Saturday, February 13, 2016

2015 Reading List

Books are one of the greatest tools available to us.  They can not only take us on amazing adventures but enhance who we are by learning and delving into the lives of others and expanding our sense of creativity and purpose. 




In 2012, I started creating a list of all the books (and audio Cd's) I've read with a short summary.  Looking back at that journey is amazing, especially looking at how each book often lead into the next and falling into my life at just the right time.

For 2013, I've re-done how I do the summaries a bit, making them more personal.  I'll try to update the list every time I finish another book.  Hopefully you will find one to read!  Also, I love getting recommendations from friends, so please feel free to make suggestions in the comment box of any book that has inspired you.


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 Past Book Lists: ( I apologize for the formatting...I tried to fix it but...it just didn't work out)

2012:  http://rachelnypaver.blogspot.com/2013/11/2012-book-list.html
Favorites: Think, The Happiness Project, Half the Sky, Becoming Odyssa

2013: http://rachelnypaver.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-reading-list.html
Favorites: Making Kind Choices, UNLIMITED, Called Again, I am Malala,
A Return to Love, & Beautiful Girls

2014 Reading List: http://rachelnypaver.blogspot.com/2015/01/2014-adventure-reading-list.html

My Reading List- 2015

Latest Reads:

A Thousand Sisters: My Journey Into The Worst Place on Earth to be A Woman - Lisa J. Shannon
(Edited) Journal Entry:  While I was reading this book, a friend showed me a new toy/car he wanted to buy in addition to his already new '14 SUV.  This did not fly well with me.  I told him my book was about a woman's travels to the Congo, where women are raped and mutilated my multiple men and have sharp objects forced up their vagina leading to fistula- a condition where urine and fecal matter continuously leak out of their bodies (also leading them to be shunned by their communities). 
I believe people should live well and have things they enjoy, but I don't believe in such excess.  I told him he should donate the money, which didn't fly well with him.
We then went into how I can read the book and how he can watch violent TV.  He scoffed when I said that by reading this and being informed that I can share what I know with others, that the problem may no long be invisible, causing more people to act.  I hope to sponsor a woman through Women for Women International next year.

Let My People Go Surfing
The story of Patagonia and how to (live and) have and environmentaly (and human) friendly company.

Daring Greatly

Daughters of Distance- Vanessa Runs

Living in the Light-Shakti Gawain

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- J.K. Rowling
Gotta love the old favorites!
                                                                
Run Like a Girl: How Strong Women Make Happy Lives - Mina Samuels                                                                                                                                                                      
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A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity - Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl Wu
Often times when I read a good book, I think of how I would include it in a class if I were a college professor.  I  have quite the list going in my imaginary women's/human's rights study class.  With this book, however, I thought about how it could be divided up to be a whole course itself. 
Kristof and WuDunn make a strong and beautiful team as always, diving into how t
o one can really make a difference and diving into quite a few issues the non-profit would is up against, like hundreds of people trying to start their own, who to trust, and how money is spent (marketing vs. cause).  Then they share numerous one can make a difference, even with just $5 to spare.  We could create quite a ripple if everyone read this book and took just 1 tip from it.

Nourishing Wisdom: A Mind-Body Approach to Nutrition and Well-Being -Marc David

Swimming to Antarctic: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer:  Lynne Cox
As my boss and I share a passion for adventure, I quickly requested this book from the library once she recommended it.  While swimming isn't my thing (I hate the cold shock when entering-even when I get into my gym's 80 degree pool) it didn't matter, it was a story of a woman, a human, willing to push her limits to realize her potential.  Stories like that will never get old for me. 
With that, I can't believe I've never heard of Lynne Cox before- what an amazing human being!  With a natural talent for endurance, an uncanny ability to acclimate to the cold, and a passion for uniting the world, Lynne has truly found her purpose.  Warning:  You may want an extra blanket or jacket on hand.

Sum It Up: A Thousand and Ninety-Eight Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective - Pat Summit and Sally Jenkins -Audio CD
Growing up, I head read all of Pat Summit's books- she is one of the greatest coaches- teacher- our there after all.  This book brought me back to those days, with a tinge of sadness never having gotten to play for this brilliant woman, knowing that while I didn't have the talent but I sure had the heart.  This book took us into the life of Pat Summit, how she grew up, what she worked for, how her mind worked.  What I wasn't ready for was that she wrote this book in the midst of Alzheimer's.  For a second, this made me sad.  This amazing woman, with this terrible disease. But she has worked with it in a way few people have...the rest of her story remains untold.
Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports- Katherine Switzer
I'm a bit embarrassed to say I have not read this book earlier, that I did not know the history.  K.V. Switzer's story is so much more that what I thought.  I didn't realize how intelligent she was and how hard she worked for 15 years to put the women's marathon in the Olympics- to revolution women's running.  It is still mind blowing to me that just over 30 years ago, women had no Olympic marathon and 40 years before that we weren't allowed even to race most marathons.  I am grateful to her and all those who worked for the cause.  I am grateful she has given us her story, so we can continue to inspire change with her guidance.
(I didn't meant to read 3 books about strong women who carved our history.  They just kind of fell into my hands...)

In Wilderness- Diane Thomas (A novel)- A harrowing love story swirling in a dangerous obsession. (First novel in a long time- not exactly my thing, but still kept me up past my bedtime)

Womenomics (Audio CD)- Katty Kay and Clair Shipman- Tips and statistics for women (and men) to achieve a work/life balance.

A Casual Vacancy- J.K. Rowling - A tale of a small town and the private intricacies of the citizens in it. (JK Rowling is a great story-teller it was amazing and she interweaved so many stories- however, I need something with a happy ending!)

Running Within

NPR American Chronicles: Women's Equality

Better than Before- Gretchin Rubin

The Food Babe Way

The Opposite of Loneliness (Audio CD)

Running with the Buffaloes- Chris Lear
I figured I had to read this one, kind of as a rite of passage for when I move. 
Each page left me wanting more.  I wanted to be on the team, feeling the pain of the workouts, feeling the bond of the team.  At times, I felt like I was.  When tragedy stuck the team, I read over an hour straight to ease the pain.  When Goucher ran his final NCAAs, is last chance of winning, my hear started to pound. 
I hope one day someone writes of a women's XC team.

Wheat Belly (Audio CD)- DNF  I got through two CDs, go the point before the first was over.  Then it was mainly science and research, which is great, but once I get the point of something I then make up my mind if I want to believe it or not.  Same thing happened with "Grain Brain".

A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles through the Streets of New York- Liz Robbins
Despite seeing this book on the library shelves numerous times, it took me awhile to finally take it from the shelf.  Probably because I have no interest in marathons since I currently can't run them.  Honestly though, I'm so glad I finally opened it up!  Opening with pages on my beautiful friend (I forgot she was in it!), Liz follows the stories of many New Yorkers and NYC runners, diving in to what makes this race so meaningful.

Learning to Fly: An Uncommon Memoir of Human Flight, Unexpected Love, and One Amazing Dog -Steph Davis
While I still have no plans to start solo skydiving or base jumping, I was still enthralled with the book and figurative path of Steph learning to fly.  With no loss of challenge along the way, she learned to climb (though literally an expert climber) her way up in those dark moments and fill the empty spaces with love.  Spoiler alert:  I just about balled my eyes out at the end...I can't take reading anything sad with dogs.

Mountain2Mountain- Shannon Galpin
A mountain biker from Breckenridge travels to Afghanistan to stand up for the rights of women all over the world.  This book is not exactly what I thought.  It tells the story of her and her work, not of the Afghan cycling team, but I was not disappointed. http://www.mountain2mountain.org/about

Steering by Starlight- Martha Beck
A great book to help steer oneself on their true and rightful path!

The Best Advice I Ever Got- Katie Couric (Audio CD)
Katie takes the wisdom of some of the inspiring people she's interviewed and put's it all on one CD.

A Thousand Sisters: My Journey Into The Worst Place on Earth to be A Woman - Lisa J. Shannon
(Edited) Journal Entry:  While I was reading this book, a friend showed me a new toy/car he wanted to buy in addition to his already new '14 SUV.  This did not fly well with me.  I told him my book was about a woman's travels to the Congo, where women are raped and mutilated my multiple men and have sharp objects forced up their vagina leading to fistula- a condition where urine and fecal matter continuously leak out of their bodies (also leading them to be shunned by their communities). 
I believe people should live well and have things they enjoy, but I don't believe in such excess.  I told him he should donate the money, which didn't fly well with him.
We then went into how I can read the book and how he can watch violent TV.  He scoffed when I said that by reading this and being informed that I can share what I know with others, that the problem may no long be invisible, causing more people to act.  I hope to sponsor a woman through Women for Women International next year.

Let My People Go Surfing
The story of Patagonia and how to (live and) have and environmentaly (and human) friendly company.

Daring Greatly

Daughters of Distance- Vanessa Runs

Living in the Light-Shakti Gawain

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- J.K. Rowling
Gotta love the old favorites!
                                                                
Run Like a Girl: How Strong Women Make Happy Lives - Mina Samuels                                                                                                                                                                      

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