Characters

I've always been a bit of a voracious reader.  As a child, I loved the idea that books took you to another world. Truthfully, I guess that is what I still love about books.  And while I do like the idea of a book providing some sort of personal edification (like the books we read in Book Club), I think I actually read books purely for entertainment.  I am not ashamed to admit that I much prefer a book with a good story to one that makes me think. I love a juicy novel, a beach read...and (shhhh!) even the occasional trashy romance.  Though I have gotten pretty tired of the standard trite, trashy romance plot.

In the past few years, I've turned to audiobooks to pass the time during my commute.  I've calculated that I spend roughly 10-12 hours commuting a week between Baltimore, Beltsville, and Annapolis.  Audiobooks are a great way to be entertained, particularly when I'm sitting in stop and go traffic on I-95.  I really love epic, sweeping sagas that involve travel, intrigue, romance, and thrills.  I also listen to a lot of political thrillers.

Back in the spring of 2010, I was looking for something new to listen to, and stumbled upon Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.  It was billed as a historical romance.  When I read that it involved time traveling, I almost passed it over for something else.  I'm usually not a fan of sci-fi romance-ish books...they are usually a bit unbelievable for me.  Beautiful, independent modern woman travels back in time and falls for chauvinistic, but caring Norse warrior (or some such nonsense). Outlander is 40 hrs long...but the fact that it was one of the most highly rated audiobooks on Audible.com won me over.  And I'm so glad!  It's one of those books where the characters just jump off the page (or in my case out of the speakers).  Over the past year and a half, I've downloaded and listened to all 7 books in the series.  I thought the series had been complete for awhile, and that there were about 10 books.  That is, until I did some research and realized that my current download, Echo in the Bone, is the last completed book in the series.  The author is currently working on the 8th book.  When I discovered this piece of information, I had about 6 hours to go in number 7 and was somewhat distraught!

As I slowly dragged out listening to the last part of the book, I realized how much I've come to regard these characters as friends.  I know it sounds odd, but these are characters that I've been listening to for a year and a half.  They've been with me on road trips, long commutes, and occasional middle-of-the-night insomnia attacks.  And I'm distraught that it will likely be another year and a half until I will hear from them again!  In this world of portable On-Demand everything...it's hard for me to accept that I can't just go download the next book to find out how my friends are doing and have them in my life again!

I guess it is because the characters are so human; and so likeable.  I'm finding that my favorite type of entertainment is that which entertains me AND makes me think at the same time.  Take Downton Abbey, for instance.  It took me awhile to jump on the bandwagon, but once I did...I'm so there!  On the outside, it seems to be a British "period soap opera", but it is truly the characters and their development that make the show so compelling.  We want to find out what happens plot-wise, but also want to check in with characters that feel like real people and friends.

I hope that you have "friends" like mine that entertain you and keep you company.  While I anxiously await news of Jamie, Claire, Lord John, Brianna, Roger, Jem, William, Ian, and Rachel...I guess I'll have to make do and go back in time (ha ha) with Gabaldon's Lord John series.  A few of the characters are the same...and hopefully that will tide me over for awhile!

23/365 AFLAC!

IronGirl Aflac duck is watching over my nightstand.

19/365 The Nightstand

Here are the books currently on my nightstand:

(That's a Bible on top...still working on my New Years' Resolution to read through it in a year).

Odd and Ends

Hi again, faithful readers (all 5 of you). I have a couple of quick updates on what I've been doing and have coming up.

• Rehearsals for chorale are back in full swing. This makes me happy...even though I was burnt out towards the end of last season, I've really missed my music. And so far, making the switch to alto for some pieces is quite refreshing. It's a bit like I get the best of both worlds.
• Tomorrow, Maureen and I are heading to Maine for 6 days to see our friends Jean and John. I never thought this would become an annual trip, but it's one that I always look forward to! Time relaxing on the lake, hanging out with friends, eating good food...always just what I need.
• I'm working on getting myself back into the swing of things exercise-wise now that the triathlon training is over. That means strictly running...which I don't always enjoy. Oh well, it's what I need to do in order to be ready for the Goofy Challenge!
• I've been reading and very much enjoying Julia Child's My Life in France. I picked it up after seeing the movie Julie and Julia, which I highly recommend as well. While I was at it, I bought Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Maureen and I are planning on trying her recipes once a month for Sunday Night Dinner.

Other than that, I'm just trucking along...enjoying the lovely bit of fall weather we've had, and looking forward to the coming "busy" season!

Oh, and I posted my race report for the triathlon on my Running Blog. Feel free to hop on over there and read about my crazy triathlon day!

Reading List

I know, I know...I've been MIA again. I guess that just comes with my schedule considering it's been busy at work and that is usually the only time I have to blog. But, I thought I'd drop a few quick lines about what I've been reading lately. January is usually the time that things slow down a bit in my world, and I actually get to read again. This December, I put aside a few books that I knew I would want to pick up in January. I've read one, am in the middle of another, and have the rest sitting on my night-stand ready to pick up.

The Merlot Murders- This a book by a Virginia author that I picked up at "Read Between the Wines", an Annapolis Symphony Orchestra fundraiser. It's actually a pretty good mystery...based in Virigina Wine country. I enjoyed all of the "wine-talk"...how it's made, etc. The characters are also pretty interesting. This one is actually the first in a series, so I plan on ordering the other two from Amazon and reading them at some point soon, as well. Actually, last week, this book was my perfect unwind-in-the-bathtub-with-a-glass-of-wine companion.

Dead Man Dancing- Marcia Talley is a local author, and I picked this book up at Read Between the Wines as well. The interesting thing about this book is that my dear friend and former roommate, Alicia, is written in as a character! She won a bid on being in the book at our Chorale Gala fundraiser a few years ago, and now she is written in as a dance instructor. (Something about books and music fundraisers seem to go together). I'm in the middle of this book...the plot is ok, but so far I'm loving reading about the areas the characters go to in Annapolis.

Twilight- I know, I know...teenie-bopper trash. Well, maybe. Just like it took awhile for me to get on the Harry Potter bandwagon...I've been holding off on this Twilight nonsense. However, I think it will be interesting to read and find out what all the hubub is about...I mean, I did end up loving Harry Potter!

So those are the books on my reading list for the next few weeks. I also have a few other January projects underway...and am also working on catching up on my stack of magazines that piled up in November and December!

On my nightstand and playing on my iPod

I've been on a bit of a book kick recently. Not the "light" novels that I usually read to distract myself, but some good fiction and informative nonfiction. I joined Audible.com this summer, and I highly recommend it. For $7.50 a month, you get one credit. A credit is good for one audiobook download (with the exception of some of the unabridged new releases).

For our drive to Maine, I downloaded and listened to Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. It's about fundamentalist Mormonism, polygamy, and a murder by some of the fundamentalist Mormons that they called "a revelation from God". Good book, but pretty disturbing. We listened to it for Maureen's book club, and I went to the meeting...great discussion.

Right now, I'm listening to City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. He wrote Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil about Savannah. This book is about Venice, it's people, and the controversy that occured after the 1996 fire at the Venice Opera House. So far, it's pretty good. I have learned, however, that nonfiction is more captivating when I read it instead of listening to it.

I just finished Chalked Up: Inside Elite Gymnastics' Merciless Coaching, Overzealous Parents, Eating Disorders, and Elusive Olympic Dreams, by Jennifer Sey, a former National Champion. Very interesting memoir. Her stories about her early years in gymnastics at some of the lower levels brought back good memories for me, but reading all that she went through as an Elite gymnast was discouraging. The book has generated a lot of controversy about women's gymnastics and it's coaches...as I wrote a few months ago I tend to think the bad stuff happens, but not in all situations.

Anyway, that's what I've been reading lately. Next up are a few novels based in Charleston...