Music, Books, Miles, and Looks of October

Music:

 

Ho Hey by The Lumineers - Oh how I love this song!  I need to check out this band and see if their album is worth buying (anyone own it out there?).



Not with Haste by Mumford and Sons - Oh my gosh, the Mumford & Sons new album ROCKS.  I wasn't sure they could release something as good as their first album.  Well, they did.  This is my favorite song on the album.  I love the last line:  "And I will love with urgency but not with haste."

Books:

It was another strong reading month for me, thanks to all the plane travel I've done!


The Moment by Douglas Kennedy - Oh this book.  It was so good, read in a flurry, bookmarked in many places, thought about as I fell asleep at night. It is the story of an American man and a German woman who fall in love in Berlin during the time of the cold war, amidst the complications of living in a divided city.  He so artfully describes the beauty of falling in love. I could wax on poetically, instead I will close with one of the passages I bookmarked:  'We're all so preposterous, aren't we? Holding onto our torments, our agonies, our small dramas - and using them to sabotage that which was so want... And actually deserve.'

Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat - This was our October book club book.  It's a well-written memoir by a young woman who was imprisoned in Iran in the early 80s. It is a harrowing story but a fast an engaging read.  I highly recommend it.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - Another great young adult novel that is definitely a book adults will enjoy. I thought the writing was great!!  I also had a chance to see the movie and thought they did a fantastic job turning it into a movie.  The author wrote the screen play and directed it - and that was reflected in the quality of the movie.

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio - Sarah Jio strikes again!  I read this book in the span of about 48 hours, so that should tell you how good it is!  I think this is my favorite Jio book of her 3!!  The story is engaging from the very beginning!  Such a great book!!

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom - This was a super fast read - I read it over the course of a day spent traveling. It was good but not as good as Albom's other books. I would give it 3.5 stars if that was an option.

Yes Chef by Marcus Samuelsson - I really enjoyed this book.  I fell in love with Samuelsson when he was on Top Chef Masters years ago.  If you are foodie who is interested in the restaurant industry, you will enjoy this book.  Samuelsson did a great job writing this and I especially appreciate the fact that he owns up to mistakes he made along the way.

Miles:

My mileage was on the low side this month since I spent the whole month tapering, and then ran my marathon.  I ran a total of 98.25 miles, which I am happy with!  Most importantly, I ran a strong marathon!


Looks:

Look #1 (with a horrible background) is a dress I bought at Banana Republic.  It's a very simple silhouette that is flattering for people like me that don't have curve.  Also, I love that it's navy!   I paired it with gray peep toe heels.

Look #2 is another Banana Republic outfit.  When I saw the skirt was on display in the window, I was drawn into the store like a moth to a flame.  I am STILL obsessed with mustard!!

Look #3 is my quirky shirt that I bought at the coolest t-shirt shop I've ever been to, which was in Des Moines.  I think the shirt is hilarious!