Winter reading challenge: editing the list

I figured at the outset that my winter reading challenge list would undergo some changes, and sure enough it has.

	I got Michael Phelps's book, Beneath the Surface, for Mike for Valentine's Day, and he stayed up late a couple nights in a row and polished it off. He really enjoyed it, so I wanted to read it, too. It was quite good--I am amazed by the dedication of an athlete who talks about his CHRISTMAS MORNING WORKOUT. I wouldn't get up at the crack of dawn to eat chocolate or receive free shoes, but I enjoy reading about people who willingly sacrifice sleep to push their bodies through grueling workouts. (I also like a good Mt. Everest book, although I don't have the slightest inclination towards climbing it myself. Not even for chocolate or free shoes.)
	There's this one Indian restaurant in Louisville that I enjoy having lunch at because not only do they have good food but they also have a whole rack of People magazine that you can read while you eat. Today I was enjoying my lunch and catching up on Brangelina's winter vacation and George Clooney's love life, when I turned the page and saw a very familiar face. It was an article about Robert Rummel-Hudson's new book, Schuyler's Monster: A Father's Journey with His Wordless Daughter. I have been reading Rob's blog for years (and really should get around to updating it in my sidebar, since it is no longer called "Darn Tootin'"--it seems I am as bad at sidebar housekeeping as I am at regular housekeeping).
	I don't even remember how I got to Rob's blog in the first place, but by the time he was trying to raise money to buy Schuyler her first assisted-language device, I was hooked. I sent a small donation and have continued to read over the years, cheering like mad for all of Schuyler's successes. What surprised me this afternoon was how when I saw Rob and Schuyler looking out at me from the pages of People, I felt like I was bumping into old friends in the strangest of places. I'm not used to knowing the people in People, but I truly feel as though I know Schuyler and Rob, even though they couldn't pick me out of a lineup. My next stop after leaving the restaurant was Borders, where I was happy to find a copy on the shelf. I bought it and brought it home. As soon as I post this, I'm going to head for bed and get busy reading.

So here's the new improved list:

• Beneath the Surface
• In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
• Nicholas and Alexandra
• Russian Stories: A Dual-Language Book
• Schuyler's Monster: A Father's Journey with His Wordless Daughter
• The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future
• Stupid and Contagious
• Unhooked: How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love and Lose at Both