It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? & Weekend Update (5/4/15)

On the reading front, last week was one of stops and starts and DNFs…but, I finished one book that I already know will stick with me for a long time. 

I finished reading…

The Shore, Sara Taylor


The Shore
by Sara Taylor (May 26, 2015)
I’m still thinking this one over. It’s unique, it takes commitment, it’s structurally challenging, but…I think I loved it. I think. I know I’ll be pondering it for a long time and it will be a hot discussion topic. If you’re about to start this one, take notes about the characters from the beginning! Review to come.

Affiliate Link: Pre-Order from Amazon

I tried, but wasn’t feeling…

Girl in the Moonlight


Girl in the Moonlight
 by Charles Dubow (May 12, 2015)
Dubow’s 2013 novel, Indiscretion, was strangely addictive (and a great summer read!), but I was disappointed with the first quarter of this one. There was lots of repetition about young love and the lifestyle of a wealthy family. But, the writing wasn’t hitting my social commentary buttons that can make reading about the wealthy interesting.

I’m currently reading…

Beneath the Bonfire, Nickolas Butler

Beneath the Bonfire by Nickolas Butler (May 5, 2015)
Butler’s debut novel, Shotgun Lovesongs, was one of my favorite books of last year. So, I was excited to hear he had a new book coming out so soon…and, then I heard it was short stories. Short stories are not usually my thing, but I’m giving this one a shot because I figure if he can’t make me enjoy a short story collection, then it’s a lost cause! So far, I really like the first quarter.

Next up are…

Mosquitoland, Radiant Angel

Mosquitoland by David Arnold (March 3, 2015)
I sampled this YA novel about a young girl who takes a road trip in search of her real mother and home and loved her voice. It’s been awaiting me on my Kindle for way too long now!

Radiant Angel by Nelson DeMille (May 26, 2015)
Every now and then I love a good counter-terrorism thriller and Nelson DeMille is my go-to guy. His latest novel features the wise cracking ex-Anti-Terrorism Task Force Agent John Corey (most recently from The Panther) and addresses the re-emerging Russian threat.

Weekend Update

Running N Reading Weekend Update Link-Up
I’m linking up with Tara at Running N Reading’s Weekend Update.

As I mentioned last week, I’m training for the Rockwood Scramble 10K Trail Run in early June and am using Hal Higdon’s Intemediate 10K Training Program. I just completed Week 3 of the program (with some modifications). The best news? My Garmin is now working again (randomly), so I was able to download all my runs and get access to my splits.

Monday: Cross-Training (Renee Diamond‘s Diamond Cuts class at Equinox…again, I pretty much do this every Monday)

Tuesday: Long Run (6.2 miles), felt a lot better than last week and ran faster too ([55:26] vs. last week’s [56:14])

Wednesday: Stretch & Strength (Inside/Out Barre at Equinox…this class is also a staple that I pretty much do every week)

Thursday: 40 min tempo run ([9:02], [8:45], [8:16] splits before slowing down for the last 10 min)

Friday: This was supposed to be a 3M run + strength, but I was stuck on the treadmill because I needed to put my daughter in the gym’s babysitting. I hate plain old running on the treadmill. So, I subbed in a hills set and a sprint set that I kind of swiped from the Precision Running treadmill class at my gym! Including warm-up and cool down, I ended up going about 4 miles and I got in some arm and core work at the end.

Saturday: 4 mile recovery run ([9:34], [9:34], [9:17], [9:02] pace). Did I mention I love recovery runs?! It feels so indulgent to just go out and run whatever pace I’m feeling that day!

Sunday: REST! On Saturday night, we tried a local Turkish restaurant (pretty good, I’d never been to a Turkish restaurant before!). And, we capped it off with the Family Fun Day (a small carnival type thing) at my son’s pre-school. 

Does anyone else try to avoid the treadmill like the plague? What do you do if it’s unavoidable?


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20 Comments

  1. Brona wrote:

    Some interesting choices on your Monday list.
    The Shore sounds intriguing & I love the cover of the Dubow.

    My It’s Monday post is here

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  2. I’m looking forward to the new Nicholas Butler!

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I’m about halfway through now and am liking it more and more the farther I read! Hope you enjoy it!

      Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  3. Sara wrote:

    As one literary Sara to another, glad to have stumbled across your site. I really like anything that combines reading and life style/health. Looking forward to following more!

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  4. I have just a few pages of The Shore left. I’ve enjoyed it but you are right about the note taking…I wish I’d done that!

    The new Butler showed up on my doorstep just the other day. I had much the same feeling. I LOVED Shotgun Lovesongs but I’m always skeptical of short story collections, lol.

    Have a great week!

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Someone mentioned there was a chart in the ARC (hard copy) they received…that was definitely missing in my eGalley! I wish there’d been a big red warning plastered on Page 1 telling me to take notes 🙂 So, I’ve been shouting it from the rooftops instead…

      I’m about halfway through Beneath the Bonfire and I like it more and more the farther I read. Frankly, I’m kind of shocked – I usually have trouble getting invested in short story characters, but that hasn’t been a problem with this one. And, it has a similar feel to Shotgun Lovesongs.

      Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  5. Sharon wrote:

    You have me intrigued on reading The Shore. I think I will check it out! Looks like a great week of workouts for you! Totally know what you mean about the treadmill. I had to put my kiddos (when they were younger) in the gym daycare just so I could work out and had to resort to the treadmill for a majority of my training during the week. Great that you made your workout into a hills and sprint set. I would mix it up as well, so it wasn’t too boring. Have a great week!

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  6. Oooh Mosquitoland! I keep seeing it around and have been feeling the itch to read it as well 🙂

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  7. I am so curious about The Shore! That seems to be the book everyone is talking about right now. Am also interested in Beneath the Bonfire, but still need to read Shotgun Lovesongs.

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I’m over halfway through Bonfire now and I’m liking it more and more the farther I read. It has a similar feel to Shotgun Lovesongs.

      Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  8. Oh, my gosh…now I’m going to HAVE to read The Shore, but I’ll definitely email you or send you a message before I do it – ha! It sounds too intriguing to pass up, though. Um, I HATE the treadmill but I do find that if I take my Kindle and watch TV shows (my Kindle Fire…sadly, I have two different Kindles) that it’s a little less horrible. I’m trying to watch Parenthood, now that it’s over, and it has been very entertaining. I can’t seem to listen to something while I’m on there (podcast, audiobook, etc.) because I’m too easily distracted by anything else that’s going on around me and then I just get frustrated. Doing what you did last week (making it more interesting by changing up pace, incline, etc.) is also really helpful! You had a great training week, Sarah! You’re going to be so ready for this race! Thanks so much for linking up with the blog; hope your Monday is going well.

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I definitely think you should read The Shore..I just think you should go into it with the right expectations and know from the beginning that it would be helpful to take notes! Once I got past all that, I loved it.

      I like listening to podcasts on the treadmill…somehow I can pay attention to those much better than an audiobook. Haven’t tried the iPad while running…maybe I’ll have to give that a shot!

      Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  9. I am so intrigued by your vague description of The Shore. Okay, now I really want to pick it up so I’ll be on the lookout (then we can all go into a Spoiler Alert post and discuss it 🙂 like you did with The Girl on the Train.

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  10. Carmen wrote:

    I am curious about your upcoming review of The Shore. Too bad you read a few that didn’t stick.
    Good luck with your training. Sounds challenging.

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  11. Good luck with the Shore. I’m usually not a fan of short stories so I can’t wait to see what you think about it. As far as Mosquitoland, that title actually repels me… is that like totally weird?

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Ha – no…I’m guessing it’s pretty normal to be repelled by the thought of a place infested with tons of biting creatures. But, I have no idea what that title means…

      Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  12. Kathy wrote:

    I’m really interested in reading The Shore…sometime this year. I love Nelson DeMille but haven’t read him in a lonnnnng time. I was introduced to his writing with The Gold Coast. By the way, I’m running vicariously through you. Go, go, go!

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      The Gold Coast was my first DeMille as well…and I loved it! That was years and years ago…

      Posted 5.4.15 Reply
  13. Glad to hear The Shore mostly worked! It’s a bummer that they didn’t put the family tree in the ARC (I didn’t have one in my print copy, either!), but good to know most readers will have one in the finished copy. We decided we’ll definitely be discussing it next month for Socratic Salon, so we’re looking forward to it!

    Posted 5.4.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I know, right?! Would have made things so much easier, but definitely glad to know the finished copy has one…I feel like that will increase the chances that people will push on through the complicated parts 🙂

      And, looking forward to the Socratic Salon discussion…I think The Shore is a great choice for it!

      Posted 5.6.15 Reply

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