Nuclear Jellyfish

Nuclear Jellyfish: A Novel by Tim Dorsey

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
More antics from Serge, the vigilante serial killer-with-a-heart-of-gold and his always-partying friend Coleman - this time tangling with a ring of diamond thieves robbing undercover salesmen/couriers. Yeah, makes your head spin. This is classic Serge, though - and a surprise ending that makes me wonder what Tim Dorsey will be up to next.


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Fortunes

We had lunch at a favorite Chinese restaurant yesterday, Palais de Jade. Here were the fortunes from our cookies, in order that they were opened:

Turi:
Act like a role model. The younger is watching.
Very appropriate.

Julien:
An old love will come back to you.
Completely inappropriate.

Sofia:
I am always doing that which I cannot do in order that I may learn how to do it.
Fairly appropriate...

Mich:
For light, go directly to the source of the light, not any reflections.
Uhh... mystical?

The Coolest Race on Earth

The Coolest Race on Earth: Mud, Madmen, Glaciers, and Grannies at the Antarctica Marathon by John Hanc

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Coolest Race on Earth is a good exploration, not only of the why, where and how of the Antarctica Marathon, but also of "destination " marathons and people who collect marathons as well. John Hanc includes lots of detail, from history and geography of Antarctica to musings about runner's motivations. An interesting book, if you've ever been curious about why someone would want to run a marathon in some crazy place.


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Birdmen, Batmen and Skyflyers

Birdmen, Batmen, and Skyflyers: Wingsuits and the Pioneers Who Flew in Them, Fell in Them, and Perfected Them by Michael Abrams

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is basically a history of the skydivers who have tried to "fly" with some sort of wing or wingsuit setup. I wasn't so captivated by the earlier pioneers of the sport; I found the more modern guys much more interesting. And when I watched the video of Loic Jean-Albert buzzing down a slope in Verbier (on YouTube), I got goosebumps. Fun read; for someone interested in skydiving, probably a must read.


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Kids view of death

My kids, watching Kung Fu Panda, at the scene in which the old kung fu master turtle dude Master Oogway passes away in a burst of orange blossom petals:

Julien: He just died.

Sofia: I don't want to die.

Sofia: Because I have bones.

Not sure where you go from there...

Eating his head

One of Julien's Christmas presents was a cool dinosaur book that included this punch-out-and-assemble skeleton. Apparently it was hungry...

The Mental Floss History of the World

The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp through Civilization's Best Bits by Erik Sass

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I bought this as a possible Christmas present, but ended up keeping it for myself. Glad I did, I really enjoyed it. The authors take (as the cover says) "an irreverent romp through history's best bits." Really, that's exactly what it is - a wide-angle overview of the history of civilization, with all civilizations covered. Snarky sidebars and fun references kept my interest up. I can't wait until my subscription to the mental floss magazine starts coming...


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I hate stairs

(This is also posted at my running blog; sorry if you're seeing it twice...)

But, apparently, I'm going to be running quite a few of them in the next month or so. I'm signed up for the Climb California, a run up the 52 stories of the Bank of America Building in San Francisco on March 28th. This is a benefit for the American Lung Association, and is definitely a sponsorship deal. So, as little as I do this and as bad at it as I am, this is my "asking for money" post. If you'd like to sponsor me, here's my fundraising page at the event website. OK, enough said. Thank you for your support.

My team for the event (Calvesandquadsoffire, which is really Team Library Dork and Friends) have done some stair running at the UNR stadium over the winter. It's hard to simulate the constant effort of running up a building, though, when you're going up and down, up and down a stadium. So yesterday, we headed into downtown Reno and found a casino building where we could get into the stairwell. We ended up doing the 28 stories of Circus Circus twice. Everyone's legs were trembling after the first, and total jelly after the second. Barely made it back to where our cars were parked. And today... Let's just say I have muscles in my calves that I didn't know were there. But it should be a good time, and an interesting run to do.

Buying a Piece of Paris

Our Own Piece of Paris by Ellie Nielsen

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
A fun journey through an Australian couple's looking for and eventually buying an apartment in Paris. I love reading books like this, partly for the little details of everyday French life, but also to hear the enthusiasm of someone who's so in love with France. I hope Ellie Nielsen writes a follow-up about settling into their new place.


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Everything is Miscellaneous

Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder by David Weinberger

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Really enjoyed this look at where information organization is going in our digital age. Easy to read and understand, with great, interesting examples pulled from all over the place. As engaging as a Freakoniomics or a Malcolm Gladwell book. Librarians should read this, but it's also accessible for everyone.


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Spotty princess

Sofia's had a little rash over the last few days, something to do with the strep she had last week or possibly the medication she took for it. Here she is last Saturday, playing bride dress-up:



And here's what she looked like on Sunday:



It actually got a little worse than that, but now it's receded. She's been pretty happy through the whole thing, although a little itchy, so that's good...

Everything but the Squeal

Everything but the Squeal: Eating the Whole Hog in Northern Spain by John Barlow

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed John Barlow's stories of eating his way around Galicia, his adopted home in northern Spain. Great local color and description of the people and area, and he doesn't get bogged down in the food too much. He does cover the whole gamut of pig-based preparations, from festival food to high-end restaurants to his own cooking. Made me want to visit, which is what a travel/food book should do...


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Bead necklace

Visiting my parents and friends in the Portland/Vancouver area over the holidays, my mom got me started making clay beads. Sofia requested a pink, black and white necklace, so I made this for her...