Reading and Landscapes!

 

This is the second in a five part series. The first part was posted on 12/27/24. 

 This may very well have been my best photo shoot ever. 

All of these pictures were taken during our trip to Lake Biwako and Osaka. What a treat! Such a great variety of scenes! I also loved the range of challenges, from the moving birds to the still landscapes.

Some people have asked about my editing. I make adjustments in Adobe Lightroom. Key areas include shadows, highlights, sharpness, contrast, and exposure. 

Now let's talk about reading! I have found that after working all day, I do not have much mental energy left after 5:00 or so. With that in mind, I have experimented with many forms of entertainment. Back in the late 90's, I watched a lot of action movies while doing strength training workouts. I then moved to watching fictional and non-fictional crime shows, such as NCIS and the First 48. Next up was reading fictional crime and horror novels by authors such as Dean Koontz. 

In 2013, I decided I wanted to do reading that had more redeeming value. It was at that time that I started reading books that had benefits other than straight entertainment. What follows is a summary of some of the books I read this year. The first list just includes titles. The table below has more information on the last ten books I read.

I would first like to share some general comments.

It feels really good to realize that I read 31 books this year. Yeah!

Secondly, you will notice that five of the books deal with the topic of schizophrenia. I had previously seen the wonderful movie, A Beautiful Mind, so decided to read the book. As I read that book, I became fascinated with the topic of schizophrenia and...!

I read two books that we will be reading this year in the 10th grade English class I am teaching, To Kill A Mockingbird and I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. Nothing like these extremely well-written classics!

The books with the (#) by them have protagonists who are special and unique. Some of those characters have disabilities. As a special education teacher, I have been very pleased to see these books highlighting the lives of people who have overcome a variety of challenges and struggles. 

To say that I love to read is an understatement! There is nothing like plunging into a great story and then living life vicariously through the eyes of the author. In addition, virtually every time I am faced with a challenge in life, I pick up a book or do some research. I feel extremely fortunate to have such easy access to a wealth of knowledge!

LIST OF BOOKS FOR 2024

1. The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness (Schizophrenia)
   
2.  The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness (Schizophrenia)
3. I Never Promised You A Rose Garden (Schizophrenia)
4. Dante's Cure: A Journey Out of Madness (Schizophrenia)
5. A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar (Schizophrenia)
6. Whistleblower by Amy Block Joy
7. Diamond: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter in Japan
8. To Kill A Mockingbird
9. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
10. The Poet X
11. 1984
12. The Fault in Our Stars (#)
    
13. The Catcher in the Rye
14.  The Secret Garden (#)
    
15. Out of My Mind (#)
    
16. Wonder (#)
    
17. The Diary of a Young Girl
18. A Kind of Spark (#)
    
19. Counting By 7s (#)
    
20. Golden Scissors: Tales of Resilience
21. The Pale-Faced Lie: A True Story
    

 MY TEN MOST RECENT BOOKS

Title	Topic	Short Summary	Notes and Comments
American Soldier	Non-fiction story about the life of former General Tommy Franks	Franks describes his life growing up and his life in the military as he literally moved up the ranks to general.	Although I am not a fan of violence, it was fascinating to read an insider's view of the military and the decisions that have been made prior to and during battle. The book did help me appreciate the sacrifices the military have made to enable us to live the way we do.
The Forgotten 500	Non-fiction story about a WW2 rescue mission	The rescue mission happened behind enemy lines in Yugoslavia.	Scary to read about how politics can play such a strong role in decision-making. It is a minor miracle that this rescue mission even occurred!
Coming Back Alive by Spike Walker	Helicopter rescue mission in Alaska	Describes the rescue mission	It is hard to imagine the challenges these helicopter pilots faced during these rescue missions. Without a doubt, this is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world! What a service these pilots provide!
If I Live Until Morning	Non-fiction book about how a woman survives a horrible fall in the mountains.	The author does an amazing job of capturing the details.	The book takes quite a turn as the author discovers Buddhism and goes through significant personal changes.
The Best Minds	Non-fiction story about two friends and the tragic end for one of the friends.	The author describes how his best friend falls prey to schizophrenia and ultimately goes to prison for killing his fiance.	Tragic. Interesting to compare the lives of the two friends.

Title	Topic	Short Summary	Notes and Comments
Miles From Nowhere	Non-fiction bicycling story	Woman and her husband take a two year trip cycling around the world.	Wonderful descriptions! Very sad that the author died from a bike accident due to head injuries shortly after returning from this trip. As best as I can tell, she did not ear a bike helmet when riding.
A Day To Die For	Non-fiction story about the 1996 Everest tragedy	Author describes his research into what caused the tragedy	Fascinating! The author discovered evidence that the guides knew about the bad weather forecast but that those guides did not share that information with their clients.
Into Thin Air	Non-fiction story about the 1996 Everest tragedy	Jon Krakauer was one of the clients on this tragic climb.	Exciting! Somewhat controversial as his version was challenged by others who were part of the climb.
Into the Abyss: An Extraordinary True Story.	Non-fiction survival story about a plan crash.	Four out of the nine passengers survived. The author not only describes the crash efforts of the four survivors, but also how the crash impacted the survivors as they aged.	Well written and very interesting!
Unbroken	Non-fiction story about a WW2 survivor	Luis Zamperini was first a world class runner, then joined the military, his plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean, he survived 48 days on the water and was then captured by the Japanese, and survived two and a half years in a POW camp.	Quite incredible! The author, Laura Hillenbrand, also write the great book Seabiscuit. Laura has had significant health problems. It is amazing that she has been able to write these books.  It is truly appalling that human beings can treat any living person or thing the way that some of the American POW's were treated.