Life at these Speeds (2003) by Jeremy Jackson

We got this book because the movie based on it, 1 Mile to You.  It's about a high school runner who runs to, among other reasons, cope with a tragedy.  It's a decent story and motivates me off the couch and out for a mile jog or so.

mulch poem

A New Years Wish

the Lopez Tree Service blessed us with

a hot, sweating pile of mulch

that it dumped in our driveway.

We threw on some used coffee grounds courtesy of Starbucks.

then we added table scraps.

And finally we put on Griffith Park compost,

or zoo animal poo.

These castoffs provided

a cardio, muscle and brain workout,

and karma points from keeping stuff out of the landfill,

and will,                            

when mixed with sunshine, seeds and rain,

produce a good portion of our food for next year.

May your 2019 be filled with useful trash.

Why Religion? A Personal Story (2018) Elaine Pagels

This is a memoir by author and scholar, Elaine Pagels.  She is the author of Gnostic Gospels, which I read with interest in college.  This memoir is her backstory and personal take on the subject she's written about in her career.  She goes through heavy stuff including the loss of a son and husband in rapid succession.  The book is worth reading but only if you also read the Gnostic Gospels.

Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road (2018) by Kate Harris

This is a memoir of a couple of ambitious Canuck young women who traveled the silk road from west to east. It's a good travel story, somewhat informative, and inspiring.