Alaska

It's been awhile, dear readers, because I have been spending almost all of my spare time reading. There is little that is better than reading a really good book, am I right? Especially when it's cold outside and you have a blanket and some kind of warm beverage, and when you have nowhere you have to be. And especially when Chris is spending all his time watching baseball. You know, baseball- the most BORING "sport" in existence.

Anyways, I'm reading another book by James Michener: Alaska. It's SO good. I can't stop reading it. Some of my friends got together to eat wings and watch the World Series, and I read my book the whole time. Life of the party am I!

I know I've written a lot about Michener's books, but that's because I love them so much. They make me want to see the world and learn everything I can about its people.

Alaska is great because I don't really know anything about Alaskan history. And it's full of characters who take risks and prioritize adventure and the search for knowledge. Then, on the other hand, there is tragedy and death and prejudice and deep sorrow. Reading it just makes me feel so alive!

A cheap, easy way to add a little adventure to life!

AND, I just love books that really *thump* when you set them down. You know, GIANT ones. And Alaska is 1,073 pages long. I'd say that's pretty respectable. Good stuff! They're the kind of books that make me cry when they're over because I get so invested in them.

So yeah, if I'm not posting, don't worry, I'm not dead. Just reading!

Reading List

I finally finished Chesapeake by James Michener (yes, it look me freakin' FOREVER to read. I haven't been making as much time for reading as I typically like), so I'm moving on to my GIANT reading list. I got several books for Christmas, my sister leant me a book, I have a few I've had on the shelf waiting on me, and I'm ready to read them! At the rate I've been going, it'll take me a year to read all the books on my list. When I was in college, I made a point of reading for pleasure everyday (and that's on top of all the reading I had for school), and went through a book a week. So, here's my reading list:

1. Shakespeare's Christmas, by Charlaine Harris (209 Pages)
This is the third book in a series by Charlaine Harris, who also wrote the books that the show True Blood is based on. These books are short, easy reads. They'd be good beach reads. My sister leant me this book, and I'm planning on tackling this one first, since it is pretty much the opposite of Chesapeake.

2. Things I Learned About My Dad in Therapy, edited by Heather Armstrong (230 Pages)
This is a book of essays by several writers, which was put together by Heather Armstrong (who writes http://www.dooce.com/, which I'm sure I've mentioned before!). The description for the book says that it is "A funny and poignant exploration of fatherhood-- warts, poop, and all." Haha.

3. Hawaii, by James Michener (937 Pages)
So, by the time I finish the first two books, I figure I'll be ready for another Michener book. Chris has read Hawaii already, and he says it's great. Considering the fact that Cheseapeake is probably on my top five list now, I'm pretty sure this book will be one I like as well.

4. Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen (335 Pages)
I believe I mentioned this book in a previous post. The reason I mentioned it is that it was originally written as a National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) book. It takes place during The Great Depression, and follows a man who walks out of his medical school exams to join the circus.

5. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Dubliners, by James Joyce (372 Pages)
I bought a Barnes and Noble Classics book with both of these in it awhile ago, but I have yet to read it. From everything I've heard, reading Joyce is a bit of a dauting task. But, I've never tried, so I'm a gonna.

6. Caribbean, by James Michener (667 Pages)
I got this and Hawaii for Christmas, which is really exciting. Chris will probably read this before I do, and he tends to read more than I do of late, so it will be waiting for me when I get through the other five books on the list!

So, that's 2,750 pages. If I want to finish these books by six months from now, I have to read an average of 15.2 pages a day, which should be pretty easy to do.

Here's the STACK of books I'm planning on reading:


I LOVE BOOKS



Here is the stack next to an average-sized rabbit for scale.

Yeah, baby!

So, I guess I better get started! Anyone have any suggestions for good books to add to my list?

Things I Would Have Done by Now if There Were More Hours in a Day

-Learn to Make Jewelry: I spent a Visa gift card I got for Christmas on some jewelry-making supplies (including a torch for soldering. Fire=fun; tell your kids). I set up this little “workshop” in my foyer but only got to work on things a few times. I’d like to think that, if there were more hours in a day, I’d be quite the jeweler by now.

-Write a Book: I love to write. I write poetry, examiner.com articles, articles for Americana Rhythm magazine, (and, now, this super-cool bloggy blog! Ok I don’t know why I said “bloggy blog.” But it’s a-gonna stay there). However, all these things are relatively short and can be knocked out within an afternoon or evening. If there were more hours in a day, I’d like to think that I could write a big ole book. I’m talking a giant-Russian-novel type book.

-Learn Italian: I recently became a duel citizen of the US and Italy…. aaaaaaaaaaaaaand, I don’t speak a word of Italian. Well, maybe a word (Grazie!). Shameful, I know. There literally aren’t enough hours in a day for me to take an Italian class or even teach myself! Mama mia! Spaghetti! Vino (Please imagine wildy huge hand gestures here)!

-Become a Better Cook: Wanna know what’s on the TV in the background as I type this? The Food Network (It’s funny, I don’t pay for cable, and, when I got my new TV, all of a sudden I get all these awesome channels!). Why is the Food Network on? Because I love watching talented people cook (ok, fine, and I love to eat). I’m alright at cooking. But, I tend to make the same things over and over. I would love to learn more about what flavors compliment each other. No time!

RYAN’S RECOMMENDATIONS:
Listening: I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers: This is one of the best new albums I’ve listened to in years. It’s deep, emotional, achingly truthful, and just plain sounds good. I highly recommend it.

Reading: I’m still reading Watership Down, but I also regularly read Dooce.com, which is Heather Armstrong’s blog. She makes her living writing it (!). She also describes herself as a “recovered Mormon” and went through a tough time with postpartum depression when she had her first daughter. And she’s just hilarious. Check it out if that sounds interesting to you!

Working Out: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism by Jillian Michaels (ok, so yeah, I love her). This DVD is hard core. There are 7 circuits making the workout a total of 45 minutes or so. I still can’t do all 45 minutes! She incorporates kickboxing, calisthenics, core strength, and jump training all in one workout. It is super intense, and you’ll feel it the next day.