Sunday, April 30, 2023

April Books

Can you believe that reading wasn't my jam growing up?! Clif Notes were my best friends in high school - I'd "read enough" to get by, but other than that I did not enjoy the act of reading so never did it... like ever. Maybe I wasn't reading things that held my interest or maybe it was because it was "required" so I didn't find it enjoyable, but whatever the reason, I'm glad I challenged myself to add the goal of reading 17 books in 2017 (which turned into 88 books in 201777 books in 201867 books in 201966 books in 202067 books in 2021 and 41 books in 2022). Recently, especially since going back to work outside of the house full-time, the majority of my "reading" has been through audiobooks since I don't have as much time to sit and read physical books (not to mention I walk to work and walk on my lunch break so have two-ish hours a day I can listen to something). Even still, holding a physical book is the bomb diggity and I hope to get back to adding more reading vs listening. Just like in years past, writing a monthly recap of the books I get through is a great way for me to both record what I'm reading and to stay accountable. So here are the books I finished in April:

  • Cultish by Amanda Montell - I had this book saved in my Hoopla app for a while, but finally got around to downloading it. The topic intrigued me, because the book wasn't necessarily about cults (or at least not in the way that most people think that a book would be about cults), but about the language that many groups use - groups from Heaven's Gate and Jonestown to CrossFit and CorePower Yoga. I found the whole listen extremely fascinating! Each section was about a different subset, ranging from legit cults or multi-level marketing to Scientology or social media. The author really knows her stuff and not only is everything well researched, but her humor and curiosity made the book feel more like a conversation than a nitty gritty analysis. She definitely has an opinion and makes it known, but I wouldn't say that it is overtly one-sided. It definitely makes you think and I believe that's what good books require. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

  • Running While Black by Alison Mariella Desir - I have had this book on my Amazon Wishlist for a while and was finally able to snag it (I traded some running goodies in one of the "buy nothing groups" on Facebook for it). Let me just say, WOW. This book was incredibly eye opening. Don't get me wrong, I am not oblivious to the fact that the life experiences of Black people (runners and non-runners alike) are extremely different from white people, but there were quite a few things that I read that made me shake my head. For example, I have often heard (and said myself) that "all you need is a pair of shoes", but Alison Mariella Desire points out that is a very privileged perspective. We need access, safety, location, etc, etc, etc. Or how the running world has touted the Boston Marathon as a pinnacle of running, yet how it is a very exclusive, often white, cisgender male and heterosexually focused event. I don't want to "give it all away", but I very much underlined, took notes and added the book immediately to my personal library as a must keep. I would give it a 10 out of 10.

  • Read This to Get Smarter by Blair Imani - I have followed this author on Instagram for quite some time now and have wanted to get my hands on her book (this is her third book she has authored thus far). I love her Smarter In Seconds series on her IG account and feel like I always end up with at least a nugget or two of eye opening information or insight. Now, I'll be honest, although it was a very informative book, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. You see, I was hoping that the book would dig deeper into some of the topics she covers on her social media, but I felt like it was a little more surfacey. Don't get me wrong, it is a great resource and definitely a good jumping off point, especially when someone is getting familiar to things like race, privilege, gender, secual orientation, etc, but I was hoping for a bit more. It's super approachable and understandable, so can be a great conversation starter. I don't think I'll keep it in my personal library, but hope to gift it to someone else (who will hopefully keep the trend going while we all get our learn on ;)). I would give it an 8 out of 10.

  • The Storyteller by Dave Grohl - The hubby, pup and I went to Mammoth for a long weekend and I let Ryan select the audiobook. I sent him a couple of options and he decided this was the one he was most excited about (PS In case you couldn't tell from the two prior pictures, this trip is also where I read those books... but since we finished this on the drive home it shows up after them in the recap). I love when memoirs are read by the author because you can really get an idea of their passion (at least in my opinion). I'll be honest and say that I don't know much about Dave Grohl (other than he's in the Foo Fighters), so learning all of his backstory was very interesting. He shares lots of stories (and, as the title suggests, he's a great storyteller) and kept us both entertained the entire time. I also appreciate that although he has a lot of famous friends (and name drops a bit), he is really inspired by them and even fans out over some of them. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

  • Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala - After a few more "serious" reads I thought I'd hit up the cutesy Young Adult romance genre for an easy listen. I had this title saved in my Hoopla app for a while so thought I'd give it a try. I might not know much about the cosplay world, but I love making me fun running costumes and watching those fashion design reality TV shows so this was sort of a mash-up of all that. The storyline jumped from "then" and "now" which I really enjoyed. It was an intriguing way to relay the past of the relationship and how the main characters arrived in their present situations. I thought it was a cute story and one that I'd totally watch if it became a Netflix movie ;) There were no earth shattering revelations, but that's not what I was looking for. I wanted to be entertained with high school-ish drama and that's exactly what I got. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

  • Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt - This was in the "new and trending" section of my Hoopla app so I figured I would give it a go. I hadn't read the synopsis, but noticed it had like 4.8 stars so figured it was worth a few hours (the audiobook was a little over 11 hours, but I currently listen to them at 1.75x speed, so more like 6.5 hours or so). I've gotta say, the star rating wasn't too far off. I really enjoyed this novel. It was told from the perspective of three different characters and it was pretty cool to see how all of the storylines wove together by the end. I'll be honest and say I had guessed some of the plot while I was listening, but for the most part I was looking for time during my day to try and see what would happen next. I'd definitely recommend it (maybe for a vacation or poolside read) - very cute and unique. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

  • Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness - I hope this isn't a controversial statement, but I've never watch Queer Eye (the original series or the reboot), but I have seen Jonathan Van Ness on some of the accounts I follow on social media and when his memoir popped up on my Hoopla "recommended" list I thought I'd check it out. I didn't know much about Jonathan prior to listening to his story (which he read, by the way), but I've gotta say, he captivated me. I appreciate that he dove into the difficult times he went through and tried to draw attention to some often stigmatized topics (especially in the LGBTQ+ community). He was real, raw and relatable. He started the book by mentioning he was worried that if we saw the "full" him, he feared people wouldn't like him - but I think that people can only TRULY like us if they know the real us. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

  • Wordslut by Amanda Montell - At the beginning of the month I listened to Cultish and my Hoopla app recommended that I check out this title by the same author. I really enjoyed learning all about the linguistics of cults (or cult-like language), so I was stoked to get that one a whirl. Don't get me wrong, I was absolutely engrossed on the subject matter and how language can be gendered (with everything from the insults thrown around to the way we discuss sex or our bodies), but for some reason I enjoyed the first book a little more than this one. Many of the topics Amanda raised definitely made me think a little more in depth, which is great, but it felt a little longer than it needed to be. Even still, I found it very interesting. I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

With that, April has come to a close. My reading may have slowed down a bit (especially compared to years past), but I hope it never stops. If you have suggestions, let me know! I'm always willing to add them to my "must read" list! 

PS I created an Amazon list that includes all of the books I've read so they're in one place. Feel free to check it out!

What's the best book you've read lately? 

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress?

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Workout Recap - Week 16

Sunday, April 16th  3 mile run

Monday, April 17th – Rest Day

Tuesday, April 18th –  90 minutes on the stationary bike

Wednesday, April 19th – Rest Day

Thursday, April 20th – Rest Day

Friday, April 21st  3 mile run with my Daddy-O

Saturday, April 22nd – Rest Day

Two steps forward, one step back... The legs have been feeling good, but I woke up Wednesday morning and my throat felt like it was burning (and throughout the day I was having some body aches, chills, etc) so I took a rest day and then Thursday I had to do some house cleaning before my parents flew in that evening so I took another rest day. I was able to get out for 3 miles with my dad along the beach on Friday (thankfully the body aches and chills were only on Wednesday, for the rest of the week I just lost my voice... which I guess is a blessing and a curse depending on who you talk to ;)). This week doesn't look great, but thankfully I haven't had any weird aches or pains due to running, so once I can kick whatever this funky flu thing is I hope to be back to training like normal because I would really love to be in a normal routine again.

How were your workouts this past week?

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress?

Sunday, April 16, 2023

Workout Recap - Week 15

Sunday, April 9th  Rest Day

Monday, April 10th – 90 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, April 11th –  90 minutes on the stationary bike

Wednesday, April 12th – 3 mile (PAIN FREE) run

Thursday, April 13th – Rest Day

Friday, April 14th  Rest Day

Saturday, April 15th – 3 mile run with the hubby

Like I texted one of my best friends after my Wednesday run (my FIRST RUN SINCE FEBRUARY 5th!), it is going to be a very slow rebuild, but at least I am rebuilding! Yep, I was able to run pain free for 3 miles on Wednesday (and then again with the hubby on Saturday). I am going to take this slow and steady - if the body needs an extra rest day, I'm going to take it. If my legs are telling me to jump on the bike instead of head out for a run, I'll do it. Currently I don't have anything on the calendar until December (although I am eye-ballin' something in October), so there is NO REASON to push my body past (or even close to) its breaking point - especially right now. I'm thinking I might run Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday (the weekends because those are normally my days off and I don't have to worry about doing it around my work schedule) and then maybe bike on Monday and Friday or Tuesday and Thursday (and rest days the days I don't bike to give my body plenty of time). I'm just STOKED that after 9ish weeks I am back to jogging without a groin pain! YIPEE!

How were your workouts this past week?

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress?

Sunday, April 9, 2023

Workout Recap - Week 14

Sunday, April 2nd  90 minutes on the stationary bike

Monday, April 3rd – 85 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, April 4th –  Rest Day

Wednesday, April 5th – 90 minutes on the stationary bike

Thursday, April 6th – Rest Day

Friday, April 7th  Rest Day

Saturday, April 8th – Rest Day

#RealTalk: my period hits me HARD, so when I woke up to my alarm on Tuesday and Thursday , my body told me MORE SLEEP PLEASE... Normally I would've pushed through, but since I don't have anything on my calendar and I'm doing my darndest to heal this groin, I LISTENED TO MY BODY! Then the hubby, pup and I took a long weekend to go "camping" up in Mammoth, which meant no access to my stationary bike and "forced" rest days. I'm hoping that I'm going to be able to give running (very short distances) a demo this next week to see if I'm back to 100% yet or not. Wish me luck!

How were your workouts this past week?

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress?

Sunday, April 2, 2023

Workout Recap - Week 13

Sunday, March 26th  Rest Day

Monday, March 27th – Rest Day

Tuesday, March 28th –  80 minutes on the stationary bike

Wednesday, March 29th – 90 minutes on the stationary bike

Thursday, March 30th – 90 minutes on the stationary bike

Friday, March 31st  90 minutes on the stationary bike

Saturday, April 1st – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Another week of biking... And, not only that, but I missed running with one of my best friend's for her 50th half marathon on Sunday because I'm still sidelined... At least I was able to spectate the race and cheer everyone on, but it still sucked not to be able to RUN on the course... I would say there is less of a twinge lately than there has been, but I will probably give it another week before I try running because I'm nervous it's going to reflare up whatever the anger in my groin is. 

How were your workouts this past week?