The Buddha Walks into a Bar...: A Guide to Life for a New Generation

The Buddha Walks into a Bar...:  A Guide to Life for a New Generation by Lodro Rinzler is a introduction of sorts to Buddhism for a "new generation".  It discusses meditation techniques, how to cope with today's world, etc.

Wow, this book was not for me.  It took me over a month to finish this 207 page book which makes it pretty clear it was hard for me to finish.  When I read the info for it on Amazon.com I thought it would just be a light read about Buddhism, kind of a into to what it was all about or something. 

Though it was described as not preachy, I felt it was.  The book is definitely more for someone who is interested in becoming Buddhist or is Buddhist, IMO.  I find different religions interesting, but as one who has no intention of meditating or changing my spiritual beliefs (I'm agnostic), I had a really hard time getting into this book. 

If you are into learning about religions or are interested in Buddhism you might enjoy this book, but if you are looking for a light intro or thought this was going to be humorous due to the title, grab something else off the bookshelf.

Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection

I loved Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection by A.J. Jacobs!  It is a non-fiction book that follows Jacobs on his quest to become "the healthiest man alive" after he gets tropical pneumonia while on a family vacation.

Over a period of two years, Jacobs does a ton of research and tries to become healthier.  He tries different forms of exercise and diet.  He meets with leading health experts and everyday people who are committed to health.  He does all this with a sense of humor and personal stories that motivate you to make your own health changes as well.

I really enjoyed this book.  Jacobs is an excellent writer, who mixes facts, stats and expert interviews with humor, family anecdotes and stories of his own health triumphs and failures.  He breaks things down by focusing on one body part each chapter (heart, brain, stomach, etc) and giving the reader a monthly "checkup" with some stats on how he's doing. 

I feel like I learned a lot reading this book (he researches some things I'd never thought too much about) but he is so real it isn't at all textbooky.  The book is filled with stats and expert information delivered in a way that is really fun, entertaining and engrossing.  I highly recommend reading this book!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke is a quick, easy and fun murder mystery.  If I recall correctly, this book was recommended by a facebook friend of mine.  It looked like a nice light read, which I was looking forward to after my pretty involved other reads so far this year.

The story is about a woman named Hannah Swensen who lives in a small town in Minnesota.  She owns a cookie shop called The Cookie Jar and since it's a small town, knows anyone and everyone who stops into her shop.  One morning she goes outside her shop to discover a murder right outside her back door.  She teams up with her brother-in-law, who is a local cop, and sets out to catch a killer.

This book is the first in a series of many that have Hannah Swensen as the main character.  I enjoyed this book since it was a quick and easy read.  I used to read murder mysteries ALL the time (Patterson, Higgins Clark) so this was a nice return to that but on a much lighter, less violent side.  An added treat to these books is they come with cookie recipes!  I haven't made any of them, but they sure sounded delish.  I recommend giving this book a read.  It's a fun read with lots of quirky characters and it will keep you guessing until the last few pages.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail - Cheryl Strayed

This was a good book, I did enjoy it.  I think that it had a lot of different elements in it which each served a different purpose, but some days  I hated it, some days I loved it.  The first few chapters are just sad.  I know I'm a crier anyway, but I cried.  A lot.  Reading about how Cheryl's life was falling apart was difficult.  She lost her entire family over the course of 47 days and I couldn't help but to think about my life, my family, and my losses.

After her losses, she decides that she needs to take matters in to her own hands.  After losing her family, her life spiraled down hill for another few years, and she couldn't handle it any more.  She walked past a book at a hardware store about hiking the PCT.  And just like that, she made the decision.  She was going to hike the PCT.  She'd been camping, how much harder could this be?  Hiking over 1000 miles from mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington?  No big deal.  She spent the next several months selling belongings, buying backpacking gear, and saving every penny she had in order to prepare for this trip.  She did not train, she did not turn on her camp stove, she did not fully pack her backpack until she was on the trail.  Until it was too late to make any adjustments, or learn that camp stoves don't take regular gasoline.  She struggled over the first few weeks, but eventually caught on.  She made friends along the trail and learned that she was not alone in this world.  She learned how to use some of her gear, and learned what she could live without.

By the end of her hike, she had found her safe place.  She knew that she was strong enough to handle everything that the world threw at her.  She learned to not be afraid.  Overall; a good book.  It reads quickly and her dialogue is clear and easy to follow.  It's a good easy read and left me feeling a bit more inspired to get out of my comfort zone... and plan my next backpacking trip! Life is an adventure, lets make the most of it!

~ Kelly Lynn

Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power

My latest read was Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Maddow.  This book was on my sister-in-law's to read list.  I read the description and thought, I have never read a political non-fiction book before, might as well give this a try.  I was so pleasantly surprised to find this book to be REALLY interesting.

The book is about how the United States military has really drifted away from it's original ideals and how we seem to now be moving from one war to the next.

Apparently, going to war used to be hard.  It was also a big deal that affected many of our country's citizens directly.  Since Reagan's time in office, things have moved far away from that.  Now it's much easier for us to go to war and less people feel it directly.  I found the part of this book about Reagan's time in office to be fascinating!  I had no idea this guy screwed us up so badly, lol.  There are tons of facts, figures and information but it is presented by Maddow in a very engaging manner.  I don't consider myself to be affiliated to a political party, but I feel like this book would appeal to anyone, no matter what their politics.

I highly recommend reading this book, you will learn a lot!  If you are like me and have never picked up a political non-fiction book before, this is a good one to start with. 

Ender's Game

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is about a young, gifted boy in the future who is thought to be the one to save mankind.  In the past, the human race defeated an enemy known as the Buggers, however their threat has returned and Ender is seemingly the only one who can save them.

This book was on my to read list from last year and I didn't get to it.  It's a science fiction/fantasy novel and though it was written in the 90's is still currently very highly rated.  I'm sure if you enjoy science fiction you might really like this book, I however was not a big fan. 

This book is short (226 pgs) and very easy to read, however I had a hard time finishing it!  I found it to be slow moving and very descriptive but not in an easy to visualize way.  The story is about "gifted" children, who in this case are supposed to be super smart.  I get that, but the way they talk to each other and such is hard to relate to when Ender starts out at as a six year old who talks and thinks like someone much older.

Overall, if you are into science fiction you might want to give this book a go, otherwise I'd skip it.  Not a must read in my opinion.

The Glass Castle

Happy 2013 all!  I once again have set a goal to read 24 books (or more) this year and started it off with The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

The Glass Castle is a memoir about Jeannette Walls childhood.  She grows up with her non-conformist parents and three siblings in various locations in the U.S.  It focuses mainly on her younger years (0-17) but also shows us a bit of her young adulthood as well.

I came across this book last year and thought it sounded interesting (we all know I love a good memoir) but when my sister-in-law said it was on her to-read list as well, I went ahead and took the plunge.  It is a wonderful memoir that shows how people can overcome an unpleasant childhood.  From her artistic mother to her drunken father, Walls had plenty that could have held her back but she manages to get out and tell us the story of a past that help make her who she is today.

I highly recommend reading this memoir.  It's an interesting study of characters, priorities and how life choices not only effect you but those around you.