Fractured--#18 finished

Fractured is a good book, a good detective/thriller type book.  I enjoyed reading about the investigation and the characters in the book.  It is about a high school girl that was kidnapped along with a murder and a self defense murder.  Not a topic I think a parent really wants to think too much about.  I guess this book is part of an ongoing series on the lead detective Will Trent.  I will probably look for other books by this author because I liked it, but not loved it.  A good read overall though.

I have already posted it on PBS because there were something like 6 people that wanted it so I should have it mailed off early this week.  I also bought another copy of Chasing Harry Winston that was on sale at the library.  I figured that would be an easy credit to get since I knew there were over 400 people wanting the book still.  I am racking up credits at PBS.  I just need to get some of these other books read while they are still on Wish Lists over there.

A few miles this week

Well I was able to get a few miles in this week.  Monday was only 1 mile & I was done.  I don't know if it was because I hadn't run in 5 days or something like that or if I just wasn't really into running.  Oh well that happens.

Tuesday was supposed to be our workout day but our babysitter was running late & I was tired from work so Debbie went to workout & I stayed home.  Thursday was our next workout day and I tried lifting some weights but my shoulder wasn't really up to it.  I got on the treadmill & put in 3 miles though.  I know I went faster the last 2 miles than I normally do on the treadmill--maybe I am finally getting the hang of it.

Today it has been raining all day long so I hit the community center again.  I didn't do the treadmill, but instead hit the walking/jogging track above the gym.  I did a slow 3 miles.  That is 7 miles for the week if anyone is counting.  Not that great but right now just need to keep getting some miles in.

Now reading

Since finally finishing War & Peace, I am able to branch out a little on what I am reading.  Of course, I haven't really done that yet.  I am still working on The Memory Keeper's Daughter, but haven't really gotten very far in it yet.  I started a 2nd book, Fractured by Karin Slaughter a detective book.  So far kind of gruesome and interesting.  It is on some Wish Lists at PBS so I want to get it read & then in the mail while people still want it.

Speaking of PBS, I will be mailing The Farther Shore in the next couple of days.  I like earning those credits, just need to get more books read so I can add to my Posted Books list.

I will probably take a couple of minutes and look at picking out a 3rd book.  I might not start it till the weekend but I do want to start thinking about it.

The Farther Shore--#17 finished

The same night I finished War & Peace I also finished The Farther Shore by Matthew Eck.  It was a good quick read about a group of soldiers serving in Africa, maybe Somalia the book doesn't say, that get caught inside a city and have to find their way out.  It is a tough read about how rough the situations they get in are.  The soldiers are trying to get out of the city and after their rendezvous fails have to do it on their own.  Once out of the city they are still nowhere near a military base so have to make their way along a road and ocean beach.  A monsoon comes in and they have to hole up before continuing. 

The book really digs into the worsening psychological impacts on each soldier as well as the physical difficulties.  Like I said it is a tough read.  A good read and would certainly recommend to people interested in military stuff especially dealing with Somalia.  I think it is on a couple of Wish Lists over a PBS so I will probably be mailing it off in the next few days.

War & Peace--#16 finished

Well, it certainly took long enough--started sometime in Nov & finished today.  Somewhere around 4 months or so to get it done.  Unlike previous times it was not the only book I was reading, somewhere around 20 other books were read along with War & Peace.  I am not sure what there is to say about the book right now, but will hit on a couple of thoughts.

1. Given how different the times were then in comparison to now, it is amazing how the real everyday thoughts and desires are still very much the same.  People's desire to be loved, to find meaning in life, to strive for stability and peace are feelings that Tolstoy wrote about that anyone today can understand and feel alongside his characters.  The insight he has into people is as true then as it is today, making this a truly timeless novel.

2. Tolstoy seemed to have little respect for Napoleon.  I don't remember getting that feeling from when I read it before--although years and slipping memories might be the case as well.  Tolstoy spends much time in his discussion of Napoleon focusing on how he is perceived by historians and why he feels they are just wrong.  The end of the book seems to want to kind of take the historians and most professor types to task, but really I am not sure how effective it was.  By that point, I had hit the wall and just wanted to complete the novel.

3. None of his main characters is without some major type of flaws.  I think this adds to them and makes it much easier to identify with them.  It does seem though that being away from Moscow or St Petersburg is best for them also.  Not surprising since I believe that is also the life that Tolstoy preferred.

4. I kept asking myself throughout the novel, what was the audience that Tolstoy was writing to?  Was it to the upper class Russians who would have easiest access to the novel.  Was it to the Czar and nobility?  Did he believe the book would reach the peasant class or merchants?  I don't know if answering this question would add anything to my enjoyment of the novel, but was just wondering since I am sure it was something he probably thought of while writing.

I am sure there are other things that will come up and many others that will just be remembered from the novel.  At this point I cannot say if I will be reading it again in the future.  I would like to think that I will, but it is not one that I can easily page through either.  It is an both and enjoyment to read and also in a sense an accomplishment as well.

Busy night

It was a busy night here.  First, Rose had a girl scout skate night so we had to get her up to school so she could go to that.  At least they had some moms helping out so one of us didn't have to go on this trip.  

This was also parent teachers meetings tonight.  Both kids are doing very well.  Thomas is reading which he has been for quite a while, but his teacher & his aide both said he has really improved and recognizes many words.  He is also reading numbers up into the 200s.  He is also doing things like identifying coins and how much they are worth and other simple math games.  He still has very little writing skills so is behind there, but overall doing very good.  Rose is just a delight to have says her teacher.  That is good to hear because at home she sometimes/many times acts like a slacker teenager instead of a delightful 10 year old.  She is scoring well on the tests, gets along well with everyone in class and reading & comprehension is great.  All good things.  Could work on spelling a little more and maybe doing some more writing projects are things for her to work on.  Spring break is here for them so hopefully some of those things are done instead of 6-10 hours of TV or computers each day.

After the teachers' meetings, it was go to the book fair.  Couldn't find anything that Thomas wanted, he only wanted Baby Einstein books--those are too young for school age kids I guess so they didn't have any.  Rose had picked out a Pokeman book earlier we got and Angie got some book with stickers.

Once we got home, it was time to go workout.  We actually met our babysitter at the book fair & she just walked home with us.  I mostly did weights and then did do 1 mile in around 13:15 on the treadmill and then something like 6 minutes on the bike.  I really don't like treadmills but I guess I need to get used to them or at least do a better job of tolerating them.

Then home, eat, read a little, fight kids to bed, a little TV and then read a little more till I am down here.  I saw a headline that President Obama made a kind of offhand joke about his bowling being like Special Olympics.  That is just disappointing and I also thought of Sarah Palin and her son Trig as well.  While Obama certainly wasn't trying to be hurtful, it doesn't really show much respect for people and kids with special needs.  I hope an apology comes out soon but he does seem to have a stubborn streak too so not sure if an apology will happen.

I am reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.  Good book so far and actually I also taped/DVRed the movie earlier this week also.  I am not too far into it, maybe 60 pages or so out of 400 in total, so a long way to go.  I am getting very close to finishing War & Peace also--I am under 100 pages to go.  Should be done with it Friday night or Saturday.  I also have The Farther Shore by Matthew Eck, but I haven't started it yet.  It is on a couple peoples WL on PBS so I kind of want to read it so I can then mail it out for credits.

In the mail today I received another order from PBS.  It was one that I had gotten from the Book Bazar on the website.  It was a 4 for 1 deal.  I ordered The Kite Runner and also got Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, Avenger by Forsyth and Bleachers by Grisham.  All books that I want to read if only I can find the time to get to them and the other 30+ books I have stacked around too.  It is 12:50 so just a few minutes of reading and then sleep.

Good weather = exercise

We have had a string of days of good to great Spring weather here.  Sunday I got out and put 2.5 miles in.  I was planning on running during PSR on Monday but after driving out there found out there was no PSR so no Monday run.  Tuesday we went for our workout at the community center even though neither of us wanted to do it.  I didn't run but instead just did some weights on the machines and finished with around 10 minutes on the bike.

Today I was off work and was able to get 4 miles in.  All four miles were between 12:40 and 12:20--slow but at least consistent.  It was a good thing that I didn't wait though because a good rain came in tonight.

Tuesday, my mother-in-law came over with some extra potatoes that they had after planting theirs.  Rose helped Grandma hoe the ground and get the potatoes planted.  So I guess I can officially say my garden is started.  I will do some tomato plants as well, not sure about anything else though.