Best Book 2015

I may look like an avid reader. OK, I am and avid reader, but one with a poor memory as I have a tendency to skim reading. I track my books on Goodreads, this has a couple of advantages for me. If I'm in a book store and I think, now have I read that one…a quick look and I can know whether picking up that Clive Cussler or Lee Child book in a second hand store will be the next book for me. Admittedly, it is those two authors that this is the most handy of, but would work with the prolific author that you are into. I also take part in the Goodreads challenge. This year I set myself the challenge of reading 35 books, I track the books on the site and build a great view like this of what I've been reading. Very handy when Susannah Conway then asks 'best book of the 2015' in her December Reflections, I can ponder my list.

I can ponder, but can I choose. There are books that link me to my very good friend Emma, such as The Summer Book, which I read in the NZ summer and added post-it notes of my thoughts and sent it to her to read in the UK summer. There there is the Ben Aaronovitch series which she introduced me to (one I would recommend) plus she sent me the gorgeous  Principles of Uncertainty. Which was a wondrous, comforting read and I may well dive back into that book this evening. 

Finally reading Brene Brown was a great part of 2015, I did connect with her and her ideas, I've put some of her ideas around leadership and feedback into practice and it started a wave of thinking in my mind that could take me on a journey in the coming year. 

I read the story of the A303 while on the A303. Brought in London (with that said good good friend) and then read while travelling to Cornwall with the in-laws. Happy memories all round really (though my in-laws think I'm a bit odd for my constant reading). Relieving that right now, I read a lot while in Cornwall and it was a time I am very grateful for. 

2015 also was the year I joined what seems a cult like following of the magical art of tidying up. Now parts are crazy, parts are wonderfully crazy, but my house is lighter and I feel better. I fold my socks and it does make sense. I'm nowhere near as sorted as she suggests. As we speak there is a huge pile of washing to put away that has been there for two days, there are yesterdays shppong bags strewn across the floor and let's not even talk about the bathroom. Even so, the book was great. Adam and I entered into the spirit of the clearing together and we have done well and feel better because of it. 

So no favourite then, but happy memories, some good books, some OK books, some have been sent on, some will stay on the shelf for now. 

KT's 2015 book montage

 

Confession

Good morning from Monday, the start of a week off. So I can start my day with blogging rather than end it that way. 

OK, confession. Yesterday wasn't a complete success for abstaining from anything internet or device related. 

Firstly, it's rugby and I live in New Zealand and while getting up at 4am to watch the game (a) against my goal for better sleep (b) a very bad idea as when I take that much interest the team I'm interested in tend to loose. I consider myself and interested bad luck charm. So I don't need to explain anymore there. Once checked the iPad went back into the drawer. 

I then had a flurry of early activity, washing, cleaning, sorting, gardening, it was all go. I delivered breakfast in bed to the man and kept going. 

We headed out for healthy lunch and shopping for our upcoming trip and all was lovely in the day, the sun was out, the washing was on the line. 

Ah yes, we watched TV in the evening, mistake all round really as we argued over what to watch, then a friend turned up when I was cooking dinner and the man was watching TV, he kindly swapped roles, so I could chat and he cooked, we went back to the TV, but there was a problem with the streaming, so it all got a messed up. One good thing, a bad (OK very bad) habit I have is that I will be  using the phone/iPad while watching TV. It may be Pintrest or photos, and yes it will be Facebook. I know I shouldn't I know it's bad. So at least last night the phone and iPad where safely out of power and on the shelf. 

Next week back to a game in the evening (but there will still be the rugby - it is the final after all). 

Since last week and re-reading this book I moved onto her second book on the same theme. While again, I skipped the parenting stuff and skim read sections, I don't particularly agree with her on many things or what she chooses to focus on, but what I do relate to and I think the main take home message of 'Be Gretchen'. I am meant to Be Katie and that is a good start. 

A little aside but re-reading isn't something I do often, I read the first book back in 2011 and I am curious as to why I seem to be coming back to it but I am also conscious of a very different me that it is reading it. Curious. 

There was more commentary on the 'stuff' in life and while I don't have hoards of clothes, why am I keeping the ones I don't wear. So into the box they go. We then both marched on the spare room and more sorting means the charity shops will receive some more wondrous donations next week. 

Her chapter on January centred on 'time' and the resolution of 'control the cubicle in my pocked'. This did resonate, as a crazy list maker, with an inbox that gives me chest pain and a seemingly never end of jobs that I set myself I was interested in how she tackle this area.  There wasn't any groundbreaking never heard it before ideas, but it does help to know you aren't the only one struggling with these things. She also has a device/internet 'thing' and does talk about her habits in this area. She mentions the 'device sabbath' ideas of switching off for a day. I did love the chap that doesn't even read non-fiction as part of it. 

If you are interested in finding out more about these books and your own happiness project check out her website -  Gretchen Rubin 

Next up for me is final planning stage for our last minute trip to Queenstown, yes a week off and some time away to see the mountains and breathe the South Island air. 

Completion

I'm not saying two days of turning off has moved me towards completing those nagging jobs that weigh me down, but maybe. So yes, another Sunday switched off, I spent most of the day gardening (actually more jobs that I hadn't been tackling).  Here I back again on a Monday night, with achy arms and legs thanks to the gardening. 

This week was birthday week and I didn't do well on my self care goals, such as sleeping, walking and drinking water but I did have a great birthday and I have wrapped up two projects, in fact I do believe I am over achieving on one of them.

While I have burrowed away a lot this year, I have read and read. Our UK trip was a pure book fest but I have kept on knocking them back. I track my reading on this site and sign up to the annual reading challenge and have reached my goal and am still going. Yay, a champion reader. My switched off day this week, I re-read this book, practically finishing it in the day, well skipping the chapter on parenting and skim reading big sections, (and that is with the gardening as well, I'm still not quite getting the lesson but it's coming). 

My 41 walks project that I started on my 41st birthday has taken a while but yes indeedy we are done. It wasn't the walking so much, it may have been the blogging, but actually, let's be honest, maybe it was the lack of walking. I want to tidy up the list a bit and add some more photos but there you have it. Only 3 years. Let's just say I haven't come up with a birthday project this year (yet). 

I'm reading

Our holiday was a joyous book fest. Within the first week we'd had a rather special trip to Waterstones in London with my dear friend who happens to have a staff discount card - how many books did we buy - oh boy. Rather delicious. As was the bar on the top floor. 
One of these purchases was the A303, which I read on the A303 heading to Cornwall a perfect storm moment reading about the traffic at Stonehenge while in the traffic at Stonehenge.

On the road with the book of the road

I read nearly a book a day in Cornwall, part of the plan. Switch off and read. Cornwall also meant finding fabulous independent book stores. Like The End of World Bookshop in Penzance and the small but perfectly formed St Ives bookshop. We brought all sorts of books, so our shelves are a smorgasbord just waiting for us. 

Coffee and reading in St Ives

Only a few books were purchased

Gorgeous little shop 

But right now, it's back to the book before the holiday, a second hand bookshop find of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I brought the really tatty copy because I felt sorry for it and worried that no-one would buy it. The other book on the go is an abridged version of The Beauty Myth, one of those I've heard about but need to read for myself, if I'm being honest though the beautiful purple cover was a large part of the purchase decision. 

Currently I'm reading 

Not blogging but reading

I have regained my reading bug and devoured four books this month. Well, I finish work, get home, sit down and read. Kind of how I've been rolling this month. While of course thinking that I really should do 'stuff'. So much stuff. 

Two of the books will be winging their way to friends in the UK. The Summer Book is heading to Emma along with little notes! The Life and Death if Laura Friday is off to Sharon - will make a perfect read for your upcoming holiday (though hold on, that does mean I need to post it soon), Tom may also appreciate it, if only for the advice about women (but I would't want to encourage anything that distracted him from revision). 

I have been doing 'stuff' as well so will fill you in on the Queenstown trip, more of the 41 walks completed and the garden work. When I can stop reading that is. 

Day Seven. Best book of 2014

Very very tricksy. I'm behind on my reading challenge, but do now use audio books to help me go to sleep, so still getting enough story in my life. The most amazing things I've been listening to are the diaries of Scott and Amundsen describing their polar journeys….it has opened a whole new obsession - hence Antarctica making the cut above. Life is so good was uplifting and simple and because I live in that eternal optimist and hopeful stage I've just started Capitol so I'm hoping for good stuff. 

13th

Guilty Pleasure 

I do guilt. But guilty pleasure not really 
But having a think
Collecting several copies of the same book, maybe excessive
I refuse to buy things I don't 'need'
But yet, scrambling in second hand book shops for an old copy of a Jane Austen book
Is so pleasurable
And these are the ones I've found in NZ
There are more in storage in the UK
Now I feel guilty. 

August Break 2014 Day 13

Halfway

Two days into the long weekend and it's feeling wonderful, despite a little hiccup.

A book started and finished

The hiccup. A little accident with the lawnmower. I was so enjoying the mowing that I grabbed hold of the engine. First aid completed we had to bandage the fingers and hand. Tricky. Not attractive bandaging and potentially embarrassing for a pair of nurses, but it did the job and my hand this morning is in fine form. Feeling proud (and relieved as it really really hurt yesterday). 

Saturday morning at Kelly Tarltons and the new walk through area to see the Penguins

It had taken a while to reach the penguins as first you walk through the Scott base exhibition. I am currently obsessed with Antarctica and in particular the early expeditions to reach the South Pole. So after that we are treated to the wonderful penguins. 

A new King Penguin chick 

In the now shipwrecked theme tunnel 

Corals, brought back happy memories of the Great Barrier Reef

Oh yes, lunch time. St Helliers. Perusing the menu. 

Now, home and time for some Star Wars 

The best of...

Many a moment of reflection over coffee has occurred prior to creating this post. The moments or things I can fit into a category to give it a "Best of 2013" award. All my own creation and subjective opinion and at times rather obviously contrived.
On with the awards then.

Best Movie

We love the movies and New Zealand has a wondrous array of fantastic cinemas. I've started tracking the movies we go see on Pintrest boards. 2013 is right here and after careful consideration and serious thought to giving the award to 'Star Trek' or 'About Time' the award goes to…'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'.

I thought it was great but I was also surprised. I went along a bit dubious but was sucked in totally and came away with a glow in my heart. It was also the last movie of the year and a perfect one to set you up for a New Year.

Best Food Moment

This award centres around an acknowledgement that work is exhausting because I love it and I work really hard. So no, I don't come home and feel the need to hand-make anything from scratch. I don't want to spend my weekends menu planning, shopping and cooking. I do though want to eat well but not shop every night while racking my brain for what to eat. So thanks to a rather practical recommendation from a kindred soul at work 2013 was the year I welcomed My Food Bag from Nadia Lim.

Seriously good food, thought out menus and not that bad to prepare. Reduced waste, less thinking and shopping but a great meal every night (well most nights, I currently only get the bag every other week).
The meals are fairly easy to prepare - really easy when Adam cooks, as he does most nights. It also means we are trying food and food combinations we would normally avoid - such as the meat/fruit combination. The duck and mango in our first week was an astounding eye (or tastebud) opener.

Best Book

This is the most disappointing category despite exceeding my goodreads challenge when I looked back at the books I had read over the year not one great story stood out. Sure there were some good ones, such as 'The Elegance of the Hedgehog' that had me sobbing at the end and 'The end of your life book club' which inspired many of the other books I read and encouraged reading generally. But great, no. So the award is shared by two work related books, which were inspiring, easy to read and full of practical tips and actions I can actually put in place thereby making the world a better place. This is not an exaggeration or a boast. If you or your mother/father/son/daughter/friend are a patient on the ward I work, you want it to be a better place and that is the buzz I get from work. Leading and developing a team of people to make a difference to every single patent who comes our way.

So the award is shared by: 
'Switch' and 'Zapp'. As corny as they sound and currently full of post it notes of ideas and on loan to others - spreading the word as it were.

Click for their website 

There is also a Zapp written specifically for healthcare - marvellous. 

Most Inspiring Moment.

While on the work vibe and before moving onto travel then. I got myself along to the APAC conference. The programme had appealed but I had no idea how inspiring and world opening this would be. Both of the books named above I read because of this conference. Take a look at these videos….

Trevor and the Perks of Diabetes

Empathy: The Human Connection to Patient Care

Then there was this man. A standing ovation at a healthcare conference..I kid you not. You must read his work whoever you are.

Glen Colquhoun

Travel moment of the year

I still remember the tingle and the excitement as I walked up towards the harbour and got my first glimpse of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. It became a state the obvious time, when I kept repeating "Look, it's the Opera House" or "Look, it's the harbour bridge" and it didn't get boring once. We spent most of our time around the harbour and loved every single second of it. Thank you Sydney.

Activity of the year

A close one and I couldn't decide, so another shared award.

Curling, a side trip as part of the Otago Rail trail - more images on flickr 

The other award is for the Luge at Rotorua on my birthday this year but you'll have you to follow this link to the proof.

Photo of the year

I don't really like my photo being taken but this one isn't too bad, so this one has the award.
2013 was also the year I got a 'real' camera (thank you Adam) and the laptop (thank you Adam) so a good year. 

Achievement of the year

Another tough category, with three particular moments in the running.

• 2013 was the year I wrote the most blog posts. The blog has been ticking over since 2008 and I was heading to these distance shore, it has evolved and I've learnt a few more tricks, but I still just witted on but not really sure who reads this. Heh. 

• Dry July was something in 2012 I laughed at, thinking there was no way I could do that, and why would I. These thoughts plagued me all year, so when July was getting close I signed up for the challenge, raised over $700 and really impressed myself. 

• Flickr was my first step in the wonderful world of the internet. I love it, I do. It has introduced me to some fantastic photographers and helped me learn what kind of photos I want to take. Flickr has an 'Explore' section. Really no idea how photos are selected for this but 2013 was the year that one of my photos made it. This gave me huge viewings and generally made me feel kind of chuffed. 

So there you go, my highlights I guess. You decide.