Between Exercises

There are 2 main things I do when I'm not exercising.  1 - I read.  2 - I watch TV/movies.

Reading

The first book I read was The Reader by Bernhard Schlink.  (Originally published in German in 1995.)  I picked this up at Half-Price Books for $1, so I didn't have high expectations, but it has "#1 National Bestseller" on the cover, and it has been made into a movie with Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes.  (I have now put it on my Netflix list.)

It is a quick and easy read, and I liked it better than I expected to.  It starts off with a 15 year old boy who gets involved in an ongoing sexual relationship with a mature woman.  They meet regularly for quite a while, and then she mysteriously leaves town with no explanation.  He goes on with his life and goes to college, and then he encounters her again when, as a law student, he observes a trial of a group of women, including her,  who served as guards in a concentration camp (before they met).  There is a mystery that is revealed, and this young man resumes a relationship with her after the trial, but of a very different sort. I am not going to give away the details.  

The book is written in a way that implies it could very easily be a true story, but you're left wondering.  One thing I liked about it was that the characters seemed very real.  I am curious to see if that carries across in the movie as well.

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The book I'm currently reading, and will probably finish later today is Seriously... I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres.  If you have ever watched her show, then you will be able to hear her voice as you read this.  It is written EXACTLY like she talks.  I really love Ellen.  I love what she stands for and what she promotes, and I love her generosity and positive energy.  I was hoping that I would gain some insights into her motivations by reading this, but it basically says all the same things she says on a daily basis.  I am enjoying reading it - it is amusing, but it hasn't really revealed anything to me yet.  I am reminded of other comedians who are always "on" and never seem to be able to be serious.  (Robin Williams in the early days.)  She does talk about serious subjects like the importance of being kind or the importance or recycling, but she makes all her points as part of a joke.  Maybe she really is like that all the time?

I still have a shelf-full of books to work my way through in the weeks ahead, and I clearly have no shortage of reading-time, so I'll keep you posted.

:)Amy