Book Review: Station Eleven

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Took me a while to get into it, but about halfway through, I was all in. I waver between three and four stars, and judging by how quickly I went through the second half, I'll round up.

When I finished, I wasn't ready for it to end. The way the author wove the characters together took a little too long for me, but generally there was good character work. The writing really helped me visualize the new world.

But I'll be honest: The Station Eleven thing was unnecessary for me.

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Weekly Recap

The last week of base training is done! I ended up with 26 miles and a decent amount of body work. My right calf has been a little problematic (more on that later), so I've been babying it to some extent. Hopefully it'll feel much better before I delve into speedwork.

Monday: 3 miles (run/walk on tm), Saucony Kinvara 6 + strength
I went to the gym! The weather was questionable and my calves were still hurting from Saturday's trail run, so a run/walk on the treadmill was what I needed. The calves felt better afterward. I did a little core and upper-body work to finish the night.

Tuesday: 5 miles (9:45 pace), Saucony Zealots
I met some friends for an easy 5-miler on the bike & hike. Calves were still (!) tender, but it's nice and flat. It was a little warm, but I felt pretty good.

Wednesday: 4 miles (10:20 pace), Saucony Kinvara 6
The group met on the towpath for a hot & humid 4 miles. I practiced my easy run pacing, and given the temps, I didn't have any trouble with the 10:20 pace. No desire to run faster.

Thursday: 3 miles, Saucony Zealots
For the past couple of weeks, my right calf has been a little ... twitchy? Hard to describe, but because I'm heading into a pretty aggressive half-marathon plan, I wanted to get it checked out. I'm a little afraid of a stress fracture after a friend described his and it was similar to what I'm feeling. The doc doesn't think it's a stress fracture, but he wants me to stay off hard surfaces (pavement). After Graston, I met a friend for an easy 3-miler on the Towpath, and it was another successful pacing exercise!

Friday: off

Saturday: 6 slow miles, Sand Run, Saucony Zealots
We were supposed to meet the group Saturday morning, but storms caused everyone to bail. We reset the alarm and went back to sleep. (It was glorious.) After a lazy morning, we finally headed over to Sand Run. It was 80 degrees with 75% humidity, so the miles were SLOW. (The pace was where I should be -- 10:40 or 10:50, I think -- but it should have felt easier.) I wore compression socks, and I didn't really notice anything in my calf. Afterward, I did the Myrtl routine, abs and stretching.

Sunday: 5 miles, Saucony Kinvara 6
I wore calf sleeves for this run as well. It was even more humid, but we started earlier so at least it was cooler. I felt better, and my calf didn't give me any trouble. This run was under a 10-minute pace and felt a lot easier than Saturday's 6-miler. So funny how that works.

Review: The Walls Around Us

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting story-writing technique. Took me a bit to figure out what was going on -- you do need to read the chapter names! -- but I liked it. I thought the characters were mostly well-written (even Ori who wasn't a narrator), and the story was iridescent. I've never read anything by this author before, but I am very curious to read something else.

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Review: Ready to Run: Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally

Ready to Run: Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally by Kelly Starrett

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I downloaded the Kindle version of Ready to Run after learning about the book at a Crossfit workshop about running. The Kindle edition needs re-edited, but overall, I found it interesting. I disagree with some of the content (the insistence on flat shoes, for example, although I do wear 4mm drop shoes so close to flat), but the focus on mobility and running throughout your life are things I'm very interested in right now. I intend to use this book as a resource going forward -- lots of good mobility exercises.

I kind of wish I'd bought the physical copy because it isn't optimized for digital use, so that's disappointing. It made it difficult to go back and forth, which would have been nice. There are many occasions where you're reading about the why of something and the author cites a corresponding mobility exercise. There should be easy "back" links or something.

Fun fact: The author also mentions the podiatrist who put the plate in foot when I broke a few years ago. (That doctor is a long-distance runner and HUGE proponent of "natural" and barefoot running.)

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Review: Big Little Lies

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second, maybe third time I've attempted to read this book, and for some reason, this time it clicked. I think I had trouble with the playful format that covered some serious topics. (Plus I couldn't keep a lot of the parents straight, although I think that may have been intentional.)

It's been awhile since I read a book with several likable characters, so that was refreshing. I found the ending a little unsatisfying, particularly with two of the main characters, but I don't want to give away too many details. (Actually, maybe I didn't care for the ending much at all.) Still, a decent read, and I continue to like the author's work.

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Review: Wreckage

Wreckage by Emily Bleeker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a pretty quick read, which I read during lunch at work. Mostly I liked it, but the ending and the biggest lie of them all, well, didn't quite work. I couldn't understand some of the lies, but I could get past it.

I think I would have liked the interviewer's perspective too.

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Review: The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Quick read, good story. The "twist" was pretty obvious, but I didn't mind b/c there were enough twists to keep it interesting.

I was also embarrassed because sometimes I could identify with and feel empathy for Rachel, but god knows, I don't drink like she does. If I did...

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Review: Summer House with Swimming Pool

Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch

My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I tried to read this book, but the protagonist is utterly unlikable. I don't need to read about how much doctors don't care, and the idea of moving forward with this book is painful. I am an adult, and I read for fun, not punishment.

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Review: Sisterland

Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was really hard to rate. I flew through the second half just to finish it. The protagonist is both boring and terrible. The storyline is interesting. I wanted to give it two stars, but I'd have trouble finishing a two-star book. I *did* want to see how this book ended.

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Review: Running Away: A Memoir

Running Away: A Memoir by Robert Andrew Powell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Some people found this book really depressing, but I didn't. I think you need to be a runner to "get" this book. Otherwise, how do you know how significant it is to qualify for Boston? A non-runner would have so much trouble identifying with the author. Aside from running, I have nothing in common with him. His actions are largely selfish, his motivations kind of embarrassed me (I can't imagine being driven to do something because my dad did - especially at almost 40 years old).

But I found his journey impressive. He worked hard to improve. What did he say? Running is practicing not to quit? Something like that. And it's true.

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Review: We Were Liars

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A quick read. A mystery. It is best to not read anything about the book. I even thought the book's description was a little too much. I think it's best to just go through Cadence's journey with her - you don't want to know too much.

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Review: Night Film

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read the book fairly quickly, which is amazing as of late, and I'm still gathering my thoughts. My first thought is that I want to study Cordovites and I want to see the films. The most fascinating character is the one we know the least about.

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Review: Tampa

Tampa by Alissa Nutting

My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Ugh, just ugh. Not well-written, not interesting, not believable. I have better things to do than read this.

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Review: A Visit from the Goon Squad

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me a few times to read this book, and I'm not sure why. I ended up flying through the book, although I still find myself slightly disappointed, like I didn't get the full story. So many good stories contained within, just fleshed out enough to get my interest before moving on.

This book is almost indescribable - I hardly got to know anyone, yet I liked how characters and time were interwoven throughout. The "dreaded" PowerPoint section was actually interesting to me (oh, how Corporate America has prepared me for such things).

I want to give the book 3.5 stars, but I figure since I can't, I should round up, especially considering that I read it in just a few days (unheard of for me lately).

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Review: The Husband's Secret

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book I've read by this author, and I liked this one almost as much - guess I have to read the third book she's written.

This is the story of one tragedy and how it affects people long after it happens. I guess. Really, this story is less about husbands and more about parenthood. I didn't particularly like any of the voices in the book, yet I continued to read. There is one mystery that is pretty well foreshadowed - and it's solved fairly early on - yet I continued to read.

It might be a little confusing in the beginning because there are several stories, but it doesn't take long to figure out how they intersect. It's worth it just to go with the flow. This isn't chick lit that's tied up in a pretty bow, which I like. People are complicated, situations are complicated, and in real life, rarely is anything really solved. I like books that reflect that.

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Review: The Other Side of the Door: A Novel of Suspense

The Other Side of the Door: A Novel of Suspense by Nicci French

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The only reason I read this book is that I was looking for something immediately available as an e-book from the public library. It was okay. The entire book was written in "before" and "after" passages, which kind of got annoying. There were plot twists (I guess), but things seemed a little contrived and "trying too hard." There wasn't enough context to believe in the characters and why they did the things they did. I don't think I'll read any more novels by this author (who, I gather, is actually a husband-and-wife team using a pen name).

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Review: The Smart One

The Smart One by Jennifer Close

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had trouble figuring out if the book was just totally familiar or if I just recognized the characters because they were real. The book has various points of view, which was good because I hated Weezy and Martha. I liked Claire and Cleo well enough, and I could relate to them better (although Cleo's whole situation annoyed me because it seemed like there should have been more discussion and confusion around it).

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Review: The Other Side of the Door

The Other Side of the Door: A Novel of Suspense by Nicci French

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The only reason I read this book is that I was looking for something immediately available as an e-book from the public library. It was okay. The entire book was written in "before" and "after" passages, which kind of got annoying. There were plot twists (I guess), but things seemed a little contrived and "trying too hard." There wasn't enough context to believe in the characters and why they did the things they did. I don't think I'll read any more novels by this author (who, I gather, is actually a husband-and-wife team using a pen name).

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Review: The Dinner

The Dinner by Herman Koch

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book is certainly a commentary on society and privilege and class. And caste. I'm glad I finished it, but I'm not really sure I would recommend it to anyone. I'm not sure any of the characters is likable or relatable (I acknowledge that if I had kids, I may feel a differently).

I don't want to spoil anything because there is mystery in the book. The book jumps around in time, but sticks with the same (horrible) narrator. There was one thing I really hated, and that was the narrator repeatedly saying things like "I'm not going to tell you that." It was annoying device - I'm not sure if the book was supposed to read as a confession or potential confession or what, but I don't really care for this "I know something and won't tell you" thing.

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Review: Tell the Wolves I'm Home

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think my rating would really be more of 3.5, but I figure if I read the book in two days, I should probably round up.

The book strikes me as more a story about siblings than anything else. Some other perspectives would be nice, but I tend to like multi-narrated books. So many secrets, so much pain, so much jealousy.

I read a review that mentioned the 80s references, that there were too many/trying too hard, and I totally disagree. I needed more because I had to continually remind myself of how AIDS was viewed in the 80s, how new it was. I needed to frame people's reactions. Toward the end of the book, there's some talk about the "cool" radio station, and I would have liked a little more of that, I guess.

One last sidenote: I did not know about D&D in the 80s, and to be honest, I didn't really know it was around then.

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