Four weeks in, five books down

As I stated before, my new year's resolution was to read 52 books that I had never read before and I am a week ahead of schedule. Granted, it helps that I am focusing on books that are less than 300 pages, rather than giant tomes, but five books in four weeks is still pretty fantastic. Here are the latest additions to list:

Tomcat in Love by Tim O'Brien: The story of Thomas H. Chippering and his quest to exact revenge on his ex-wife, and the love of his life, Lorna Sue. I have to say that I prefer O'Brien's writing when set in military combat, rather than civilian combat, but I did love the sense of humor present. It was a nice change from the lemon tree incident.

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson: A quick and easy read about a brother and sister in a dystopian future who discover that they are actually magical, hence the title. I bought this one (the first of the series) off iBooks for 99¢ and I had finished it by the next evening. Think Harry Potter, in an industrial setting.  

Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter: My favorite of the three, it is the story of an uncertain war veteran who is trying to find a future for his son after his wife dies in childbirth. This book bounces around in time to tell not only Bright's story but the story of his in-laws as they try to find him and his son. Slightly surreal and compelling, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will most likely be re-reading it. And yes, this is by the same Josh Ritter who wrote the song about the girl who brings the mummy back to life with her love, the video of which will make you weep.

Up next: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Neat Market and Vegan Van: Be jealous of Denver

This Sunday, Denver witnessed a magical event: Neat Market, put on by Plants and Animals Denver. What was so magical about it? Soy curls, Cleo's, donuts, purses, and almost any other vegan delight you could ever want was available- P & A's inaugural pop-up vegan market was a rousing success. I left with a full belly and a full bag of goodies. The next one can't come fast enough- my treats won't last long.



Stationed outside of the market was Denver's Vegan Van, our all vegan food truck. I enjoyed the Planet Rock, which was crispy buffalo tofu and coleslaw on a hefty roll, alongside some popcorn while my mom enjoyed the Car Wash, a sandwich of beer battered tofu and dill tartar sauce. I will most likely become a stalker of the Vegan Van, as this was some of the best buffalo tofu I've ever had- and I am an expert. Delicious food, fabulous service and popcorn on the side, how could I ever say no?

New Year, New Books: Robopocalypse and The Great Fitness Experiment

While writing about my favorite books in December, I came to two conclusions:

1) I need to read more.

2) I need to read more new books instead of repeating my favorites over and over. 

Source

I tend to become very attached to the characters in books, and I like to re-read the books in order to interact with them again. So, my new year's resolution, inspired by my friend Alice, is to read at least 52 new to me books this year. Obviously, I will blog about them and let you know my opinion. Here are my first two books:

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson: I loved this book. The story of the inevitable robot uprising and the humans who fight back against it. Fast paced, written in a variety of styles (storytelling, transcripts, interviews), I tore through this book in about two days. Highly recommended. It also looks like Steven Spielberg is directing the film version of this, so I have high hopes. Don't let me down, Stevie. 

The Great Fitness Experiment by Charlotte Hilton Andersen: I thought I would love this book. I was wrong. While the premise of the book isn't inaccurate (lady tries a different fitness routine each month for a year), it also details her struggle with compulsive exercising and disordered eating. Super uncomfortable to alternate reading about her finding out high intensity interval training burns the most fat while going to therapy for her eating and exercising. I mostly just wanted to give her a hug and have a stern discussion with her publisher.