Ruby Loves Adventure

I normally use this blog to just post random stuff about books and OK I lied, the book reviews have migrated into the new blog but I still keep this old blog up because of all the other articles I posted here.



Anyway, I mostly use this blog to update my 24 Hour Readathon Stats, so here it is:

• Woke up at freaking 4:30AM (Eastern Time) to get ready to catch my 6:15 Megabus to Orlando. 
• 5:15 - 5:35 AM: Started freaking out because I can't get an Uber to get me to the bus station. Called my husband up in a panic as I tried to find other Ubers. 
• 5:40AM: Finally found an Uber. Yay 
• 6:05AM: Got to the bus station (which is just a bunch of benches without roofs with a parking lot in a dodgy part of Downtown Jacksonville) 
• 6:20AM: Bus left and I fell asleep 
• 7:45AM: Woke up because the bus slowed down. Saw an accident on I-95 South where a truck filled with packages caught fire. Some packages did not survive. I wonder how many of them were books 
• 8:15AM: Can't go back to sleep but there's enough daylight for me to sleep and start the Readathon. Crap, forgot my magazines in my checked luggage in the bus. Never fear, I have a backup book in my bag. Crap, I forgot my other graphic novel that I was supposed to bring. *This is what happens when you wake up super early in the morning: you forget stuff*
  Reading Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by The Minimalists
• No internet in the bus. There usually is. Oh well, can't update blog, so back to reading. 
• 9:30AM: Arrived in the Megabus Station in Orlando. Waiting for my bus to Tampa. 
• 10:00AM: Checked in to my bus
• 10:15AM: Bus arrived. Queued up for boarding. Oh wait, there's an issue with the tires of the bus. Back inside we go as we wait for a replacement bus 
• 10:40AM: Replacement bus arrives. Yay. 
• 10:50AM: We get to leave Orlando. Time to start reading again. Wait, let me check if there's WiFi. Nah, no WiFi. 
• Got distracted most of the time by staring out the window. I did manage to read a few pages of my Kiplinger October 2017 magazine issue though, and charged my phone and tablet. 
• 12:45PM: Bus stop. Finally saw my husband and brother-in-law. 
• 1PM: Hungry. Got to Cracker Barrel to eat. Marie Kondo's book was on sale at 60% off. Should I get it? 
• 1:45PM Didn't get Marie Kondo's book. Convinced myself that I don't need it. Off to Plant Museum in Tampa (with a Groupon)
• 3:45PM Done with the Plant Museum/University of Tampa. Off to Hyde Park 
• 4:45PM Strolled around Hyde Park and got an old school world map (like, think USSR, Czechoslovakia and the Philippines still being under the USA. That old). I grew up with those countries so bought the huge map for $5. 
• 5:45PM Arrived in my in-laws house in Sarasota. Started lamenting that I've read 30+ pages of the Minimalism book and it finishes at page 110. Did an inventory and I still have a Lonely Planet Magazine and a Money Magazine that I can potentially read while I stay for another week here. 
• 6PM  Browsed through Amazon and put two books in my shopping cart. Did not check out yet. Should I? Still paranoid I'll run out of things to read (not good) 
• 7PM Started typing this blog update. 

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by The Minimalists
2. How many books have you read so far? Big Fat zero.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by The Minimalists (I don't have any other books to read and my husband's vast collection of fiction books are not interesting to me - I tend to only read graphic novels or non-fiction now)
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
See above :)

• 7:51PM Ended up buying a book from Amazon: a graphic novel - Sailor V (it's not available in the library and I've been eyeing it for a bit -- also it's a good backup in case I finish all my magazines and this book I'm reading before Sunday) -- I just can't stand not being without a book when I travel! 

And... after 8PM, I got distracted by watching Addams Family movies (two of them) and fell asleep, exhausted after waking up super early in the morning.


I woke up the next day at 8:30AM and the readathon was done.

Overall, I read:

60+ pages of Kiplinger's October 2017 issue
50+ pages of the Minimalists book

Not so bad, given I'm a slow reader and get distracted very easily!

The Simpsons Family History by Matt Groening
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Super cute book. Initially bought this as a gift for Peter for Valentine's Day - mainly because I saw it on sale at Barnes & Noble and thought it would look great in our family library.

We're both big fans of the Simpsons, and we love the series so if you have a book dedicated to them with lots of photos and cool text we're all up for it.

While the photos look like they're screen captures from the TV show itself, the book tells us the story of the Simpsons family - how Homer and Marge met, all the way from when they were first at camp, to high school, to getting engaged, married, and having Bart, Lisa, and Maggie.

The book also explores Homer's many jobs along the way and shows how dedicated of a husband and a father he is. It also gives a brief background on Abe Simpson, who is the son of an immigrant, I would have to say! If America's most favorite family comes from a line of immigrants then surely that will say how diverse America is and how open the country is (or was, depends on when you look and read this post).

I would say, this book gave a bit more color on Homer, and how he sacrificed a lot of things just to be with Marge and his family. The final part of the book coincides with the first episode ever of the Simpsons, on how they acquired Santa's Little Helper (their dog).

Overall, a great book that can be a great addition for any library if you are fans of the TV show.

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