Weekend Bookshelf – New Years Edition

 

            “So many books, so little time”

                                                                                                         Frank Zappa

My 2019 Reading Resolution:

     As I mentioned a month or so ago, I’m not big into making reading lists.  I see no reason to assign myself homework at this stage in my life.  However, that doesn’t mean I don’t have reading goals for 2019.  I’m just going to make them both concrete and a little vague.

     So here is my reading goal for the upcoming year:  I will read between 26 to 32 books by December 31, 2019.  This works out to about a book every week and a half to two weeks.  That should be doable, especially if I recommit to spending less time to internet surfing and more time reading.

      What books I will read will be left wide open.  The only real rule I plan to follow is that these must be books I haven’t read before (I am a re-reader).

     How about you?  What, if any, reading resolutions have you made for yourself this year?

What I’m reading: “Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell’s Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon  by Edward Dolnick.

Excellent book so far.  Mr. Dolnick is able to make John Wesley Powell’s real world expedition down the Green and Colorado rivers read like an adventure novel than a dry historical recounting.  One thing I’ve already learned is that this expedition was mostly funded by Powell himself.  I’d always assumed that it was funded by the U.S. Government, similar to the Lewis & Clark expedition.

What I am looking forward to this year:

Ian Toll has a great trilogy called “The Pacific War”, and it covers the U.S. Navy’s War in the Pacific during WWII.  The first book, Pacific Crucible”, takes us from the day after Pearl Harbor until the Battle of Midway.  The second book, Conquering Tide, starts at the invasion of Guadalcanal and goes until the Marianas campaign.  I’ve read other books about the Pacific theater, but Mr. Toll’s is perhaps the best yet.  The rumor is that the third book in the trilogy is supposed to be released later this summer or fall.  I’ve got my fingers crossed that the rumor is true.

Epilogue:

      That’s it for this week.  Comments, suggestions, tips and recommendations are always welcome.  If you don’t wish to post comments on this site, feel free to email me at:  Mrvintageman2@gmail.com.

 

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Bicycling resolutions

Happy New Year!

     Have you made your New Years Resolutions, those annual lists of usually unobtainable goals we make and break every year?  Especially that most ubiquitous goal of all, “this is the year I resolve to lose X amount of pounds and/or get into shape”.

Autumn ride in Cherry Creek State Park. (Click to see larger image)

     I know I have made and broken that same resolution more times than I would care to count.  I’ve come to believe that the resolution to “lose weight” is flawed, because it focuses our resolve on the wrong goal.

     Instead, I believe we should resolve to do the physical activities that we actually enjoy and want to do.  We need to stop flogging and guilting ourselves into shape, and start living the life we actually want to live.

     Since I love bicycling, it’s my hope that if I ride my bicycle on a more consistent basis (combined with a better nutrition component), that my body will gradually become leaner and stronger.  I’ll “get into shape” by doing more of what I enjoy doing.

     That’s the theory, anyway.

     So with that in mind, here are my 2019 New Years Bicycling Resolutions:

  1. I resolve to add at least 3 bicycling routes that I have never ridden before to my repertoire.  I have about 7 or 8 rides that I like to go on during the riding season.  They’re good routes, but I felt they were getting a little stale last year.  Time to expand my comfort zone.
  2. I’m going to retry the “Ride and Revel” cycling event which is held in Greeley in mid-July.  I actually finished the 40 mile event last year, but I was so overheated and wiped out I never got to sample some of the brews that were provided. This year I would like to ride the 55 mile route, only this time enjoy a beer or two afterwards.
  3. I’m going to do the “Tour de Vinyards” ride held in Grand Junction in September.  Perhaps Mrs. Vintage will make the trip with me and she can sample some of the wines while I wheeze my way around the Western Slope.
  4. The ultimate event that I would like to accomplish this year would be to do an overnight trip.  I’ve pondered riding from Morrison to Fairplay over Kenosha Pass in late summer/early autumn, when the aspens should be in full color and temperatures more moderate, but that is 8000+ feet of climbing to the crest of the pass.  I’ll admit that I’m a little intimidated by that steep of an ascent.  So I’ll ponder other routes so as to give me several options and then I’ll decide which one to attempt later in the season.

     Thus I hereby resolve to push myself harder, but still have a good time.  I think all of these are doable.  And with any luck, and a lot of hard work, I hope to prove my theory correct and will be a lean, mean MrVintageMan machine a year from now.

     I’ll keep you posted on my progress throughout the year.

Colorado.com Book Cliffs near Grand Junction.

 

 

 

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Weekend Bookshelf: 2018 Book Awards

 “Classic – a book which people praise and don’t read” 

                                                                                                                         Mark Twain

MrVintageMan Book Awards for 2018

     With 2018 reaching it’s denouement, it is now time for the 1st ever Annual MrVintageMan Book Awards, where I hand out coveted prizes to some of the books I’ve read this year.  The categories include whatever the hell I want to include.  Let’s get to them.

Most Entertaining: Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey.  A kick-ass science fiction/mystery/horror novel with great characters and tons of action!

 

Most Inspirational: Over the Hills: A Midlife Escape Across America by Bicycle by David Lamb.  An older book, but still timely.  Mr. Lamb’s book is proof that adventures can still be had even when heading into the senior years.

 

Most Informative:  Empire on the Edge by Nick Bunker.  Penetrating look at how the British Empire blundered into a colonial uprising.

 

Most Insightful:  The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F#ck by Mark Manson.  Great book about being honest with yourself and cutting through your own bullshit.

 

Most Disappointing:  Downhills Don’t Come Free by Jerry Holl.  I love books about biking touring, and this book about a tour from Alaska to Southern California should be in my wheelhouse.  But Mr. Holl’s book reads more like a training journal.  He’s so busy cranking out the mileage he never stops to enjoy the  ride.

 

Most Times Started and Stopped:  America’s War for the Greater Middle East by Andrew J. Bacevich.  A very interesting subject to me, but for some reason I have struggled with this book.  Maybe next year.

     There you go.  Congratulations to this years winners!  Lets give a big round of applause.

     Thank you all for coming, and look forward to seeing you again in the New Year here at the Weekend Bookshelf.

     Have a fun and safe New Year!

     That’s it for this week. Comments, suggestions, tips and recommendations are always welcome. If you don’t wish to post comments on this site, feel free to email me at: Mrvintageman2@gmail.com.

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