books – Aeonn.net

2015 Reading List Update

I’ve been terribly busy with travel and getting this house in shape for Mouseketeer’s arrival. There are only a few weeks left!

I have read, though, as I’m on a quest to read 50 books in 2015.

Over the past few weeks I have read the following:

Think Like a Freak – Steven Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute (Fantastically strange read and a real page turner. I’m not even kidding.) -Zac Bissonnette
How to Use the GoPro Hero 4 Silver (as I picked one up) – Jordan Hetrick
GoPro: Professional Guide to Filmmaking – Bradford Schmidt & Brandon Thompson
How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck – Steve Stockman
Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way – Jon Krakauer
13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18 / 50 – Freakonomics, Beanie Babies, GoPro, Video Editing, Krakauer

This was just released today so I am starting it this evening:

Missoula-Krakauer-cover

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town - Synopsis

19 / 50 – Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town – Jon Krakauer

I am taking my wife on a Babymoon in April to the Florida Keys after finding an amazingly priced flight last night. I was up until almost 4 in the morning reading, booking a resort, and seeing what we can get into down there. I love to travel. I also really love to read guidebooks about where we’re going. I use them to choose things to do while we’re there, find neat little places to eat, and find hidden beaches, authentic experiences, and off-the-beaten-path places.

So, I added a few books to Calibre and pushed them to my Voyage to read over the next weeks including:

I’m on a quest to read 50 books in 2015.

8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 / 50 – Key West Travel Books

Vaults of Walt – Jim Korkis

I’m a little behind on my reading, so I decided to churn through three quick titles by Sunday to get a little ahead. I have not finished “In The Kingdom of Ice” yet, but I am going to pick it back up Sunday.

Vault of Walt Vault of Walt 2 Vault of Walt 3

Vaults of Walt - Synopsis

I’m on a quest to read 50 books in 2015.

5, 6 & 7 / 50 The Revised Vault of Walt, Vault of Walt Vol 2, Vault of Walt Vol 3 – Jim Korkis

In the Kingdom of Ice – Hampton Sides

In the Kingdom of Ice

In the Kingdom of Ice - Synopsis

In the late nineteenth century, people were obsessed by one of the last unmapped areas of the globe: the North Pole…National glory would fall to whoever could plant his flag upon its shores. James Gordon Bennett…funded an official U.S. naval expedition to reach the Pole, choosing as its captain a young officer named George Washington De Long. De Long led a team of 32 men deep into uncharted Arctic waters, carrying the aspirations of a young country burning to become a world power. On July 8, 1879, the USS Jeannette set sail from San Francisco to cheering crowds in the grip of “Arctic Fever.” The ship sailed into uncharted seas, but soon was trapped in pack ice. Two years into the harrowing voyage, the hull was breached. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew abandoned the ship. Less than an hour later, the Jeannette sank to the bottom, and the men found themselves marooned a thousand miles north of Siberia with only the barest supplies. Thus began their long march across the endless ice—a frozen hell in the most lonesome corner of the world. Facing everything from snow blindness and polar bears to ferocious storms and frosty labyrinths, the expedition battled madness and starvation as they desperately strove for survival. With twists and turns worthy of a thriller, In The Kingdom of Ice is a spellbinding tale of heroism and determination in the most unforgiving territory on Earth.

[collapse]

Non-fiction Adventure is my favorite genre of writing and I will be reading a lot of it this year. I also lean towards adventure retellings where something has gone tragically wrong (see: Into Thin Air, The Hot Zone, The Endurance, The Worst Hard Time). I’m also a huge of fan of true crime and may sprinkle a few in this year.

For my 35th birthday, I ordered myself a Kindle Voyage. It’s greatest advantage over the Paperwhite that I use now is the 300ppi which allows for better PDF support and will make reading graphic novels a better experience. I have been fantastically satisfied with my Paperwhite and I expect I will be very happy with the Voyage as well.

I’m on a quest to read 50 books in 2015.

4/50 – In the Kingdom of Ice – Hampton Sides

Blue is the Warmest Color – Julie Maroh

BlueCover

Blue is the Warmest Color - Synopsis

In this tender, bittersweet, full-color graphic novel, a young woman named Clementine discovers herself and the elusive magic of love when she meets a confident blue-haired girl named Emma: a lesbian love story for the ages that bristles with the energy of youth and rebellion and the eternal light of desire.

[collapse]

I saw the film before I read the book. Is that cheating?

I’m on a quest to read 50 books in 2015.

3/50 – Blue is the Warmest Color – Julie Maroh

Under the Banner of Heaven – Jon Krakauer

Under the Banner of Heaven - Synopsis

At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, and unyielding faith. Along the way he uncovers a shadowy offshoot of America’s fastest growing religion, and raises provocative questions about the nature of religious belief.

[collapse]

I love Jon Krakauer’s writing style so much. His novel Into Thin Air is very high on my recommendation list.

I’m on a quest to read 50 books in 2015.
2/50 – Under the Banner of Heaven – Jon Krakauer

The Martian – Andy Weir

Spoiler

“I’m stranded on Mars. I have no way to communicate with Hermes or Earth. Everyone thinks I’m dead. I’m in a Hab designed to last 31 days. If the Oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death. So yeah. I’m fucked.” – Mark Watney

[collapse]

I’m on a quest to read 50 books in 2015. With my Paperwhite and calibre in tow, I hope to make it happen.

1/50 The Martian – Andy Weir

Tag: books

2015 Reading List Update

The Florida Keys Babymoon

Vaults of Walt – Jim Korkis

In the Kingdom of Ice – Hampton Sides

Blue is the Warmest Color – Julie Maroh

Under the Banner of Heaven – Jon Krakauer

The Martian – Andy Weir