2016 In Books

When I discovered Goodreads several years ago, I had no idea that such a place even existed online. Discovering a place where fellow book nerds congregated and discussed books they were reading, books they wanted to read, and all else literary made me incredibly happy. It also gave me the option of cataloging all the books I’ve read and consolidating my scattershot reading habits into some definable “goals”.

After the passing of a young friend of mine in 2015, I made 2016 the year that I immersed myself in a world of reading in which I gained spiritual, philosophical, and overall educational insight. Overall, I read 40+ books, but I’ll only touch on what I feel were the top ten I read in 2016.

2014 In Books

Ever since 2012, I’ve set a yearly reading goal on Goodreads (if you are not on there yet and call yourself a reader, you may want to rethink that!). I have gradually increased my goal every year and as we bring 2014 to a close, I’m happy to say that I surpassed my goal of 35 books for the year. As of “press time” here, I’m at 57 out of 35.

In the same vein as my post about my favorite books, I’d like to put some of my own thoughts out there on the literary highs and lows of this past year. Keep in mind, of course, that these are only my own thoughts and opinions. Occasionally my opinion of a book is way off the general consensus, both good and bad. I welcome discussions and recommendations from all folks so pipe up in the comments if you’re willing.

Carpe Diem (or YOLO for the youngsters)

Heart palpitating. Beads of sweat forming on your forehead. The bottom of your stomach dropping even lower than what seems physically possible. The saliva vanishing from your mouth.

Sound familiar? Of course it does. Everyone has had their own experiences with being nervous. My most recent was as a result of “performing” stand up comedy this past week.

Laff’s Comedy Club in Tucson, like quite a few other comedy clubs across the county, has an open mic night where anyone willing to make the lonely walk to the stage containing a solitary microphone stand is welcomed.

English Composition Assignment 1 – Coursera

Remember when I talked, awhile back, about the rise of the low-cost to no-cost education options out on the internet? The following is my first writing assignment for the English Composition I: Achieving Expertise class on Coursera. Our first assignment is to read over the first chapter of Daniel Coyle’s book, “The Talent Code. Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How.”. (First chapter is available for free online at ISSUU.com)

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Coyle’s article, entitled “The Sweet Spot”, is his contribution to the endless search for perfection. In today’s go-go-go society, quite a few people invest their time in trying to find shortcuts for activities instead of putting in the time and effort involved in what Coyle calls “deep practice” (P. 8).

the writer

he is in the happiest place on earth.

moving from one line to another, there are what feel like hours of tedium peppered with moments of joy and happiness with the people he loves. he is standing in yet another line, surrounded by the faces of strangers, all cheerful and excited, with the ones they love, here in the happiest place on earth.

God Knows, But When Will I?

One good thing about the written word is the option available for readers to stop reading at any point they choose to. That being said, feel free to redirect your browser to  The Nicest Place On The Internet any time you get tired of my written grumblings. I’ve got something on my chest and, as my own personal experience has shown me time and time again, putting “pen to paper” may help me to feel just a tiny bit better.

Facebook Free February 2014

Last February, I took the entire month off from Facebook. Looking at it as a sort of “reset”, it did me some good. I’m thinking that it’s time again for that reset, to catch up on my reading and maybe dig a bit more into that Great American Novel I’m working on.