Where Is Your Bookmark? (07/22/2014)

Yesterday, when I went to pick Mouse up from school, my daughter greeted me with a huge grin and hug, asking me if it was a swim day, cheering when I said yes.  As much as she loves her time in the water, getting her in her swimsuit and in the car on our way to the public pool is never a straightforward task.  There is always something to do and friends to play with.  To say three year olds are easily distracted is an understatement.

 The swim lessons are going well.  She went from being the first to volunteer to jump off the diving board her first day three weeks ago, to being afraid to get close to it the next.  Fortunately for all of us, last week, the little ones weren't asked to try.  When her class of five beginning swimmers were marched to the diving board yesterday, my daughter, along with another boy, stayed back, clearly afraid. One of the instructors coaxed Mouse over and helped her jump off the diving board and into the arms of the instructor in the water below.  Mouse was grinning ear to ear when she got out of the pool. She said she wants to do it again tomorrow (now today).  She may feel differently this afternoon.


I am still working extra hours at work, and it is wearing on me.  I miss my family time most of all, but it is also leaving me exhausted, both physically and mentally.  I am looking forward to my normal three day weekend coming up.  I am finally at a place where I can slow down with the overtime and can settle back into a more normal routine.  Mostly.  All of this in preparation for my upcoming surgery, which will hopefully be in the late fall.

In the beginning of June, I began working out every morning (five days a week) in an effort to be more fit, lose weight and to see if it would help ease some of the chronic pain I suffer from.  I always balked at the idea of having to get up any earlier than I already do to get to work on time, but I finally reached a point where I decided it was worth a try.  Trying to fit exercising into the evening after work is impossible, as much as I wanted it to work.  Except for a the two days I skipped when I was sick and the one day because I hadn't slept the night before and decided sleep was more important, I have kept to my schedule. I am very proud of myself. It has not been easy, especially when my bed looks so inviting.  I feel so much better though.  There might not be any obvious changes on the outside, but I feel better on the inside and my pain has lessened considerably.  I still have bad days, but I also have good ones--and that makes it worth it.  Now to stay motivated . . .

One of the many things I like about reading is how it forces me to slow down a little.  And, especially right now, I need that release.  Every minute I get to read is a treasure.  Fortunately, the books I have been reading have been worth treasuring too.  I finished reading Countdown City, the second book in the Last Policeman Trilogy, by Ben H. Winters last week.  I started The Book of Life, the final book in the All Souls Trilogy, by Deborah Harkness over the weekend, and finished it last night--it felt so good to immerse myself in Harkness's world.  How I loved visiting with Matthew and Diana and all their family and friends again!

Now I am back in that difficult but fun position of deciding what to read next.  I am anxious to see if the world survives in Ben H. Winters' trilogy of which I have the final book, World of Trouble, but I am also curious about Yangsze Choo's The Ghost Bride, described by the publisher as "a startlingly original historical fantasy infused with Chinese folklore, romantic intrigue, and unexpected supernatural twists."  Doesn't that sound good?  At least I have narrowed my choices down to two this time . . .

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it something you would recommend?

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts 

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where  

participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a 

book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.

I love the All Souls Trilogy and was so excited (and a little sad because it is the last one) when I saw that The Book of Life had come out in stores.  It didn't take long for me to purchase my own copy.  Here is the opening of Deborah Harkness's The Book of Life:

Ghosts didn't have much substance.  All they were composed of was memories and heart. Atop one of Sept-Tour's round towers, [Name removed to avoid spoiler] pressed a diaphanous hand against the spot in the center of her chest that even now was heavy with dread.

Does it ever get easier?  Her voice, like the rest of her, was almost imperceptible. The watching? The waiting? The knowing?

 Would you continue reading?

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© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.