Simply Stated: Saturdays are for Waking Up and Saying, "Sure. I Can Venture on a 3-hour Hike & Listen to Neil Shusterman." So I Did

I got up early. I did some writing, then I went to the kitchen, made bacon, eggs, etc. for Chitunga, put it on the counter, then announced, "I'm going back to the Sound again. I found a 13-hour book I want to get into, and it's beautiful out.

The book Scythe came out in 2016 and has already been picked up by Universal; I'm 5 years late to the game. I was a chapter in when I thought, "How is this book not being hyped everywhere. It is tremendous, plot line is amazing, possibilities endless, and the brilliance of the pacing is one-of-a-kind." I always know I have a good book series because I want to tell my mom to stop everything and  "just read." She'd love this story in the same way we all enjoyed Potter and the Hunger Games (I didn't do the Twilight series, sorry).

While walking to the ocean, I decided to head down Birdseye Ave, because I knew there was a bike trail there - what I didn't know is how beautiful the scenery was, and the magical possibilities exist there. I was so engrossed in Shusterman's book, that I didn't care how long I would be on the streets. Sometimes I have to thank the Great Whatever for allowing me to live in close proximity to such beauty on a daily basis. I imagine I walked between 9 to 10 miles, and have Audible to thank because it reported I finished 3 hours and 16 minutes of the book - a few more days like this and I will be ready for book 2. 

The rest of the day was spent cleaning, (took a nap), making apple crisp from the fresh fruit Dave and Kris dropped off, and thinking critically about what Neil Shusterman accomplishes with his book. It's such a fantastic imagination, and I envy the fact that he builds such storylines in his head and narrates fantastic, realistic, incredulous stories (that are all exaggerated and imaginative). I'm sold...if not already addicted to another writer.

I'm hoping that I can get in two more months of this Saturday ritual of hiking and listening before the frigid air, ice, and snow comes. I continue during the week, but only have time for 3 to 5 miles per day because of other obligations. 

It is true that I can't doggie ear pages, and I'll likely forget the memorable lines I want to ruminate over, but I have hard copies of all the novels I listen to, and they remain on my shelf so I will be in good shape should I ever want to reference them.

Ah, Sunday. I might just do this again.