Thursday, September 1, 2011

Not Just Hiking - July/August 2011

I don't just hike and ride my bike. I also love to read and watch good movies. The "Not Just Hiking" posts will give you an idea where my mind is wandering while my body in in the Rocky Mountains.

BOOKS
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
My younger brother's recommendation. Great book. Different from what I usually read. Very British.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Book club choice.

Running on Empty by Marshall Ulrich
Just O.K. Would have put it down if I had had anything else to read.
Much, much better was Born to Run which I finished last year.

Unnatural Selection by Mara Hvistendahl
She could have put all this info in a magazine article that would have been just as informative. And a lot shorter.

The Churchills by Mary S. Lovell
A very readable introduction to the famous family. Now I'd like to tackle a political history of Winston Churchill. Any suggestions?

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
May be the best book I have read this year.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
I quite enjoyed Clarissa Dalloway. "What she likes was simple life." It took me too long to get through the book, but I am so glad I did.

Night by Elie Weisel
How did I miss this in High School and College? Powerful.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Probably one of the best books about racism I have read. I was disturbed by the book. I was disturbed because to often I found my self saying, "I just don't understand why they were so upset." I would have been pleased if my grandmother could have had such a huge impact on science and medicine. Exactly, this wouldn't have happened to my grandmother.


MOVIES
Back to the Future
Fun with the boys.

Drive Through History
If only every teacher could make American History this interesting.

The Green Hornet
Not my choice. J's choice.

Homeward Bound
I love movies about dogs. M's choice.

Grizzly Man
On the recommendation of MMV. Not sure how I feel about this one. Timothy Treadwell was unstable and was in a place he didn't belong, but I am sorry because I believe that the bears he loved so much never even noticed he was gone.

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