It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading is hosted by the wonderful Sheila over @ Book Journey. To see what others are reading, stop by her blog and check out the fun posts! 🙂

This week was good and bad. I caught the dreaded flu that’s been circulating through the library but am fortunately feeling much, much better. Not a fun time! I started my personal training regime (more on this in another post) which has me running more now that my injuries are finally manageable. Hopefully, I’ve learned my lesson and will take things slow so as to not have a relapse! Thankfully, my strength training sessions already seem to be helping and I’ve been feeling strong on my runs. Yay! 🙂

Also, I finished my second novel this weekend – double yay! 😀  While my first novel is YA my second is MG. My next step will be to start my first round of revisions then rinse, wash and repeat until I’m happy with the finished product. Then that polished draft will wait patiently while I begin the process of querying to agents – just as I’m doing with my first novel.

Since I was mostly a lump for the past week as I recovered from my bug, I did get a lot of reading done. Some was catching up on magazines and non-fiction books on running and conditioning, but here’s what else I read this week.

Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord – This petite novel is well worth a read. Although I didn’t find it as deep and philosophically moving as Life of Pi and The Alchemist, I think it raises some interesting issues and makes for a provocative read. Hector is a psychiatrist who after years of helping others and listening to their problems decides he needs to travel around the world on a happiness quest. On the way he gets involved in different scenarios and meets different people who he engages in finding answers to his quest. I’m still mulling over some of the conclusions that Hector (ie. Lelord) draws, which is always the sign of a book worth reading.

 

 

The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger – While this book resembles a children’s picture book, it is actually a graphic novel. This is the first time I’ve read Niffenegger who also wrote The Time Traveler’s Wife. I’m still debating whether or not I like this book. But the fact that I’m still contemplating the meaning behind Niffenegger’s story shows me that even if I didn’t like it, it made me think which, once again, I appreciate. The protagonist is a young woman who discovers a bookmobile during a late night walk in Chicago. It is complete with everything she has ever read, although she can’t check out these items. The mystery deepens from there, but I won’t say any more so as not to spoil the tale. If you do read it I would love to hear your thoughts on what you think the meaning behind the story is or if there is a deeper meaning at all.

Ultra Marathon Man by Dean Karnazes – I am loving this book! Karnazes was on the brink of destroying his marriage and drowning in the meaninglessness of his job. Instead of giving up or turning to more toxic outlets, Karnazes turns to a love he had as a youth – running. Before long his obsessiveness and passion for running shape his life and begin to define who he is as a man and, more importantly, the man he wants to be. While centered around running, this book can appeal to anyone who has a passion or seeks that sense of fulfillment from life. Karnazes doesn’t turn away from his life but embraces it to the fullest. (P.s. An ultra marathon is anything longer than a marathon and is often seen as the ultimate test of endurance.)

 

 

That’s it for me this week! What about you what have you been reading?

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