Have you read Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love? It’s not the circus of the depression, but it’s an interesting perspective of circus life. I think the book on an entirety is better done and more interesting.
It’s just nice to see I’m the only one who didn’t think this book was THAT good.
I am watching Water for Elephants
“Just finished the book… It was interesting but I wish it had had more about circus life. Let’s see how good the movie is…”
Okay, the end of the book was pretty cute. But the rest of the book sucked.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who feels this way. Was this the most boring book you’ve read in awhile or was it just me?
Well, I have the movie queued up next in my Netflix, but I have conflicting feelings about the book. It had a really strong start and the writing is beautiful, but the pacing is a bit slow without enough oomph to make up for it. I’m not much for tales of romance though.
I feel like everyone I know either read this entire book and loved it, or gave up about 1/3 of the way too. I was hoping that if I kept with it, that it would pick up, but it really didn’t until the last 50 pages or so and by then even though it ended strong, it only saved it enough for me to give this 3 stars.
This book did make me really aware of how I don’t want to write and that I really want to focus on keeping my plot moving along when I write. I tend to read as a writer and with an overly critical eye. Taking things I like and learning from things I don’t feel work the way I’d like.
If you liked the idea of this book, but had problems with the pacing as well (or if you just want to read some really awesome circus books), you should check out Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love. It’s one of my favorites. I absolutely adore this book. Very warped and full of suspense and awesomenss.
So yesterday I went for a 5+ mile hike in very steep terrain. Today my legs and rear are beyond sore. My running works out my calves more so they are fine but hiking definitely works out new muscle groups for me.
I weighed in today and stayed even. Which I consider a win with all the eating out I did last week in the hotel. This week I am going to be full on Jenny. I made tentative plans to go hiking Saturday soon.
When I first started Jenny finding time to work out 3 times a week was such a challenge and now it is starting to feel like second nature.
Running a mile this week got me pumped to tackle my 5k all the more. I am going to continue to switch up between treadmill, elliptical and jogging outdoors to build up my cardio. I made plans with a friend to run a 5k with her before the spring is up.
This is the first time since starting my 5k dream that I feel it is within reach.
So I am pretty much obsessed with this app after less than a week of having it. I was already a task nerd but being able to offer myself xp based on difficulty/time/desirability has gotten me to tackle todos I had put off for quite awhile!!!
It was a recommendation from the Nerdist Way and I feel like the book is already paying off greatly! I can’t wait to get home and finalize my character sheet and upload it! I need to work more on my longer quests and some of my other character tomb details.
Tomorrow is my last day of training away from home. A week from tomorrow I will be taking my own clients and earning commissions which I am very excited about!!
I’ve decided to start on a grand journey of self-betterment and decided I should probably chronicle said journey. I also figured I should start at what’s already gone.
2011 has actually been a pretty good year for me. I’ve completed a novel and a few short stories I’m really happy with. My goal…
You sound like you are at a very similar place to me right now! Hope your journey is going well!!
Nerdist Way Self Character Sheet.
Chris lays out a beautifully nerdy aspect of simplifying yourself in the terms of a table top RPG character sheet. This one is mine. Thank you Chris~
I love this!!! I will have to make one and upload it when I get back home! Best of luck!!
(Source: nerdistway.com)
I have never been one to make a lot of New Years Resolutions. Not because I don’t believe in change because I do, but because I love to constantly be challenging myself and pushing forward.
For example, last night I jogged a full mile for the first time in my life. It felt incredible. Why have I been strengthening my busted knee and building up cardio slowly on and off for the last few years? Because being able to run a mile seemed like something completely unreachable and I wanted to show myself I could. In fact my real goal there is to run a 5k. To push myself to do things I had never dreamed of.
So if I am so fantastic why start a blog about improving my life? Two reasons? 1. Because I have a long ways to go and 2. Because I have a hard time acknowledging how far I have come. I hope tracking things will help me with both.
Also, I recently started reading The Nerdist Way by Chris Hardwick which has inspired me to look at life as I would an RPG. Leveling up my life and bringing myself to the next level.
Where I am at now: I have an amazing boyfriend who’s saving up to buy a ring. I just switched to a new career which is both amazing and terrifying (more on this in future posts). Financially I am in a very odd place; the economy hit us hard post graduation and although following our dreams was worth it, we slowly ate our way through our savings. Now we are living pretty much pay check to paycheck which is still less than ideal but sadly an improvement. I have a completed rough draft of a novel that I have been polishing into a wonderful final draft. Oh and I have lost over 60 lbs!
So this year I turn 30. In October but it is still definitely a motivator.
So where do I want to be? I think my biggest goal is to become financially stable and saving towards our goals. Though with C. due for a promotion within the next month and my finishing up training and starting to collect commissions next week? We are close. Finally close!
My next biggest goal is to get my novel fully polished and ready to mail off. Followed by getting married. Then there is my fitness related goals like running a 5k and getting to my goal weight which are exciting though slow coming.
Well, I am typing all of this on my iPhone in my hotel room right now which is awesome and all but much more time consuming. In the meantime I hope to track down fellow #nerdist questers on tumblr to share war stories! Best of luck to everyone on their journeys!!
