Looking Back: March

Well hello! The month of March was one for the record books so I figured why not put some of my thoughts in writing?

Running: Despite many obstacles, I ran 180 miles in March. The month started out great; summer training was starting to ramp up, it was a little rainy, things were still "normal." Week two was a travel week for me, so it was slated for a low mileage week, but then the shit hit the fan. More on that later. The next Monday, the Bay Area went into a shelter in place and since then running has been a bit of a trial. It often looks like the photo below, which, as you can see, is nearly impossible to get 6 feet away from people.

Photo Credit: LA Times

Reading: In March I read 10 books; to be clear, 5 of them were audiobooks. As I am now running by myself and commuting to work and doing a lot of house and yard projects when I am home, all of the above translates to a lot of time going toward audiobooks. Oh and did I mention that the CFA Exam which was supposed to be in June was cancelled/postponed? So now studying is also postponed, so I have had lots of time to get to reading! My favorites for the month of March were This Tender Land, The Dearly Beloved and The Book Women of Troublesome Creek.

Travel: Now this is a story I never thought I would have to tell. Believe it or not, I did travel in March. On the 11th, I flew to...wait for it...New York City. I went for a work trip combined with my friend's wedding. My flight was basically empty. The Monday before I left , the Dow dropped over 2,000 points. The Wednesday that I flew, the Dow dropped another 1,400+. The first day in the NYC office, it dropped another 2,300 points and then on Friday the 13th, it went up 2,000 points. I would say that was the strangest week (at the time) market-wise, that I have ever been through. To top it off, our firm was starting to make people work from home and restaurants were half empty etc.

March 11: SFO-EWR

On Thursday, my friend who was getting married texted me to tell me that her wedding has been cancelled. So we make plans to still meet up for brunch on Sunday. On Friday, they start shutting down restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn. My friend says brunch is cancelled. I decided to get an earlier flight out and end up flying home on Saturday morning. On my flight home, most people are wearing masks.

Etc. & Misc.: I am still going into the office. Out of our team of 12, three of us are still going in. I am driving there (I usually take public transit) and back each day and am going grocery shopping every two weeks. Other than that, I am at home. I am taking runs by myself, all within 5 miles of my house. I am healthy and I have plenty of food. Since I do not have to study, I am getting a lot of yard work, housework and cleaning/culling projects out of the way early this year. I have not done my taxes yet.

I am still hopeful about having a garden, but am not going to go out to buy plants since that is not essential so I have ordered some online (we shall see!) and am attempting to plant some seeds this year. Also the trees (fig, peach, plum, orange, avocado, blueberry) are looking very good this year!

What was your favorite March read? What are you filling your extra time with? 

Best of 2019: Books

I suppose it's time once again for my once a year post! And what else would be worth coming out of semi-retirement for than books?

According to Goodreads, I read 80 books this year. Once again, I tried to clear off my bookshelves a bit, and ended up reading 5 books from my shelf, none of which is going to make this list! I also "read" 28 audio books. If you have not discovered Hoopla yet (a library app), you should check it out! Their books are always available (no hold/wait time), although the selection is a little smaller than Overdrive.

Without further ado, here are 10 of my favorite books from 2019, in no particular order.

Educated by Tara Westover - This is a true story about a girl growing up in Idaho with survivalist parents. They don't believe in school, hospitals or education. Her father makes her work in his scrap metal business where the machinery is unsafe and the work is long and tiring. She begins to educate herself on the sly and finally gets free from the situation, but not without a long and painful journey first.

Becoming by Michelle Obama - Whether or not you are a fan of Mr. Obama, you should read this book. It is a story of a strong woman and the paths that her life took, starting in a small neighborhood in Chicago, and leading to the White House and beyond. It opened my eyes about some of the things that happened while the Obamas were in the White House. For instance, I did not realize the extent of their gardening and healthy eating program. Nor did I know what it was like to have the Secret Service follow you around all of the time. This was a fun "peek" into the lives of Michelle and her family.

Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera - This was a surprise I found on Hoopla and it was a pleasant one! Set in 1924 South Carolina, it is a story of three women, a plantation owner, her African American servant and a poor white single mother of four. It's a story of the strength of women, no matter what their situation.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn -- Although not as riveting as her book The Alice Network, this was still a very enjoyable read. Set in post WWII Boston, this is a story of the Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. After the war, the only one of them to escape the Nazi murderess known as The Huntress starts hunting her.

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff - It's 1946 Manhattan and a women walking through Grand Central finds a suitcase with photos in it of a bunch of different women. Upon trying to find out who the suitcase belongs to, she unearths a story of a ring of secret female agents who were couriers and radio operators during WWII.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris - A Jewish man from Slovakia gets sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau and is given the job of tattooing every prisoner's number on their arms. He uses his privileged position to trade stolen jewels and furs for food and clothing for the prisoners.

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny - Number 14 in a series of 15, this book did not disappoint. I have actually read three of the series, but on reading my first, I did not know it was a series so I started in the middle and have continued to do so as I have read a couple more of them. However, this has not detracted from my enjoyment of the books I have read so far!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - Part romance, part murder mystery, part coming of age, this book is a tale of a young girl growing up on her own in a swamp. It was a page turner the whole time and I couldn't put it down.

West With the Night by Beryl Markham - If you have ever read Circling the Sun, you will love West With the Night. The story of a very spunky young woman growing up in Kenya in the 1920s. She is a horse trainer, aviator and jack of all trades! She ended up being the first person to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic from East to West.

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova - Another depressing by fascinating book by Lisa Genova. In the past, she's talked about early onset alzheimers, Huntington's and now she's talking about ALS. Not only does she teach us a lot about the disease itself, but she also details the emotional side of things, which really pulls on the heartstrings.

What good books did you read in 2019?

Best of 2018: Books

Well, hello! I am ashamed to say that its been nearly a year since my last confession blog post! I was lurking reading some friends' recaps of 2018 and I decided to round up a few of my own. I do always like looking back at my own recaps sometimes a few years later. So, even if its just for my own eyes, here goes nothing!

Each year I list a few of my favorite books from the last year of reading. In 2018, although I spent hundreds of hours studying for the CFA, I still rewarded myself with a good book at the end of the day. My goal for the year was 52 books, but I actually surprised myself and ended up with a total of 67!

You can find prior best of book lists here: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011.

We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter: Of course, book numero uno is a book about WWII. Set in 1939, this details an entire Jewish Polish family, split into a million tiny pieces after the commencement of the war. For years they try to survive however they can, they dodge Germans and Russians, they get sent to France and Africa and South America. I am amazed by how resilient some people were during these times, how much death and suffering they had to witness and how some of them overcame it all and survived.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman: This is a book regarding the small town politics surrounding accusations of sexual harassment against players on the award winning junior hockey team. This book reminded me a little of the book Missoula, which also touches on the same conflicts. Although translated from Swedish, this book flows like water and I finished it in no time at all.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: A single mom and her daughter rent an apartment from a wealthy family in town and before you know it, they are all tangled together in life. As the story progresses, secrets are uncovered that were supposed to remain buried, and a twist comes unexpectedly at the end. I also enjoyed her book Everything I Never Told You.

This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel: A touching book about gender stereotypes and the prejudices surrounding them. Five year old Claude is a little boy who likes to wear dresses and to play princess and who identifies as a girl. We grow up with Claude (Poppy) and the family and we learn about the hardships that come along with bucking the "norm."

Love and Ruin by Paula McLain: Yes, its another book about my foe, Ernest Hemingway. But its not really a book about him. It's about one of his (many) wives. I am annoyed with these women, who cheat with him and then get cheated on, but it doesn't make the situations any less fascinating. Although I don't love the characters, I like learning about the time and the author tells her story well. This is the third book I have read by her and she does not disappoint.

Here are a few others that made the cut: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. You can also find several others that I gave 4 stars to here.

What were your favorite reads of 2018?