Tuesday, May 10, 2011

April Book Review: The Paris Wife

I realized, as I neared the end of last month, that while I was reading the epically long "Team of Rivals," I hadn't actually read an entire book in the month of April as my New Year's Resolution dictated. So I picked up "The Paris Wife," which Brad had given me for my birthday, on a Friday morning & couldn't put it down until late Saturday - luckily for me May 1st wasn't until Sunday!

Wow. What a book. The writing is beautiful & moving & crass & honest. This book tells the story of Ernest Hemingway & his first wife, Hadley. They meet, marry & move to Paris in just a few short months. Hemingway has not yet made a name for himself as a writer & the book tells of his struggles with his own ego & desire to be a famous writer & her struggles to make their difficult marriage work. Set in the roaring 1920's, fictional characters based on writers from that time appear throughout the novel - F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein. You may already know that Hemingway had a love for drinking & women, both of which paint a less than desirable picture of his character in this book. You're rooting for Hadley by the end, even though you know things are going to turn out badly.

If you're a Hemingway fan, this book is definitely worth a read. If you enjoy historical fiction &/or Paris, you'll enjoy the descriptions of the vibrant city in this book. If you enjoy good writing & easy reading, this book is worth picking up.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Six Pillars Century

Last weekend, we took a little road trip over to Cambridge, Maryland so Brad could ride in a century bike event. This is his second century (100 miles) ride. While they've both taken place on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, this one took place in a little town nestled right on the shore amongst beautiful marshland. He did the entire ride, including several rest stops, stops for road construction & fighting a fierce headwind, in six hours. As someone who can't ride their bike more than a few blocks without my butt hurting, I'm incredibly proud of him! As I told him on Saturday on the way home, I never thought I'd be married to an endurance athlete!

Buckle up!
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Headed to the start line
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Beautiful start line at Great Marsh Park
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Ready to go
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Beautiful start/finish line
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#598
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See you in six hours!
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A fist pump as he heads to the finish
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All smiles after 100 miles
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Crossing the finish line!
(C) Christina Saull Photography - All Rights Reserved