Books read:
- The System of the World, by Neal Stephenson OMG
- The Two Towers and The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Texts from Jane Eyre, by Mallory Ortberg
- The Princess and the Pony, by Kate Beaton
- Cecil, the Pet Glacier, by Matthea Harvey
- “The White Album,” by Joan Didion
- Angels in America, by Tony Kushner (reread)
- Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir, by Roz Chast. Reviewed.
- Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel. Reviewed.
- Are You My Mother?, by Alison Bechdel
- Tomboy, by Liz Prince
- In the Blood, by Suzan-Lori Parks
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two, by Jack Thorne, based on a story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne
- Alan Mendalsohn: The Boy from Mars, by Daniel Pinkwater
- Equal Rites, by Terry Pratchett
- Wyrd Sisters, by Terry Pratchett
- The Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett
It got a little escapist there at the end. I should note that this list is somewhat incomplete–it doesn’t contain, for example, several nonfiction reference books I read, nor the three times I re-read HST’s obituary of Richard Nixon.
Best book I read: Probably The System of the World, which is itself the third part of a trilogy. Is it 2,400 pages of fanfiction about Isaac Newton, Gottfried Leibniz, and the invention of the calculus? A treatise on globalization and economics? An in-depth look at the difficult political transition between Queen Anne and King George I? A joyful romp around the world with the Royal Society? All of the above? Totally worth reading, whatever it is. Someday I want to meet Neal Stephenson so I can give him a high five.
The 2017 reading list can be found here, and my theater reviews are here.
Races run:
| Race | Date | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Years Day Dash | Jan 1 | 5 mi | 39:49 |
| Freeze for Food 5k / 10k | Jan 23 | 5 km / 10 km | 26:57 / 49:14 |
| LMR 20k | May 7 | 20 km | 1:48:47 |
| Ice Age 50 half marathon | May 14 | 13.1 mi | 2:01:23 |
| Blue Mounds 18k | June 4 | 18 km | 1:55:24 |
| Dances with Dirt | July 9 | 13.1 mi | 2:11:13 |
| Madison Mini Marathon | Aug 20 | 13.1 mi | 2:07:22 |
| Safe Harbor Labor Day Dash | Sept 5 | 10 km | 55:24 |
| North Face Endurance Challenge | Sept 18 | 13.1 mi | 2:18:19 |
| Indian Lake Trail Race | Oct 1 | 12 km | 1:07:49 |
| Fall 15k | Oct 16 | 15 km | 1:19:17 |
| McCarthy Park Trail Race | Oct 30 | 18 km | 1:39:46 |
| Wolf Pack Trail race | Nov 13 | 29 mi | 5:29:30 |
| Berbee Derby | Nov 24 | 5 km | 36:47 |
Best finish (in terms of pace): Freeze for Food 10k (7:56 pace); New Years Day Dash (7:58 pace); Fall 15k (8:32 pace)
Best finish (in terms of place): Wolf Pack (2nd woman [of two], 8th overall); Fall 15k (3rd in age group, 4th woman of 27); Freeze for Food 5k/10k (6th in age group in both).