Mini Book Reviews: October 2024

Disclaimer: I received a copy of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my review. This post contains affiliate links.

It was another busy month but I managed to read five books, including one epic novel which couldn't be rushed. I read a thriller based on lots of positive reviews, but it didn't thrill me. Maybe it was because I read it after I finished the epic novel? There's quite a variety of books here and hopefully, you will find one that you like.

Coming up: Non-Fiction November! I read non-fiction often, but in November, I dedicate the month to nothing but non-fiction. I've compiled a list of books already and hope for some really good reads. Thanks to Liz, our runner friend and book blogger, who is also participating and for sharing the info. This is my second year and I'm really looking forward to it! If anyone is interested in participating or checking out some of the other bloggers who are sharing their favorites, here's the link to Heather's blog.

Trail Magic

Trail magic usually refers to the kindness shown to trail hikers and runners, such as leaving treats at a trailhead. But I experienced a different kind of trail magic this week--finding peace and contentment on my runs on beautiful trails. Fall is magical and I hit the trails this week when the colors were at their peak!  The weather has been absolutely spectacular and I look forward to wrapping up the Mammoth Trail Challenge this weekend on my most favorite segment!

Getting Lost

I wanted to title this post 'Getting Lost in the Midst of Chaos', but that seemed kind of dramatic. Life has been overwhelming lately and things have escalated since last week's post. Regarding my parents, it feels as if my sister opened Pandora's box, although I suppose it had to happen. My parents are resistant to the Care Manager my sister brought in and we are struggling with that. Clearly, they need constant help, but they don't see it. I don't even know if the care manager will be enough. In addition, we've been sorting out our roles in light of having the care manager and trying to determine if she's the right person for our family. It's involved a lot of back-and-forth via emails and texts. It's been a lot.

The other issue is my husband's health. We saw the spine surgeon on Thursday and surgery is scheduled for December 4. It will be an outpatient procedure at Rush Medical Center in Chicago. He will have a 'clean-out' of 3 lumbar vertebrae to release pressure on the spinal cord. It amazes me that this can be done outpatient! But before then, he has to see a knee specialist to determine if that needs to be fixed first. 

With all that is going on, I leaned on running to help keep me sane. It's been my go-to for years. The heavy strength training we're doing at CrossFit was also a great outlet for me.

Savoring the Good

I will never complain about the gorgeous fall weather we've been having this year. Yes, we need rain. But I know what's coming--plenty of precipitation as we move into late fall toward winter. I'll take this. Especially when you consider what's happening in other parts of the country.

My heart goes out to everyone affected by both hurricanes Helena and Milton. If you've followed me on this blog over the years, you know that my family has spent a lot of time on the Gulf Coast of Florida, especially on Anna Maria Island. It just breaks my heart to see the level of destruction. I can't imagine facing the rebuilding process. 

The Icing on the Cake

After a busy September, I hoped for a more relaxing October, but this month started with a bang! I'm not complaining--it's been a really great week! Our fabulous weather has continued and I'm going to savor every last bit--I know what's coming. 

If you follow me on IG, you know that I finished this week with some waterskiing on Lake Wisconsin. In the past, I could never imagine skiing in October. But never say never, right? It was 81F and sunny. Yes, the water was a cold 63F. But I have a half wetsuit, which I put into action on Saturday night. It felt as great as you might expect. And my cup is full...

Mini Book Reviews: September 2024

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my review. This post contains affiliate links.

September was a really busy month for me and finding time to read was a challenge! I always read before I go to bed, which helps settle my mind unless I'm reading a book that doesn't grab me. That was the case with a couple of books I read this month. I'll let you read my reviews and let you figure out which ones they were (hint: there are 2). 

I also had one DNF this month,. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often to me. I try to pick books that sound like something I'd like. My favorite genres are literary fiction and I like suspense/thrillers, as long as they aren't gory. But every once in a while, I select a book that sounds good but just isn't right for me. That was the case with Liars, which is a short novel about a marriage. A successful woman marries a man who loves her, but as her career takes off, the marriage starts to go downhill. I couldn't understand why such a successful, confident woman would stay in such a terrible marriage--and he is a horrible man--and  I guess that is the whole book in a nutshell. I made it about halfway through and finally gave up. It wasn't a bad book, in fact, the writing was incredible, but it was not something I wanted to keep reading.

Go Slow Down

I'm not going to lie--as much as I loved all the activity of the past month, I am ready to slow down for a while. September was an incredibly busy and really fun month. It was also exhausting. With October around the corner, I'm looking forward to slowing down a bit and soaking up the last warm weather of the year. 

Speaking of slowing down,  I officially transferred my bib for the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon to a BRC teammate. I didn't feel one bit of regret! Well, ok, I will miss out on the camaraderie, but definitely not the running. I felt a sense of relief, which told me I did the right thing. 

With that half marathon off the calendar, I can focus on the Mammoth Trail Challenge, which kicks off October 1! This year's distance is 44 miles. As you all know, the challenge for me is accessing the trails since I live in Illinois and the trail is in Wisconsin. I'm excited about running some new segments as well as my usual ones. Stay tuned for the recaps!