Holiday Reading

An astute blog reader (ahem: stalker) might know that I read much of late (or at least finished many books).  This has what my reading-for-funsies of late has looked like:

Embracing Your Potential by Terry Orlick:

This is an interesting read, especially for athletes, yet also for anyone who has to be 'on' or do any sort of performance.  Thanks to Alena for the recommendation.  Check it out if you need a mental boost, as long as you are the sort of person that can look past photographs from the 80's for the message.  An embarrassing admission: I still haven't finished this book.  I need to put it on hold at the library again.  An ironic admission: the first time I tried to get this book, I got an email from the Toronto Library that said, "you failed to pick up your hold on "Embracing Your Potential" on time".  Damn. 

Speaking Out Louder: Ideas that Work for Canadians by Jack Layton:

Did you know that Jack Layton used to be an environmental consultant?  I did not.  I'm not finished this book either.  The first 215 pages have been excellent.  Jack Layton has some really cool ideas.  It's well worth checking out.  I tackled this book over the holidays at a snail pace.  I brought it to Trinidad with me and read all of 20 pages on the flight home.  I'm going to take it out from the library again next week to finish off.  While I'm very interested in the subject matter, it was quite apparent to me that I needed some nice, breezy fiction.

Nice, Breezy Fiction by Sue Grafton

No, sorry.  It was called V is for Vengeance - the latest Kinsey Millhone mystery in the alphabet series.  Not to be confused with V is for Vendetta.  I guess V is for a lot of things.  For a well-written fiction read to relax, try a Sue Grafton.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This one sounds familiar, I'm sure.  Did you have to read it in high school?  Or University?  Not I.  I picked the Grapes of Wrath in high school English, but I traded it for 1984 after about a day.  I swear, the first 12 pages were about dust.  I want to give it another try after reading Of Mice and Men.  I vaguely knew the story, but not the ending.  I picked it up from the library yesterday and returned it today.  It's a quick, 107-page read - I'm assuming it's a novella (that short).  The man has a way with works.  Read two pages and you will be sucked in.  Classic.