Day 127 - Blood Oath: The President's Vampire

A couple of weeks ago I wrapped up my 7th book, Blood Oath: The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth.

I was browsing the CD audio books at the library while the girls were getting a few books for themselves.  I had just completed my previous audio book and wondered if I could find another in a short amount of time.  I did.

When I saw the title, I recalled that I had heard a blip about this on NPR a few months ago.  It's a newly published book this year, so I was surprised to already see it in audio book form and actually on the shelf at the library.  Google helped me find the book review I had heard on All Things Considered, June 7, 2010, Robert Siegel, host and book review by NRP's Margot Adler.  I listen to NPR mostly when I'm in the car commuting to-and-from work.  Ironically, listening to the audio books means less listening to NPR.

I recalled that this seemed like a pretty unique vampire novel so it went home with me.  Apparently some of my reading has been coming in 2's (two mountaineering books, now two vampire books).

This is a pretty unique premise for a novel: a vampire that is bound to the office of the President to serve and protect him and the nation from all sorts of evils.  The book moves pretty well and had a good plot.  You get to see humanity through the eyes of this vampire and see the moral struggles he has throughout this novel.  It's a vampire novel interlaced with political intrigue.  You can see the trailer on Amazon.

Apparently this is the first of a series.  I look forward to the next one!

Day 119 - Catching up on some reading: Born of Night

I need to catch up a little bit on my blog here.  I've completed 2 more books in the last month, but haven't posted bout them.

The next book that I completed was "Born of Night" by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

This was another book that is outside of my normal genre.  It's good I'm doing this, because when it comes to reading, my horizons really should be expanded.  This was one that certainly did that!

It was part Sci-Fi and part romance novel.  I thought it was primarily Sci-Fi and was surprised by how much romance content there was.  There were certainly times when it got rather, ah... detailed.

Decent book though.  There were a few times where one just had to suspend belief, where the plot line seemed contrived so that author could just have dramatic events occur one right after another.    At those points it seemed to me she was simply trying too hard to keep the book to be a fast-moving page-turner.

Day 57: Twilight

Another book completed from my list.  At this point, I kind of wish that I had put more books to read on my list.  It's especially nice to have found that the library has audio-books for download.

This is the next book I completed in audio-book format that I've been listening to in the car to-and-from work.

I don't know anything of the hype on this book or the series.  I haven't seen the movie.  Based on recognizing it as a vampire novel and that it has been popular, I figured I'd give it a shot.

The book was decent.  It was more of a romance novel that I had expected.  Unlike the previous books in my list, this isn't one where I captured quotes.  I'll consider reading the next in the series.

Day 43 - Eat, Pray, Love

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I suppose this isn't your typical "guy" book.  Possibly you might consider it the chick-flick of novels.  However, I enjoyed this book immensely on a variety of levels, which I won't actually cover her.  But as an example, it was a good lesson in diversity.  I learned about Italy, India, and Indonesia, of the countries, culture, people, history, and religious practices.

It was also amazing to hear it being read by the author. I very much appreciated hearing the Italian words rather than just reading them.  I loved that she broke into an imitation of the accent when she was quoting someone's words.

I checked this book out as a downloadable audio book.  It's wonderful that our library system has become sophisticated enough that I can check out a book, download it, and then transfer it to my iPhone.

I love being able to listen to a book while in the car on my commute. Or with my eyes closed, resting on a blanket spread under a tree, or while folding laundry.  If I had my pick, it would always be relaxing in the shade, but it does help the other two less enjoyable activities be more enjoyable.

One thing that I found difficult about an audio book is that you can't highlight or mark something to later come back to it.  I realized over half-way through the book that I could, however, take a quick screen snapshot when I hear something I like to capture the chapter and time-stamp, and then later come back to it.

Some quotes:

• You are after all, what you think. Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts and you are the slave to your emotions.  ... You are never where you are.  You are always digging in the past or poking in the future, but rarely do you rest in this moment.
• Remembering something my guru once said:  You should never give yourself a chance to fall apart.  Because when you do, it becomes a tendency and it happens over and over again.  You must practice staying strong instead.
• Happiness is the consequence of personal effort.  You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings.  And once you have achieved a state of happiness,  you must never become lax about maintaining it.  You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever to stay afloat on top of it.   If you don't, you will leak away your innate contentment.  
• Attraversiamo, Let's cross over.

Day 31 - Point Omega

Point Omega, by Don DeLillo

I grabbed this fairly short novel (117 pages) on the new releases shelf as I was leaving the library at closing time.  Also it has a wonderful front cover.  I remembered seeing it as a recommendation on Amazon a couple of week prior.  I wasn't going for short--I was going for different.

This fiction novel was definitely different.  I'm pretty sure that if it hadn't been so short, I would not have made it through.  The book consists of 3 characters, the main one has retired from a top secret strategic war planning role as a civilian at the Pentagon.

The story is very much not an action/adventure story as I first imagined.  Instead this is very much a thinking book.  It delves into the each of their heads and their thinking and their thinking-about-thinking.

Different is good to broaden my horizons.  This book was definitely a different experience and I've never read anything like it before.

Day 27 - Into Thin Air

I completed "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer.  This is an account of the tragedy that unfolded on Mt. Everest in May, 1996.  The previous book, No Shortcuts to the Top, that I listened to was a trigger for me to pick this one up when I saw it at the library.

The interesting thing for me in this book is understanding limits, the difficult decisions that need to be made, and the careful eye towards how a number of little things can stack up and overall contribute to a horrible outcome.

I'll think back on these two books the next time I'm trudging up a hill or on a tough trail with my backpack on.  I'll consider that it's probably not as bad as being in the death zone at nearly 29,000 ft. in the jet stream where humans can barely survive.

Day 2 - No Shortcuts to the Top (item #30)

I completed book #1 out of 12. 


No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks by Ed Viesturs with David Roberts 

"I've learned in climbing that you don't conquer anything. Mountains are not conquered and should be treated with respect and humility. If we take what the mountain gives, have patience, and desire, and are prepared, then the mountains will allow us to reach their highest peaks. I believe a lot of things are like that in life." --Ed Viesturs, from "No Shortcuts to the Top"  

I like that he uses the phrase "will allow us to reach." Allowing is very much different than conquering. Apparently, as a climber in the Himalaya, you have to be very patient, waiting many days to make the ascent at the right time when the mountain and the weather allows.


Why do you do it?  Ed writes, "The non-mountaineer watching my slide show sees mostly suffering, cold, risk, and even loss-of-life.  Simply by nature, I'm extremely goal-oriented and personally motivated.  I like things that aren't not too easy; that don't come to quickly. The mountains are a beautiful arena in which to face such challenges. On top of that you face them with a few carefully chosen friends who have similar goals, aspirations, and work ethics.  A great climb is a wonderful mixture of difficulty and intimacy.  The challenge is both physical and mental. Finally big-range mountaineering is addictive."


There are a number of interesting elements to this book that appeal to the outdoorsman in me.  However, it doesn't make me want to become a mountain climber!  It does however offer interesting thoughts for my outdoor travels.  Even beyond that though there are life-lessons.  It is a story of setting goals, overcoming obstacles both big and small, taking one step at a time, figuring out how to climb your mountain (your Annapurna) and ultimately achieving something that seems unfathomable when looked at in the whole. 

My reading queue - Item #30

My reading queue, a list of books that I might be reading next.  They are in no particular order.

Personal Interest

• (Completed) The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential...in Business and in Life, by Leo Babauta
• (Completed) Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Twilight The Twilight Saga, Book 1, by Stephenie Meyer
• New Moon, The Twilight Saga, Book 2, by Stephenie Meyer
• Eragon, Inheritance Series, Book 1, by Christopher Paolini
• The 37th Hour, by Jodi Compton
• Monkeewrench, Monkeewrench Series, Book 1, by P. J. Tracy
• Boogers Are My Beat, More Lies, But Some Actual Journalism from Dave Barry, by Dave Barry
• The Associate, by John Grisham
• Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
• Wizard's First Rule, Sword of Truth Series, Book 1, by Terry Goodkind
• Stone of Tears, Sword of Truth Series, Book 2, by Terry Goodkind
• Follow Your North Star, by Martha Beck
• The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch
• Tuesdays with Morrie, An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson, by Mitch Albom
• The Color of Magic: A Discworld Novel, by Terry Pratchett (refer to http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/ for recommended order)
• The Light Fantastic: A Discworld Novel, by Terry Pratchett 
• (Reading) The Blade Itself (The First Law: Book One), by Joe Abercrombie
• Best Served Cold, by Joe Abercrombie 
• Weaveworld, by Clive Barke

Outdoors & Scouting

• (Completed) No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks, by Ed Viesturs and David Roberts 
• (Reading) Rocks in My Backpack, by Tom Sholes
• Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts, by Alvin Townley
• Scout's Honor: A Father's Unlikely Foray into the Woods, by Peter Applebome
• AMC Guide to Outdoor Leadership, by Alex Kosseff

Job Related

• (Reading) Understanding A3 Thinking: A Critical Component of Toyota's PDCA Management System, by Durward K. Sobek
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen 
• The World is Flat, Updated and Expanded: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, by Thomas L. Friedman
• Succeeding with Agile: Software Development Using Scrum by Mike Cohn
• The 4-Hour Work Week, Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, by Timothy Ferriss