Recent Reads

19. Zeus: King of the Gods (Olympians #1)
This graphic novel is the first volume in the Olympians series for kids.

I love stories that begin when the earth was still cooling, hence my love of James Michener. My nieces and nephews are totally into the gods - Greek, Egyptian, Roman - and I salute Rick Riordan for that. Since I've got nephew play dates coming up, picked up these books for us to read and discuss.

In this installment we take it from the beginning of time until Zeus is in power. Fun with wonderful illustrations. Rating: 3 stars.

20. Daily Rituals: How Artists Work
Book blurb: Kafka is one of 161 inspired—and inspiring—minds, among them, novelists, poets, playwrights, painters, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians, who describe how they subtly maneuver the many (self-inflicted) obstacles and (self-imposed) daily rituals to get done the work they love to do, whether by waking early or staying up late; whether by self-medicating with doughnuts or bathing, drinking vast quantities of coffee, or taking long daily walks. 

This is a fun book to dip in and out of. I quite enjoyed getting a glimpse into the habits of these creative types. I have three complaints about the book:

1. The sections are really uneven. Some are a couple of pages long, while others are a mere paragraph. I wanted more.
2. Only about 23 women on this list. I would have liked to see more women profiled.
3. You would think that there were no creative people of color in the world. And no, Toni Morrison does not even begin to cover it.

Overall I found this an interesting read, and found it pleasantly affirming how many people took naps, long walks and procrastinated. Rating: 3 stars.

21. Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run
After taking several months off to rest an injury (dang shin splints), I've started training to run a 5K again. I love reading books that help me feel like I am not alone in my highs and lows of running. And this one did just that.

This is a memoir about a woman who decides to start running in her thirties. I could so relate to some of her early stuff: After eating three slices of toast with honey and spending ninety minutes on iTunes creating the perfect playlist, she hit the streets—and failed miserably. However as a person working towards a 5K, reading a story that goes from couch to marathon in one chapter makes me want to whack the author on the head.

This is a fun, fast read for beginner runners that explores the high and lows of the sport. Rating: 4 stars.