This Weeks Books (books finished in the week ending 2/5/17)

Making Life Easy: A Simple Guide to a Divinely Inspired Life - Christiane Northrup, M.D.
I listened to the book on tape.  It was much more "airy, fairy" than I had anticipated and I loved everything it had to offer.  Dr. Northrup breaks everything down into to doable steps.  I ended up buying a copy to  use as reference (as following steps from an audio book involves a lot of transcription).
#popsugarreadingchallenge - audio book & book by someone I admire.

Leviathan Wakes - James. S. A. Corey (actually Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck)
I don't normally pick up science fiction on my own, but when someone recommends it, I always enjoy it.  I will have to check out the tv show (word has it, the second season has just begun), and the novella about Fred.  I enjoyed how the point of view alternated between two characters, with the exception of the epilogue.  (thank you Liane - great gift)
#popsugarreadingchallenge - a book with multiple authors (which I didn't know until I read the interview in the back of the book) & a book by an author who uses a pseudonym (the reason I didn't know it was two authors)

Dumplin' - Julie Murphy
I enjoyed this book.  Perhaps I read it too fast, but it felt like something was missing.  Perhaps her body confidence and general confidence wasn't established or thoroughly enough so that when it wavered and escaped her, it didn't feel missing.  I enjoyed all the characters and how death was dealt with - an ongoing process.  It occurs to me that this could easily be made into a film and the confidence could be easier to establish without beating one over the head with it.
#popsugarreadingchallenge - a book with a title that is a character's name (does nickname count?)

This Weeks Books (1/29/17)

So for #popsugar I could go with that it is a book involving travel as they did fly about a lot, or a book about a character who is a different ethnicity than me.  Either, both.  For the #ReadHarder challenge, it qualifies for nada.  And I enjoyed it; it is the sequel to Crazy Rich Asians.  It feels like there could be third as not everything was wrapped up.  I would enjoy it; I like the characters.

This Weeks Books (1/23/17)

The Portable Veblen - Elizabeth McKenzie
This I chose for book club.  It is lovely.  Her use of language was beautiful.  The more I read, the more I liked the characters and enjoyed the book.  This counts for two of the #popsugarreadingchallege as it has a non-human POV and it is a book about an interesting  woman.

The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club- Gil McNeil
This was a quick read and thoroughly enjoyable.  It counts as part of the #popsugarreadingchallenge as it was recommended to me by a librarian (does it still count if the librarian is your friend?)

Champion - Marie Lu
I read this before but must have read it too quickly as I wasn't completely sure until 2/3 of the way through and even then I couldn't remember the ending until I got there.  It is a good conclusion to a trilogy.

Books of 2017

books read the first week of January
if I had realized, I would have also tagged it #popsugarreadingchallenge as one counts for a novel set in wartime.  And I would have tagged it #readharder as it takes place within 100 miles of where I live.

This last weeks books
(actually book- singular)
#readharder from the bookriot read harder list #15 (Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+)

Reading in 2017

So last year and the year before, I took the Goodreads Reading Challenge, where you say how many books you will read in the coming year.   (Okay, so I just checked and I have been doing the Goodreads Reading Challenge since 2011).  I always read more than I commit to and doing the challenge has me record each book I read (or listen to).  I have enjoyed it.  As you may know, I love book lists.  And in the spirit of book lists and expanding my reading (not necessarily more, as I will be in school for portions of the year, but in diversity), I am taking on 3 other reading challenges.  Two are lists, well all 3 are lists, but one requires reviews to win.  I don't know if I care about winning, but if I am going to play, I might as well follow the rules and be eligible.

In no particular order...

The BookRiot Read Harder Challenge with #ReadHarder

The Popsugar Reading Challenge with #popsugarreadingchallenge

The 2017 Back to the Classics Challenge

So feel free to look here and see what I am reading.

Last year, I started posting pictures of the books I had read and listened to each week.  I posted them on Instagram and Facebook and usually tweeted them too with the hashtag #thisweeksbooks.  (I am @KathleenMK)  I will continue doing that and adding the appropriate hashtags from the challenges above if they apply.

I am not a book worm; I am a book dragon.
(yes, I am a dork)

If you are looking for a reading challenge and none of these speak to you, check out this list of 20 from BookRiot.

I have seen this quote several times on Facebook in the last few weeks, if not months.  Every time I've seen it, it brought to mind something that I really hoped I would not have to let go of and yet I knew on some level in my heart and in my head that I would and I should.  At least let go of how it was.

Today I let go.  It is sad.  I will probably go through many spaces of sad and mad for awhile.

I know I loved largely.  I hope I lived gently, albeit perhaps a bit too meekly.  And I hope I am letting go gracefully; not "nicely" but gracefully and truthfully.

I just found this unpublished.  It was written over a year ago.  

musings in the rain...

As I walked in the rain this evening, which in Southern California is a rare treat, I realized almost everything I was wearing had been given to me.  I felt very loved.  My hat was knit by my Grandmother.  My rain slicker was bought for me by my parents, right before I started college.  My sweater is a hand me down from my step-mom.  My jeans are hand me downs from my very tall friend, Cindy.  My socks were a gift from a student (I believe); and my rain boots were a Christmas gift from my sister.  The only other items, my underwear and my new Giants t-shirt, I bought.  I feel very blessed an thankful.

As I walked I passed the museum that currently has an exhibit from a famous tattoo parlor (I kind of assume it is pictures of the tattoos), I wondered if having images of things you love or art created by those you love all over your body creates the feeling of being engulfed in love.  My tattoos are small and not engulfing, so I don't know.

Then in that way that happened during walks, I wondered what other tattoos I would want.  The two that came to mind were the Blue Ghost (a symbol from my childhood) and the word "breathe." breathe would go on the side of my middle finger, serving the double purpose of reminding me to breathe if I ever got hotheaded enough to flip the bird.  I don't know where the blue ghost would go. Where does a blue ghost live on your body?