some eye-rolling from me after a while.  It was too much, and this book could have probably cut at least 20 pages without much trouble.

Also, for as much as I liked Clio's character, I found myself rather turned off by Smith and Tate.  Smith was hard for me to find sympathy towards.  She's been spoiled by her parents for all 34 years of her life, and is now frustrated that she is having trouble getting out from under their millions in order to forge her own path.  Um, boo hoo, I guess?  I can tell that Rowley tried valiantly to write Smith as a down-to-earth woman despite her social status, but it just didn't happen for me.  Her problems felt trite.  As for Tate, he was so aloof and crass at times that I just plain old didn't like him.  As a duo, I was not digging them at all (though I guess it did seem that they deserved each other, in a way).

In the end, The Ramblers is a solid 3-star novel for me.  There's lots to enjoy here, especially the penetrating prose.  However, there are an equal number of downsides that keep this from being a stand-out read.

What's the last character you read that you felt was difficult to relate to, for whatever reason?

The Well-Read Runner: Flower City Prep

Hi, running friends!  It's been a bit since my last running update, and I'll admit why: after Winter Warrior, I got lazy.  This is what happens when I don't have a race to train for!  I still ran (and ended up hitting 50 miles for the month of January--significant for me), but my frequency fell way off the rails and the junk food consumption went sky-high.

TRUE STORY.

One thing I did do post-race is start the Yoga Fix 90 program from Fightmaster Yoga on YouTube.  I'm still working through it (I usually only do yoga on days that I don't run, so my 90 days are not consecutive), but this has been SUCH a fun way to keep me pumped about yoga, and I can feel my strength and flexibility increasing!  Lesley Fightmaster (who I am now a total groupie of, LOVE HER) also has a 30 day yoga program for beginners, if you're looking for a lighter intro to the practice.

Scissor leg side crow!  So proud of myself for that one!

Despite my bit of laziness in January, February 1 turned things around as it marked the beginning of training for my next half--the Flower City Half Marathon on April 24.  My original goal was to just have fun with this one, because marathon training will start less than a month after this race and I didn't want to push too hard beforehand.  However, my friend Mandy is also planning to run it (her first half since giving birth to her second daughter last summer), and she said she thinks she can run it at about a 9:00/mile pace, which just HAPPENS to be fast enough to get just under 2 hours, and it might be fun to run with a friend, soooooo...

Yeah, I'm training for a PR again.

I TOLD myself I wouldn't do it this time!  I swore up and down!  Do this race for fun, I said!  Don't push so hard this time, I said!  But do I listen?  No I do not.

I put together a training plan for myself that draws from the lessons I've learned in past races about my limits as far as available time, and mileage.  Mondays are yoga days (though I also usually add yoga in at least 1-2 other days of the week as well).  Tuesday is speed work--I'm using Hal Higdon's intermediate plan for speed work, alternating 400m intervals one week and a tempo run the next.  Speed days are happening on the treadmill because I'm better at regulating my speed on the machine vs. out in the wild.

Post-speed work at the gym with Tater Tot.  It was his first time going to the gym's child care without crying!  Yeah!

Wednesday is hill work.  I've never done dedicated hill days, but Flower City has some nasty ones right around the midway point, and hills have been one of my worst downfalls (see: Mystic Half).  Unfortunately, I live in a super flat area, but the park near my house has one hill in particular that kicks my butt.  It's not super long, but steep enough that it's certainly a challenge for me.  I've been doing a 1 mile warmup (running to the park), followed by a series of hill sprints on that hill (walking down the hill serves as recovery in between), then 1 mile cooldown as I run home.  I started the first week with 4 sprints, thinking 4 sounded like not a lot...HAHA.  Was totally dying by the fourth one.  But at my fastest pace, I got up to 5:23/mile mid-sprint, which I felt pretty darn good about.  Hill sprints suck but I'm hoping they will pay off!

First hill work day was done in SHORTS!  Gotta love El Nino February!

Thursdays are a rest day, then Fridays I do a race pace run.  I'm glad I'm doing these because I am not great at holding a 9:00/mile pace yet during these runs.  The first week my average was 8:42...yup, too fast.  I need to get a better feel for this pace so that it's easier for me to dial in on race day.

Saturday is a rest day, then Sunday long run.  I'm making a conscious effort to throw in hills on the long run (not sprints, just at long run pace).  I often avoided the hills during long runs for Winter Warrior, but I knew the course was flat so I didn't feel bad about it.  Now I know I need to be able to handle a good hill when my legs are already fatigued--so long run hills will help with that.

Honestly, I still have some doubts about my ability to go sub-2 on such a hilly course, but as with Winter Warrior--there ain't no harm in trying.  At the very least, I'm challenging myself by adding in some hill work (new for me), and switching up my training routine is always fun!

I'll keep you posted as training goes on...I'm just happy to be back in a routine again!

What are you training for these days?  Do you have any good recommendations for hill training?

Fast Into the Night by Debbie Clarke Moderow

Title: Fast Into the Night: A Woman, Her Dogs, and Their Journey North on the Iditarod Trail
Author: Debbie Clarke Moderow
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: February 2, 2016
Source: copy provided for an honest review by the publisher via NetGalley

Summary from Goodreads: 

At age forty-seven, a mother of two, Debbie Moderow was not your average musher in the Iditarod, but that’s where she found herself when, less than 200 miles from the finish line, her dogs decided they didn’t want to run anymore. After all her preparation, after all the careful management of her team, and after their running so well for over a week, the huskies balked. But the sting of not completing the race after coming so far was nothing compared to the disappointment Moderow felt in having lost touch with her dogs.   

Fast into the Night is the gripping story of Moderow’s journeys along the Iditarod trail with her team of spunky huskies: Taiga and Su, Piney and Creek, Nacho and Zeppy, Juliet and the headstrong leader, Kanga. The first failed attempt crushed Moderow’s confidence, but after reconnecting with her dogs she returned and ventured again to Nome, pushing through injuries,  hallucinations, epic storms, flipped sleds, and clashing personalities, both human and canine. And she prevailed.   Part adventure, part love story, part inquiry into the mystery of the connection between humans and dogs, Fast into the Night is an exquisitely written memoir of a woman, her dogs, and what can happen when someone puts herself in that place between daring and doubt—and soldiers on.

My Review:

This is a different sort of nonfiction for me, considering that I had exactly zero familiarity with the Iditarod before picking it up.  (Well, I knew it was a dog sledding race.  In Alaska.  Probably pretty cold.  That's about it.)  However, I couldn't help giving it a go after reading the description.  Due to my obvious current interest in distance running, I was fascinated by the idea of all the training, preparation, and tenacity required to complete the Iditarod.  Running does not equal dog sledding, but both sports require a high level of athleticism and commitment, so I wanted to know more.

My curiosity was rewarded with an amazing story.  Moderow's two Iditarod journeys make for excellent reading on their own, but she also breaks up the telling of those races with the background on what led her into dog sledding.  From her childhood in Connecticut to her adulthood as a married mom of 2 in Alaska, she has a unique path to Iditarod racing that is full of both hard lessons and inspirational anecdotes.

In addition, my piqued interest in the sport of dog sledding was rewarded with Moderow's detailed accounts of her two Iditarods.  I had no concept of the months (sometimes years) of meticulous planning, the grueling training, and the thousands of dollars required to meet such a challenge head-on.  Not to mention the solid, caring bond that needs to be forged between a musher and his/her dog team--it was amazing to see how Moderow was constantly aware of the needs and quirks of each individual dog.  And Debbie Moderow did this TWICE!  After not finishing the first time!  That blows me away.  You'll certainly leave this book with an appreciation for the sport (and the 2016 Iditarod is in March, so read now and get excited for this year's race--I'm already following updates on Facebook!  Haha).

Fast Into the Night is both a moving memoir and an inspiring tale of strength and endurance, enhanced for me as it also became a learning experience about the world of dog sledding.  This may have been a subject outside of my usual nonfiction fare, but I'm so glad that I took a chance on it!

What's the last nonfiction book you read that taught you about a completely new-to-you subject?