FMM: Bookworms

It's early, but it already feels like the best Monday.  I'm hurting, almost everywhere, but I am officially in marathon taper mode now!  I got in a solid 7 miles on the trails (wearing the pack) on Saturday (and it rained right before I got out of my car to start the run, then held off until less than 3 minutes after I got back in my car, when it started pouring; I felt insanely lucky to have avoided it!).  And then on Sunday I got in just over 18 miles (wearing the vest).  It was tough, my traps are actually still in major pain, and I can't believe I'm going to taper for a marathon based on a long run of only 18 miles, but it is what it is.  This marathon will be unlike any other.  If I could be 3 hours slower than my PR, I think I'd be in the top 5 women.  And there's just no way for me in Dallas to prepare for a mountain or a mile of running in the sand.  But all that doesn't matter, now it's just a couple weeks of dialing it down a bit and starting to do some major packing planning (since I found out I will fly straight from the marathon to the east coast for work). 

But anyway, there's a fun topic for Friend Making Monday this week -- books!  Reading more (and documenting what I'm reading) was one of my 2012 resolutions, and I think I've been doing pretty well so far. 

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: http://www.alltheweigh.com/ so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links there too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: Bookworms (Revisited)

How often do you read for pleasure?  Most evenings before I go to bed, and occasionally on a weekend if I'm not otherwise occupied. 

Are you currently reading a book? If so, which one?  I'm reading two on a near-daily basis right now.  Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 by Max Hastings(nonfiction, Pacific Theater toward the end of the war) (if you've read Armageddon, Hastings's book about the last year of the war in Germany, you'll know the style and you'll have high expectations for Retribution, and thus far, Retribution measures up!).  And I'm also reading Ursula Under by Ingrid Hill (fiction, slow-going, picked for my book club, but enjoyable, an interesting way of showing how all these random paths many generations ago lead to this little girl being born). 

Do you subscribe to any magazines and/or newspapers? If so, which ones?  I subscribe to Vegetarian Times (a Christmas gift from Adam and his new bride, lots of good recipes), and Texas Running (blah).  Former reader of Time and Runners' World, but I couldn't keep up.

Do you prefer reading traditional books or using an e-reader? I'm a traditional book person.  I feel like I make the most progress on a book when I'm traveling, frequently during the time that all electronic devices must be switched off! 

How often do you go to the bookstore?  Not very, but I think that will change toward the end of the year -- my office is moving and I'll be within steps of a Barnes & Noble.

Do you read at the gym? No, I'm an outdoor exerciser so the gym is rare for me to begin with, but when I'm there, I focus on the workout.  Most of what I do (treadmill, weight machines) wouldn't be conducive to reading.
 
Have you ever been a member of a book club? Yes, filled with lawyers and spouses of lawyers; our 10 year anniversary will be in June 2013, which is crazy -- so many changes since then, marriages, divorces, job changes, babies, moves, but we're still going strong. 

Do you wear glasses when you read?  No.  I wear contacts almost every day, but when I read before bed, I've usually taken them out.
 
Has anyone read the Hunger Games? If so, would you recommend it?  Yes, and I guess.  It was a book club choice, so I didn't choose to read it.  I generally prefer non-fiction, I love feeling like I'm learning, and sometimes I just don't see the point of reading fiction, particularly something kind of average, like Hunger Games, but at the same time, it was a page-turner, not a major time suck, and geared toward a very low intellectual level, so that made it easy.  So if you're looking for something mindless and fun, go for it.  But if you want something that will leave a real impression and leave you better for it, I'd say pick something good and non-fiction.  Retribution would be fun!
 
What is your favorite thing about reading?  Learning about history from different perspectives!  It can be fun to get lost in a story, whether fiction or non-fiction. 

Now it’s your turn! Don’t forget to go to alltheweigh.com and link up in the comments! Happy Monday!