New Challange

I've discovered that a blogger I follow has issued a challenge that I can't resist. Her blog is Zen Leaf and her challenge begins June 1st and goes until June 1, 2012, Over those 52 weeks, the goal is to read a book a week (or adjust to your own level) and lose a pound a week (or other health goal). It is called the 52-52-52 Challenge. I accept the challenge to lose a pound a week. I need to lose more than that, but that is a good goal and a good motivator. I'm going to adjust the reading goal a bit to fit my needs. She says "I know many book bloggers naturally read well over 52 books every year. You can always choose to challenge yourself to read two books a week, or three, or whatever works for your level. Make the challenge work for you! There are also book bloggers out there who struggle to read a book a week, though, so hopefully this will make a good challenge for them!"
My situation is that I am always taking out library books and reading them before books I already own, since they have a due date. And yet I keep buying books and asking for books as a gift. And I read a lot. So my goal will be to read two books a week that I own. Hopefully that will knock my TBR (to be read) pile down a bit.
Thanks Amanda at Zen Leaf!

The Winter Ghosts

Finished March 5
The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt
The main part of this story takes place in the past as Freddie tells it to a bookshop owner. His tale is told in 1933, but takes place in 1928. Freddie is still mourning the loss of his older brother in the First World War. His brother was the only one in his family that he had a true connection with, and he was not told the details of his brother's death at the time. Subsequently, he had a nervous breakdown and spent some time in a sanatorium, but he still feels very close to his brother and distanced from reality.
His doctor has advised him to take some time away and he has traveled to the mountains of southern France. He has a car accident on mountain roads in the early winter and sets off walking to find help. He ends up in the village of Nulle where he finds an inn where he can spend the night and where they will help with his car. Following instructions from the innkeeper, he attends a community feast in the town hall and meets a young woman named Fabrissa. When dangerous events happen, he helps Fabrissa leave and they both share their stories of loss. Over the next few days, Freddie discovers his true role in assisting Fabrissa and looking toward his own future.
With elements of mysticism and history, this story of loss and human caring was engrossing. I felt carried away into the world created in the novel. This is the third book by Mosse that I have read and, although each one is very different, they all share some of the same themes. I have enjoyed them all.

Memoir

Finished August 17
Half-Assed: a weight-loss memoir by Jennette Fulda
I saw this memoir in the new books that came in and it looked intriguing. Fulda lost more than half her body weight, and while I don't need to lose that much, I definitely need to lose weight. In this memoir she concentrates more on the mental aspects of her journey, the thoughts that went through her head, the inner arguments that she engaged in, and how she changed as a person on the inside, not just the outside.
She has a great sense of humour and yet remains sensitive to many of the issues that come up around weight loss and how society reacts to those who are overweight.
As she says, there is no secret, no diet is perfect, and we all wander from our course occasionally, but the key is to keep at it. To not let one slide develop into an avalanche.
I found her writing engaging and interesting and her story intrigued me enough to take a look at her website, which I also found interesting.
This is no ra-ra book for Jenny Craig or South Beach or Atkins, but an honest account of the journey to a happier life.