I didn‘t go walking yesterday and knew I would regret it because it‘s supposed to rain all this week. Today, I was determined to finish Walden, fell asleep after about 2 pages, & it was storming when I woke up. Missed my chance to walk for #BFC. I did finish this book- it‘s a classic & has some valuable things to say, was prob more radical at the time. I will stick w/ Wendell Berry though, he says a lot of the same in a more concise & poetic way.

In an essay by EB White at the end of Walden-“Walden is an oddity in American letters. It may very well be the oddest of our distinguished oddities. For many, it is a great deal too odd, and for many it is a particular bore.” He goes on to say that many respect it but don‘t like it much.
And that sums up most of my thoughts about the book. It has some interesting insights, & I see the influence on some of my fave authors.

Sitting on the sunporch listening to the last hour of this one. It was a little slow, & the murderer was pretty obvious. I still liked it though. Sometimes we need books that aren‘t too heavy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

1. I like most music. Maybe 90‘s rap.
2. I can never decide between fall and spring. Love the fall colors but love the change to warm weather & blooming flowers in spring.
3. Historical fiction
4. Went w/ sister to Texas Roadhouse to use a gift card
5. Done. #friYAYintro @howjessreads

Don‘t think I‘m going to walk today, so I‘ll go ahead and post for the #bookfitnesschallenge, week 5.
I had 4 days of exercise this week (goal is 3), including yesterday when I did both a walk & yoga. Last week was the first week in a long time that I actually hit my 4 day goal on Fitbit.
I finished one book, making my total 7/6. I‘m currently working on an audiobook. #BFC @wanderinglynn

I met this author at a bookstore event. I‘m not usually a fan of sci-fi, so I wasn‘t going to buy the book, but after I heard her talk & met her, I decided to try it out. I love the characters, & she thankfully left out the ya love triangle trope. This one has a lot of world building, then major action at the end. Some good themes about environment, respect for indigenous people, & power. I‘m excited to read the next one in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Taking a few minutes before yoga to enjoy sunshine w/ my cat, Griffin.

Our ky weather has been either rainy or on the edge of raining for about 5 days, which has made trying to walk interesting. It‘s also not helped my mood. Went to a park today that has a walking trail. 2nd walk of the #BFC week. Listening to the tagged book (went with the British title).

#BFC check-in for week 4. Despite rain yesterday (& today), I did get a walk/aerobics in, so I met my 3 days a week goal. Hit my goal of 6 books. #bookfitnesschallenge. @wanderinglynn

FYI Littens. If anyone lives near the Cincinnati area, Sarah Dessen (I haven‘t read her books but know she‘s popular) and Jennifer Weiner are doing signings during the next 2 weeks at Joseph-Beth.

“this note about anatomy/ from me to you/is for the remembering/that after you speak/after you shout/your open mouth/will breathe in/the light for which/you‘ve hungered/ and your backbone/will unfurl until/you can again dance/to the beat/of your steadfast heart”
This book is powerful, especially the 2nd part. I like the poetry format, it makes it different than other books about trauma. My favorite book so far of the #BFC ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“the spines of books connect, page to page, writer to reader, teacher to student, page to page, past to future, pain to power, page to page, rage to peace”

“scars may look stronger than unwounded skin, but they‘re not
once broken, we‘re easily hurt again, or worse
the temptation is to hide behind shields,
play defense, drown ourselves in sorrow
or drug our way to haunted oblivion
until death erases hope”

Since the #bookfitnesschallenge started, I have read 5 books.
1. A woman is no man
2. Oryx and crake
3. The book woman of troublesome creek
4. HP and the chamber of secrets
5. Less
All of these are great (HP was a re-read), but I think A woman is no man has been my favorite because I learned about a different culture & liked the interesting (some unlikeable) characters. #BFC @wanderinglynn

“As with almost every sunset, but with this one in particular: shut the f... up.”
This was the moment that I found really funny. I liked this book—the characters were interesting, & I related to Arthur worrying about getting older & his future. The love story was ok, there were some amusing moments. But, I wouldn‘t say it‘s Pulitzer Prize worthy. Obv, the Pulitzer committee thought differently. I rounded up on GR, but here I will give it a 3.5/5.

My sister let me borrow this and said I have to read it. I‘ve read wintergirls, so I‘m sure it will be good.

I probably have more books than clothes that I wear regularly but didn‘t count that one. I‘ve had friends never return books but don‘t think I‘ve lost one.
#BookwormBingo @EclecticReaders

Finally got some nature time today. 2.7 miles, & I only thought I wasn‘t going to make it once on an uphill. Definitely a difference from last time I went hiking. #BFC

I saw a buzzfeed quiz about HP & realized that 15 yrs ago (when this movie came out), I was recovering from a fall off a cliff & was mad that I couldn‘t go see PoA yet. I had finally gotten into HP & this one was the first of the movies I would see in the theater. When I was able to walk again (about July), my sister took me, with external fixators in my arm & my pillow. It‘s still an important movie to me & usually my favorite book of the series.

Decided I‘m in the mood to read this one instead of another I had started. Took a walk tonight, now a new book. Book 5/6 for #bookfitnesschallenge #BFC

I haven‘t re-read Harry Potter in a long time, and I usually say the 2nd is my least favorite (or the 5th). But, I‘m excited to finally read the British versions. Had forgotten how many details in this book come into play in the 6th & 7th ones. I got this one in my house color—Hufflepuff. My Pygmy puff, Violet, from HP World is included in this pic.

“But, hell, anyone knows a Kentucky man ain‘t gonna let the wandering legs plant themselves anyplace other than here—can have hisself one foot on foreign soil, but the other is always pointed home.”
This is the author‘s best book so far, I think. There was one theme that could have been left out (it‘s a situation that has been in her other books), but it was finished early on. I enjoyed the history of the library service and blue people of KY.

Week 3 check-in for #bookfitnesschallenge.
Exercise—2/3 days, but I have increased daily step count every day this week.
Books—almost done with 3rd book out of 6
This has been a very emotional few days for me. Still grieving about my job—leaving my school, my kids & staff that I‘ve worked with for 6 years is breaking my heart. Today was the last day for kids. Exercise, books, friends, & my therapist (therapists also need a therapist)have helped.

Started this book for next month‘s book club. I‘ve met the author twice (she a ky native), and she‘s going to skype in to our meeting. I‘ve heard this is her best book so far.
I also took a walk tonight. No audiobook but did listen to levar burton reads podcast for most of the walk.
#bookfitnesschallenge @wanderinglynn

“Anyway, maybe there weren‘t any solutions. Human society, they claimed, was a sort of monster, it‘s main by-products being corpses and rubble. It never learned, it made the same cretinous mistakes over and over, trading short-term gain for long-term pain.”
—this is a book I will go back to because I‘ll keep thinking about it (good thing I own it). Very relevant to today‘s world.

A little late in checking in, I forgot to post last night. I only had 2 days of exercise this last week (goal is 3), mainly because I wanted to watch izombie last night. Still, that‘s more than a month ago. Will schedule exercise better for next week.
So far, I‘ve read 1.5 books (goal is 6). Will finish up tagged book this weekend. #bookfitnesschallenge @wanderinglynn

The last 10 days have been very emotional due to a sudden change of job that‘s not my choice. It would be ok but there are kids involved. In the mental health field, we always talk about client care, but all too often, that‘s a lower priority than money to admin.
3 good things today—1)my Wi-Fi got fixed. 2) I went outside twice to blow bubbles and enjoy the sunshine w/ 3 of my favorite kids. 3) I went on a walk. #bookfitnesschallenge

I love Margaret Atwood. For some reason, I hadn‘t read this one yet.

“If every woman refused to get married after a woman died at the hands of her husband, then no one would ever get married.”
I read this for book club, and it‘s the best book I‘ve read this year. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I‘ve had a sudden bad change in my life this week, so this is the first time I‘ve read all week or felt like posting.

I‘m giving up on Walden temporarily because 1)it‘s very slow & due back at the library soon and 2) I need to read this one for library book club.

Enjoying social time and the Giants at Bernheim Forest in KY today. They‘re so cool. #bookfitnesschallenge. @wanderinglynn

Through a conversation w/ my yoga teacher‘s husband, I am thinking of making this a summer project since I‘m not traveling much this summer and not working. I‘ve had this book for several yrs but haven‘t used it. There‘s a few I‘ve hiked & one I hike frequently but still a lot to explore. #bookfitnesschallenge

I‘m very excited to go see the giants tomorrow with my yoga instructor & friends! We have a great forest in Ky that I‘ve never been to. Hoping that rain holds off, so we can hike & do some yoga. This is a pic that I didn‘t take.

Finally finished this on the way home from yoga. I liked the personal stories of the women.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not a lot to see on a walk through my neighborhood, but there were some pretty irises. Still waiting on mine to bloom more fully. #litsywalkers

This book is good, but it is so infuriating. The misogyny of the men who just perpetuate that women are “hysterical”, their greed and callousness. And it‘s very frustrating to know that this still goes on today.

I signed up for the #bookfitnesschallenge. My goals are to exercise (Walk/yoga) at least 3 times a week for 30 min each & to read 6 books during that time.
@wanderinglynn

No surprise that this one is hard to read, but I do want to finish it. Classics usually take me a longer time to read.

It‘s the best day of the year here in Kentucky—Derby Day! I‘m choosing to stay in this year & watch it on tv instead of going to our Lexington track to watch it on the screen. One day, I may be able to afford to actually go to the Derby.

Going to try this one. I‘ve always meant to read it, and Wendell Berry quotes it a lot in his books.

This book has 3 povs and times (1637, 1958, & 2000). It‘s about an art history student who makes a forgery of the only painting attributed to sara de vos and how it affects her and the original owner‘s life. I liked this one, especially the Sara de Vos story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“While reading Greek poetry, my professors warned us to be careful of the double meaning of elegies; they were, it seems, often written as political propaganda.”
The author does talk about hillbilly elegy in this book, but I enjoyed the history lesson. I‘m aware of how corporations have tried to destroy Appalachia over the yrs but didn‘t know the details. Right now, Senator Rand Paul is trying to privatize part of preserved forest in eastern KY.

Got to a part of this book that is probably not great to listen to while cooking. These poor girls.

Started this one today and so far, it‘s good. I hear it will make me angry though.

1. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos
2. Literary Rogues by Andrew Schaffer- in January
3. Green
#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

This one was recommended by a friend. I‘m being flaky today—instead of a bday party at church for a member, I‘m staying in to read. I have a hard time being extroverted on saturdays, it‘s too much after work all week.

This book was ok for me. It focused more on the investigation and trial since the author was one of the lawyers for the accused. It was more interesting to me because it‘s a local crime. Just not my favorite genre.

Finally getting in some reading this morning. Using my new handmade mug (pawleystudios.com). Grumpy cat, Griffin, who wants to be outside on the sun porch (it‘s too cold) in the background.

This is the book pick for another book club I‘ve been going to. True crime isn‘t my typical genre, but it‘s a local crime (Lexington, KY) so hoping it‘s good.

“All the things that are wrong in the world seem conquered by a library‘s simple unspoken promise: Here I am, please tell me your story; here is my story, please listen.”
This book was really good. Thought it was going to be about the crime, but it was more about the hx of the library. Will be a good book to discuss at my library book club this month.