13 WEEKS AND 13 BOOKS UNTIL 13 MILES: Book 2

The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

And here we have, haiku review number two: 

dreamy and tempting, 

be cautious: you'll want to get

the hell outta dodge

Up next: I Was Told There'd be Cake by Sloane Crosley

Fullcodepress and Forrst: 2 awesome bits of geekdom

I'd like to draw your attention to two terribly awesome bits of geekdom:

1.) Fullcodepress:

I'm borrowing words here but: "The concept is simple. Web teams take each other on, at the same location, to build a complete website (for a non-profit) in 24 hours. No excuse, no extensions, no budget overruns." I believe the two words you're looking for are: awe and some. Go USA!












2.) Forrst (or @forrst)

Essentially a tumblr-esque platform for designers and developers, Forrst has the potential to become an invaluable resource for the fancypantolones of the digital realm. PS: It's invite-only.

13 WEEKS AND 13 BOOKS UNTIL 13 MILES: Book 1

Well week and book one of my 13 weeks/13 books/13 miles project has come to a close...

Let's get one thing straight: I am not a reviewer. I have consistently shied away from offering anything other than a friendly book suggestion. I know that I tend to overuse gushy adjectives and my critical eye is a not as sharp as I'd like it to be.  Book reviewing is an art form and it's one that I have not yet mastered.

Now, all of that said, I don't see the harm in writing a teeny tidbit to express how I felt about this book-- something short, sweet, and (hopefully) taken with a very large grain of salt.

Blogosphere, I'd like to present, for your consideration, the book review haiku*:

Once a Runner: A Novel by John Parker, Jr.

inspiring read

I wish I'd read in high school,

read with your kicks close.

Up next: The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac. I'm going back to Cali, Cali...


 *For this particular experiment I am merely following the 5/7/5 structure and taking "on" to signify a syllable. Don't get all haiku police on me, por favor.

Breaking up is hard to do...

Sonya Chung's article on The Millions this morning ("It's Not You, It's Me: Breaking Up With Books") got me thinking a little about reading and commitment.

I'm going to come right out and say it: I do not see anything wrong with giving up on a book. 

Now, my parents instilled in me a sense of duty--finish your vegetables, finish your homework, finish your sentences--and I suppose I interpreted this philosophy to also mean finish your book. And for years I trudged through fiction (and a little non-fiction) that I would have otherwise put down after the first few chapters.

But now, as I transition into my grown up years and begin to embrace grown up perks (I eat brownie batter for dinner sometimes) I think I've made peace with the fact that I will not enjoy every read I start. I abide by the "Page 57 Rule."

Page 57 Rule: One must give each book a chance up until page 57, after that, one may continue as one sees fit. The origins of this rule trace back to a cool summer roof top night shared between three friends and a pitcher of wheat beer.

I also fully agree with Ms. Chung's understanding:

"My commitment to finishing books in the past was probably related to the above – fear of ensuing guilt and shame. Failure, too, I suppose.  And perhaps at this point in my reading life, I’ve finished (and more than that, really ingested into my mind and emotions) enough books so that I feel a little freer in exercising the right to choose how to invest my reading time and energy; to veer from the Canonical Path – if such a thing actually exists anymore – and forge my own highly specific map of literary experience and influence. "

 So go forth and be choosy!

PS: Also check out Debbie Stier's thoughts on not finishing Commitment by Elizabeth Gilbert.

13 WEEKS AND 13 BOOKS UNTIL 13 MILES

Guess what? It's summertime. How on earth is it summertime? Wasn't yesterday Christmas? C'est la vie, I suppose. I must be getting old. Summer is here and with it I'm welcoming cook-outs, short-shorts, and all good things.

I'm approaching this particular summer Forest Gump style--I will be runnin'. This Sunday will start the 13 week mark until my half marathon and my Asics and I are pumped.  I've decided to tie this training in with a new summer reading project. Back in January I had all the best intentions of beginning a 52 books/ 52 weeks project. Well, now January is June and I don't see the harm in giving the whole 1 book/ 1 week concept a new spin. Feel free to send recommendations to julia[dot]forrest[dot]costa[at]gmail.com. (I read almost anything, but keep it short-ish, por favor.)

I have gigantic feet. All the better for running, my dears. 

I also have a gigantic brain (not pictured). 

All the better for reading, my dears. 

TITLE NUMERO UNO:
Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. (Scribner; 2009)
Why: Because after nearly ten years as a "runner" I've never taken the time to sit down with a copy.  I believe the word you're looking for is SERIOUSLY?!

Snap, snap...

My motto
as I live and learn
is to dig and be dug
in return.

--Langston Hughes

PS: Sorry this is a double post (if you follow my tumblr) but it was too excellent for just one social media platform.