Best Of 2014: Running

The last year of running has been an interesting one for me.

A few things happened; first I started racing with a team. I joined in order to be more competitive, but what I didn't realize was how many great people I would meet along the way. I have not only made friends within the team I am racing with, but through them, have met many other great people. In addition, once or twice a month, I have been running with a group on the weekends, which is totally new to me. And I like it. Usually I run as a solo artist, but I am beginning to learn that sometimes the miles go quicker when you are with a friend.

Last year I ran 2,552 miles and it was an interesting journey...Some of the highlights were:

Marlette Lake Trail

Running with my friend Kelly. In May, I ran a couple of races where I was injured and under-trained and so I got to run a few races with a friend who normally is a little slower than me. It was a really great chance to get to know each other better and this camaraderie carried easily through the year. In November I had the chance to pace her for the last section of a hundred mile race, and it was good to feel like I was giving something back to her, as she has been super supportive to me this year.

Tahoe Rim Trail

Road trips! It started off in January with a road trip to Sacramento for a race, and the year continued, with road trips for both my own races as well as others. Two of my favorites were a trip to Forrest Hill / Auburn for Western States where we cheered people on and ran around the trails a bit while we waited. The second was a trip up to South Lake Tahoe for the TRT 100. I got a ride up with a virtual stranger who is now a good friend, and I had a great time running on Saturday and cheering for everyone on Sunday. Sometimes the most fun part of the race is the after party and being part of the crowd. I also flew to Pheonix to pace/crew a friend and that was a very exciting trip as well. There is nothing more satisfying than being a part of someone's joy and success.

Getting 2nd place overall female at the Tamalpa 50k. As I was running through the aid stations, people kept shouting out that I was third, and I thought that they just could not count very well, or had missed someone going by. Then at the second to last aid station, they said that I was 2nd woman, and I just thought that this proved my point that they were not really paying enough attention. When I came through the finish shoot, the race director put his arms around me and told me I was second and I was floored! In addition, I got a cool fleece pullover and a drop bag for my efforts!

Anthony Chabot Park

Seeing Broski become a stronger runner as the year has progressed. In March, Broski and I ran the R2R2R together and although it was tough for him, he went on to run the Tamalpa 50k, his first official ultra. In addition, he has really come far in his training and has even signed up for a couple of races in 2015 already!

North Kaibob Trail

Training in the Marin Headlands. They are not really super easy to access (I have to cross a bridge and drive about 20 miles) so I often just run in my own backyard. However, when I do get extra time or have wheels, I love to treat myself with a run in the headlands. The weather is great, the views are fantastic and you can get a decent amount of vertical climb in a relatively short time.

Getting an award!! My running club voted me the ultra runner of the year! It's such an honor, especially since there are a lot of people who are faster, volunteer more, are nicer and who run more races than me.

There are really just too many to list. Other highlights included a Rim to Rim to Rim run at the Grand Canyon, getting to run Boston after the terror of last year's race, and running my first 100k in May. 

So what is on the agenda for this year? Hopefully more fun, more road trips, races and friends. Definitely a lot of hard work, as I have signed up for a 100 mile race this summer! It will be interesting to see where my training takes me and whether or not I become a sniveling mess after running 80 miles.... More on that later!

What were your top running moments in 2014? What are your 2015 fitness goals? 

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Best Of 2014: Books

Although this year I did a lot more studying than reading for fun, and have not been posting as much as I normally do, I could not resist the yearly recap post phase, which is always so fun. These recaps are often where I get ideas for my next year's travel, books and races!

So here they are, in no particular order, my top seven reads from 2014. You can find past lists here: 2013, 2012, and 2011.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking -- This one took me a bit to get through, but it was because it's chock full of information and it was a lot to take in. However, I really related to a lot of the things that she talks about. For instance, introverts are not necessarily shy; they just need alone time to recharge and prefer less stimulus than extroverts.

Mr. Penumbria's 24 Hour Bookstore -- This was a fun and fast read about a quirky old man who owns a bookstore in San Francisco that turns out to be more than just a bookstore. I liked the story and it had a few twists, plus it was set in the city, so that gave it an added plus.

Eleanor and Park --A story about an unlikely pair of friends in high school, this story was one of those ones you just can't put down because it is so fun!

Unbroken -- You probably know all about this because of the movie, but it's a story about an Olympic runner turned WWII airman who gets stranded in the ocean for many weeks and captured by the Japanese. He goes through hell and lives to tell the tale. It's a very interesting book.

Orphan Train -- I didn't realize this part of our nation's history, but large trains full of orphans were sent to the Midwest from the East Coast and were "adopted" and made to work on the farms there. This was an eye opening and interesting read about one of the orphan girls.

MWF seeking BFF -- A thirty something who has just moved to a new city sets out to make a new best friend. She quickly realizes how hard it is to make friends when you are a married thirty something. She tries really hard though, pulling people from all walks of life, and ends up with a few good friends in the end.

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry --  Recommended by Lisa, this story did not disappoint. This is the story of a book seller on a tiny island in MA who ends up adopting a stowaway baby. He is a likeable character and he goes through some of the same worries and thoughts and tribulations as we all have gone through. It was one of those books I could not put down.

So there you have it! This year's list is a lot smaller than the past years, but there are always a few good ones. This year more than others, I put a lot of books down unread. I probably started but did not finish at least a dozen books. I have decided that it's not worth my time to read a book I am not getting into.

How about you: What was your favorite book this year? Did you put any down without finishing them?

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Best Of 2013: Books

This was not a stellar year for reading, both in quantity and quality. I did not really read many books that I couldn't put down. I also did not really read very many books period. However, there were still some that were pretty darn good. Here are the top five in no particular order. 

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum: I usually enjoy WWII books, and this one did not disappoint. This is a dual story about a modern day daughter of a German woman who went through the war. The daughter tries to find out more about her mother's story, even though her mother does not want to talk about it. At the same time, we learn the mother's story, and it is a heart-wrenching story of survival.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell: This is an interesting take on how success is not always due to brains, but sometimes is due to positioning. For example, it opines that the best hockey players are born in a certain month, giving them a few month's advantage on the other players and causing most of the pros to be born in this month.

 

The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory:  I like how Gregory takes a real story and embellishes it enough to make it interesting but doesn't lose the truth of it all. This is a story about Anne of Cleves, Jane Rocheford and Katherine Howard, and of course, King Henry VIII, who you see as a gouty womanizer. Anne of Cleves is one of King Henry's only wives that he doesn't have killed, and as you know, he had a lot of wives! The story is full of lies and deceit and adultery. It's very entertaining.

 

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hossein: A story about two women in Afghanistan, where the rights of women are not quite the same as you or I are used to. The two woman are two generations apart and both end up forced into the same household, yet they find a commonality and a friendship that cannot be matched. 

State of Wonder by Anne Patchett: This story was strange but it drew me in because of it's subject matter. A story about an Amazonian tribe in Brazil and a scientist who goes there to try to find out about a miracle drug that is causing miracles within the tribe. The characters find out some pretty interesting things about the tribe, find out what's causing the miracle, and they make friends and learn things about themselves along the way.

Hopefully this year I will get more chances (or MAKE more) to read and will find a lot of new great books for 2014! Do you have any recommendations? 

What were your favorite books for 2013? What is your favorite book ever? 

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Best of 2013: Running

It's that time of year again! Time for the recaps to begin! In 2012, one of my favorite running experiences was my first 50k. Let's see what makes the list this year, shall we?

Amber did kind of a fun thing and talked about how many posts of hers were related to running. This year, I did not write as many posts as normal  (only 80 vs over 200 in 2012), but of that number, roughly half were tagged with "running". That's a lot of running! Approximately 2000 miles of running (just barely squeaked over). I just want to say: thank you all for putting up with all of the running talk! I know as a non-runner, it can be boring and I don't blame you if you skip over some (or all) of it. We can still be friends.

So, what were the highlights of the year, running-wise? It is hard to pick as there were a lot of great moments related to running this year. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Travel: due to running, I got to travel to several far off destinations, such as Washington DC, Boston and British Columbia, as well as several close to home hidden gems, such as Tahoe, the Marin Headlands, Saratoga and of course, my backyard, the East Bay hills and their many parks and open spaces.

Vancouver, BC

2. Exploration: this goes hand in hand with the above, but I love finding new places that I would not have seen otherwise and exploring new cities on foot, which gives me such a more extensive tour of the city than I would have been able to accomplish had I only been walking or driving. I have seen sunrises and been places where there are no other people around and it's moments like those that really make all the difficulties worth it.

PCT -- Oregon

Lake Merritt, Oakland

3. My First 50 Mile race: This year, I trained for and ran a 50 mile race. This was a great experience which taught me patience and perseverance as well as made me realize (as always!) that I am stronger than I give myself credit for. Plus it was in my own backyard and it was great to be there, seeing my familiar trails in a different light. To top it all off, my Dad and Grandma were there and my Dad ran the final 6 miles with me.

4. Family: My family has been so supportive about my running. This year, they came to Boston, they were there for the 50 mile race, and came to support me at the Quad Dipsea after Thanksgiving. They are so patient and have braved the crowds and the unfamiliar places to be there for me and that has been priceless.

Quad Dipsea -- Mill Valley, CA

5. The Tahoe Rim Trail: This was not even my race; for this race I paced a friend for the last 20 miles of his 100 mile race. Not only was this course beautiful (think 8000 feet, alpine, views of lakes) but being there with him really was an eyeopening and uplifting experience for me. He was such a trooper and he made me realize that if he could run 100 miles, I could definitely run 50!

Tahoe Rim Trail

6. Volunteering: I did a few different volunteering gigs this year and once again, it makes me really have a warm place in my heart for all the other runners out there and the running community as a whole. People who get up at 2 am to drive the shuttle for the runners, or who spend their whole year preparing for this one event, or people who go out and volunteer at many events, are so inspirational. Some people are not even runners; they are just like my family, coming out for support without asking for anything in return. It is really fun to be a part of that group and to see things from the other side of the table sometimes!

7. Local Trails: I know I already said travel, but I also really enjoy the trails that I can get to right from my house! From my house, I can run about 3/4 of a mile and I am at a trail system that could take me easily 50 miles or more! So I really have NO excuse to not go running!

PCT -- Northern CA

8. Running Friends: I usually run alone, but I have had a great time meeting up with people when I travel for races. When I went to DC, I got to see friends I hadn't seen in over a year. In BC, I got to meet Amber. In Boston, I ran past Jill, saw Nancy and met up with friends from both the Bay Area and Back East. I also joined an ultra racing team, and while we do not run together, we still give a hearty "good job" if we pass each other during a race! I also did quite a bit of running with Broski again this year.

9. Squamish 50k: This was easily the hardest 50k I did this year. In total, I completed five 50k races (6 if you count one Fat Ass), but the steep downhills of the Squamish really did me in.

Squamish, BC

10. Boston Marathon: This was An Experience. A BQ. A new PR. An explosion. You can read about it here and here and here. It was so monumental that I  have 6 of my 80 posts dedicated to it. That is almost 10 percent! I won't forget it.

Finish Line, Boston, MA

 
What were your top running moments of 2013? What are the majority of your posts about?

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Best of 2012: Experiences

I have been trying to figure out a good way to recap the year without being too cliche, and Lisa gave me just the idea. So, here it is, the best of 2012, in list form!

1. Becoming a better runner. This year I learned a lot about myself as a runner. I learned how to run smarter and faster and I had a great time completing many races, including my first ultra marathon.

Nike Women's Marathon

2. Spending more time with family. This year was full of family. My cousin got married, my grandma turned 80, I had wine and swam in the pond with my other grandmother Back East and I spent countless hours making food, eating food and running with Broski and the lady friend. Not to mention the normal get togethers like Christmas and Thanksgiving.  It's been a great year for family!

3. Going to Kansas City to visit Red. In March, I visited my friend in Kansas City, and we ate BBQ, lots of self serve frozen yogurt and had a great time catching up and hanging out and exploring the city.

4. A trip to Tampa for some fun in the sun. I had a great time in the Sarasota and St. Petersburg areas of Florida, where I spent lots of time on the beach reading and relaxing, as well as trying paddle boarding for the first time, going running near the beach and gorging myself on all-you-can-eat crab.

 5. Starting a new job. This has been a challenge, but a fun one. I completely switched industries, which has been hard. Nobody likes to start at the bottom again, and it has been a crazy journey, with new things coming along every day.

6. Girls day out in Berkeley. My mom came down and we went out with a few friends and my aunt and cousin for brunch, shopping and cupcake eating. It's always fun to get together with the girls, although it happens less often than I would like.

7. Living in Santa Cruz for the summer. I couldn't have asked for a better place to spend the summer. I really enjoyed being able to go the beach each day, to run with the view of the Pacific in my sights and to get to know this fun little town a lot better. While there, friends S&R came to visit and it was really fun showing them around my new home.

8. Road trip to Amherst, MA. Mr Lovely decided to go back to school and so we took a road trip to Amherst to find him some housing. The towns of Amherst and Northampton are really cute and actually reminded me a little bit of a mountain version of Santa Cruz. They are little hippie filled college towns with nice earthy vibes.

9. Hosting Lisa in San Francisco. Except for the rain, which I was a little mad about since it kind of makes it hard to stroll around the city, I had a great time hosting Lisa for a quick two days in the city. We took a trail run, went to the Castro, walked on the Golden Gate Bridge, went to the park to visit the bison and much, much more. It was fun to finally get a chance to pay her back for the excellent visit I had to Minneapolis last year.

10. Hanging with friends in Oakland. I've made a few new local friends this year and it has been nice getting to know them and some of the fun places in Oakland as well. They are all great people and Oakland has some great sights to see and places to visit. New Years Eve was spent with them and we had a great time eating dungeness crab and playing Scategories before watching the ball drop.

11. Qualifying for Boston. This was something that I really worked hard for and I was really, really happy to qualify for, and sign up for the Boston Marathon in 2013. I even had over 5 minutes to spare.

12. Going to see some great bands. I love live music, but I don't always make time to go to concerts. This year, I was lucky to see several bands, including The Kaiser Chiefs, The Killers, Of Monsters and Men, Imagine Dragons, Passion Pit, and The Shins.

13. Growing a garden. I grew stuff. Stuff that didn't die. Yes, it was exciting. And there is nothing better than a home grown tomato straight from the vine. I can't wait until next year when I can start planting again. 

14. Being in San Francisco. I love wandering around the city, and have really enjoyed the walks I have been taking a few times a week. I am enjoying getting to know little corners of the city that I never knew were there.

15. Going to baseball games. I am so glad that the Giants won the world series and I was really excited to not only be in the area for this, but to go to many of the games. Going to the games is a great way to see a fun sport and to spend time with friends and family as well.

16. Yosemite. I went to Yosemite and had a great time taking long hikes and seeing the sights again. Winter is the area is beautiful and we were lucky not to have too much snow, so we could do a lot of the higher hikes.

17. Going to Oregon with the ladies. I went to Sisters with my second family and we had a great time eating ice cream and hiking and enjoying 30 degree weather in June. We ran every day and it was great to have the snow capped mountains as a backdrop for my runs.

What have been the highlights of 2012 for you? Did you go to any concerts? Did you take any fun trips?

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Best of 2012: Running

Misszippy recently did a recap of her running year here and I thought I would follow along! 

Best race experience? My favorite was probably the Skyline 50k. I started doing trail races earlier this year and I really enjoyed the experience, but the best feeling was completing 50k in my own backyard, and only coming in seconds behind Dean Karnazes.

Best run? Most of my runs on the Bay Area Ridge Trail have been awesome. There are views of the city, redwoods, eucalyptus, rolling hills, ferns and each run is different, unique and relaxing.

Best new piece of gear? I really love the Saucony Kinvaras that I won during the Find Your Strong project. They are light and fast and comfortable and I am glad to have gotten the chance to try a low heel drop shoe.

Best piece of running advice you received? Walking up the hills during a hilly ultra will really save you a lot of energy in the long run (pun intended). 

Most inspirational runner? I love seeing people who haven't run before start running and do well. My most inspirational is Broski, who went from hardly being able to run one mile to running two half marathons in one month. Others include Suz, who ran her first marathon recently, Terzah, who went from injury to marathon in a mere matter of months and Amber, who was not a runner at all, but ran a half and a 20k this year!

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?

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Best of 2012: Books

This year, I made myself a goal to read at least one book a week, or 52 books. I just barely squeaked over the wire with 57 books. Some were pretty bad and there were others that were much better. Here is a list of 10 that I would recommend.

The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton : This was a fun, easy read about a woman who goes searching for her grandmother's ancestors and finds out more than she bargained for. 

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford : This book was about a Chinese boy growing up in Seattle during WWII. He has a Japanese friend, and when she gets sent to the concentration camps, he is devastated. Not only that, but he has to deal with his father's hatred of the Japanese. 

Sarah's Key - Tatiana De Rosney : About the removal of the Jews from France during WWII during the
Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, when a little girl locks her brother into a hidden closet to hide him from the Nazis. The story is written from two points of view, the little girl and a reporter in present day France, who tries to get to the bottom of what happened back in 1942.

The Other Boleyn Girl - Phillipa Gregory : This book was about the sister of Anne Boleyn, during the reign of Henry VIII. It was a great way for me to learn more about that time period while still engaging me in an interesting story.

Tisha -  Robert Specht: A true story about a young teacher in the 1920s who gets sent to a small town in Alaska to teach. She learns quickly that the divide between the whites and Indians is deep, but somehow manages to not bend to the white men's prejudices. Her struggle is moving and her courage is inspiring.

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern: This book was not about what I thought it was going to be about. It was so much better! The characters are likeable and you never know what is going to happen next. I was highly entertained by this story.

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn: This book kept me on my toes the entire time, so much so that I read it in one day! It was about a girl that goes missing and her husband gets the blame for her murder. It kept me riveted and was a quick page turner. I disliked the characters but loved the book.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower -- Stephen Chomsky : About a high school boy and his trials and tribulations and was narrated in letter form, which I find very easy to follow. 

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood: It took me a long time to read this, but it was a very interesting tale and I am glad I finally got to it! 

You can also check out some of my favorites from 2010 and 2011. 

Have you read any (or all) of these? What were your favorite books from 2012?   

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A-List Monday II: Books

This year, I joined AudrieAnne at Who’s Your Editor for a Bookmark Break Challenge. She challenged everyone to get out those old books and read them, to free the bookmarks! The challenge was that if you read more books than she did this year, you would win a trip to Aruba. Just kidding. No Aruba, but bragging rights and a spot on her page. So, thanks to her, I read a lot of books this year. So far, as of today, I have read 63 books in 2011.

I admit, not all of them have been very good. I was on the road for about half of this year, and sometimes the selection in English was nil. Thank goodness for the Kindle Reader that I downloaded on my iPhone! Yes, I read many a book on that tiny screen. But many were good. Luckily later this year, I actually put on my big girl pants and got a library card of my very own. And then there was no stopping me! Below is a list of a few of them that I really liked.

The Help - Kathryn Stockett:I know it’s a book that everyone liked, so it’s not news to anyone, but there is a reason it was popular. It was easy to read and speaks of a time and place that were controversial and fascinating. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be a black person in the south in the 60s. Or ever really. This book tells a very difficult but heartwarming story.

My Korean Deli - Ben Ryder Howe:A white man and his Korean wife, who are currently living with her family in New York, decide to all pool their money together to buy and run a deli in Brooklyn. It is a fun story about the trials and tribulations of dealing with his mother in law (and other in-laws), dealing with his wife, living with her family and attempting to run a convenience store in New York. (review HERE)

Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts: Although I actually thought the author was a bit of a blowhard, I liked this book. It tells of an Australian escaped convict who goes to India and lives in the slums of Bombay and becomes a drug dealer, mafia member and eventually a Mujaheddinguerrilla. Some of it seems a little far-fetched and you are always wondering what is real, but it’s full of adventure and an inside look into India that I sure as heck didn’t see when I was there! It gets points on interestingness.

The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: Try saying that one five times fast! Set in World War II, this book talks about life on Guernsey Island, which is one of the Channel Islands between England and France. It tells of a small village who survives Nazi occupation by starting a book club, named the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society (interesting fact: they did not have flour so they had to make pie crusts from potato peels).

The Postmistress - Sarah Blake:Also set in WWII, this book is told from the view point of several people. One is a radio broadcaster who is living in England during the war and broadcasting from the front. She sees a lot of things that most people would not be able to handle and then tells the story over the radio (with Edward Murrow). One of the other players is a postmistress in Cape Cod who decides to withhold someone’s mail from them for their own safety and peace of mind. It is an interesting story and you really get a good feel of what it was like, especially from the radio broadcaster’s story.

The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak:I guess I am on a WWII kick, because this one is also set in WWII in Germany. It is told about a little girl who goes to live with a family during the war. She loves to read and she uses books to get through a very terrible time. At first I didn’t like the storyteller; it is told from the voice of Death, but I warmed up to it a little ways into the book. It’s a sad book; it may make you cry, but it’s a very good story.

Surviving the Extremes – Dr. Kenneth Kamler: This book was very informative. Dr. Kamler talks about what happens to your body when you go into extreme conditions, such as high altitude, underwater diving, and extreme cold and extreme heat. I found it very interesting. Not only does he tell a little story, but he puts things in layman’s terms so everyone can understand them. It made me really appreciate my body and everything working together to help keep me alive. I also have a better understanding of why I always have to pee so much when I get into high altitudes!

The Paris Wife - Paula McClain: I am not a fan of Hemingway, but this story, told from the viewpoint of his first wife, was interesting and illuminating. I am still not really a fan of him; he seems like a self-absorbed drunk to me, but I am probably going to read A Moveable Feast now, just so I can see what the same time period in his life was like.

Here are a “few” more that I think are worth recommending:

Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Islands - LM Montgomery (classic)

With No One as a Witness - Elizabeth George (mystery)

The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest - Steig Larsson

Sea of Glory - Nathaniel Philbrick (historical, but not boring)

Forrest Gump - Winston Groom (Different than the movie! Still good though!)

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (a classic!)

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (fun, quick read!)

Room - Emma Donoghue (about a boy stuck in a room with his mother all his life)

The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein (told from the POV of a dog)

So, what’s the plan for 2012!? I think that I will try to read at least a book a week, which would be a goal of 52 books. I also have a lot of books on my shelf that I need to read before buying any new ones. So, it’s a two-fold goal à a book a week and at least one a month has to be one from my dusty shelf (the others will most likely be from the library). So it’s a 52 and 12 in 2012, to go along with my 12 in 2012 Fitness Goal (get ready, there will be more 12 themed goals later!)

What was your favorite book that you read this year? Even though my shelf is full, I am always looking for recommendations! Do you have any goals for 2012? Are you going to join in on any 12 in 2012 goal lists?

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Re-Re-Re-Read Me!

One of the bloggers I follow, Hula Seventy, did a list project and one of her lists really inspired me. What books can you read over and over? My list is below.

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith (one of my all time favorites)
A little girl who loves to read, growing up in Brooklyn with an alcoholic father who spends all the money for food on booze and a hardworking mother who puts up with it, she somehow rises above. Plus she reads all the books in the library, one by one. My hero.

2. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Although it switches back and forth a little, I was still able to follow the story of a little girl who finds a naked time traveler in her father's field. Enough said. 

3. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (I've still never seen the play -- it's on my Life To-Do List)
France. The Revolution. A man goes to jail for stealing a loaf of bread and some candlesticks. He turns out to not be a bad guy after all.

4. Capitan Correlli's Mandolin - Louis de Berniers
Greece. WWII. A native Greek girl from a small island meets a rouge Italian during the Italian occupation. . Plus this book has my name in it. See if you can find it.

5. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
Goblins, Hobbits, Dragons, Greed, Courage, Friendship and more. You know what this book is about.  (I can't wait to see what Jackson does with the movie)

6. Anne Frank, The Diary of A Young Girl - Anne Frank
The Netherlands. WWII. The diary of a young Jewish girl hidden from the Germans during the Nazi occupation.

7. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
This book is about so many sisters and much silliness, but you love them and by the end you will wish they were part of your family.

8. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
A book about a young girl living in the south talks about race and inequality but in a way that is not offensive. She also addresses courage and understanding.

9. The Stolen Child - Keith Donohue
A child gets stolen by hobgoblins and learns to adapt to his new family. In his place, a fake child is left with his original family. Years later, their paths intersect again.

10. Wicked - Gregory McGuire
The Wizard of Oz, but instead of from Dorothy's perspective, you see things through the eyes of the Wicked Witch of the West. In the end, you hate Dorthy and her little dog and are friends with the witch. I love how he twisted the classic version into something different. 

You can find these and more on my favorites shelf on Goodreads! Also check out my Bookshelf Page to see where I stand in this years Bookmark Break Challenge!

What books can you read over and over? What is your absolute most favorite book of all time?

(PS I actually wrote 80% of this post about a year ago. Do you ever start an idea, save it as a draft and then come back to it later?)

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