Book #2-Some Red Sox Love!

My second book of 2010 was "Deep Drive" by Mike Lowell, 3rd baseman for the Boston Red Sox. This was actually Lee's book. I had bought it for him last year because Lowell is his favorite player. After he finished it, he gave it to me, proclaiming it a great book that I had to read. Well, it sat on my bookshelf in Wichita, moved to KC with me and sat on my bookshelf here. I added it to my "to read" list on Goodreads.com and told myself I would read it before the start of Spring Training. With the weather being as horrendous as it has been, I knew I needed something to make me think "warm" thoughts and what better way than to read a baseball book? I dove right in with high hopes.

Here is how I reviewed it on Goodreads.com:
If you're a Red Sox fan, this is a book you should read. It's not the best book in the world but it's a great way to get a little more in-depth look at Mike Lowell. Unfortunately, the book didn't flow well. It can be hard to follow because it jumps around chronologically. I would have loved to have seen more stories from the clubhouse, too. There was one tedious detail that really bothered me. It concerns two instances where Lowell was discussing Dustin Pedroia. I've wondered for quite a while just how tall Pedroia is and I thought Lowell had told me. Early on, Lowell says Pedroia is five foot six. Later he says five foot seven. What bothers me is that this discrepancy wasn't caught somewhere in the editing process. If you can overlook this type of error and deal with the switching of the seasons throughout the chapters, give it a go. Mike Lowell is definitely a player who faces his challenges head on.

Now, I didn't go into this thinking I would be reading a fine piece of literature. I just wanted baseball stories. That is exactly what I got. Like I said in the review, if you're a Red Sox fan, read it. You probably already know a lot of what is covered in the book, but you'll get more details about those topics. I was also very interested by his family's departure from Cuba and all that led up to it. If these are the types of things you expect from the book, you won't be let down.

One book down, 29 more to go!

I finished my first book of 2010 in just 3 days. Which, for me, is awesome. I can get so easily distracted by the other things that I "need" to do, I find it hard to stay focused on reading for a long period of time. This book made it easy though.

Book #1 of 2010 was While I Was Gone by Sue Miller. I have had this book for probably 10 years and had just never read it. It's been so long since I bought it that I couldn't even remember what the premise of the book was! It was, I quickly found, a wonderful surprise. It read quickly and easily. It kept me enthralled and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

While I Was Gone is about a middle-aged woman, Joey, and the obsession that she develops when a friend from her past re-enters her life. The friend loosens many old memories from the recesses of her mind. Some of the memories are warm, memories about a time in her life when she was freer. Other memories were disturbing, like the death of her roommate that brought that time in her life to an end.

The book delves into the relationships she has with different people in her life; relationships with her husband, children, coworkers and friends. It also explores how Joey feels about her life now, her conflicting feelings of contentedness versus her feelings of disconnect.

I would absolutely recommend this book to my friends. If you have read it already, let me know how you felt about it as well. Just remember to add a spoiler alert if you are going to reveal anything!

2010 Reading Goal

I'm not one to make resolutions, but I was very recently inspired by a person I follow on Twitter, @mamajoan. She mentioned that by the end of 2009, she would have read 43 books that year. "Wow," I thought. "She really loves to read and must make time for it." That's my problem. I don't make reading a priority like I used to. That, however, is going to change this year.

I decided to see how many books I could read in 2010. I soon realized that I was not really challenging myself at all by saying that. Would I get to December 31, 2010 and only have read 5 books? Then what? I would have seen the goal as a complete failure. I knew I had to set a number to read and hold myself accountable for it. At first I thought 20 books sounded reasonable, but I really want to push myself. So the official goal is to read 30 books in 2010. Along with that, I will add a goal of writing 30 blog posts. One to review each book I have read.

Another of my Twitter friends, @paulrharvey3, had mentioned a website, goodreads.com, so I checked it out. It's a pretty cool site that allows you to keep track of books you are reading, books you have already read and books you want to read. You can search for books and read reviews from other readers. I'm going to use this site to help track my reading through the year. If you want to follow along on that site, I'm BoSoxAmy there as well.

Now, not all of what I will read this year will be challenging. I like to alternate what I read, so don't be surprised if what I have read is complete fluff. I think it's nice to stick in a quick, easy read after I have read something substantial or emotionally draining. It's fun to read something silly now and then!

Feel free to send recommendations for books or to add your own reviews if we happen to read the same thing. I'd love to have friends join me on this journey!