Pictures, Words, and Both

I've managed to tuck three more books under my belt since the last time I wrote about what I've been reading.  One for class, one for pleasure, and one on the recommendation of my Regional Leader.

The one for class was Wilderness Medicine, by Tod Schimelpfenig, and while it's not necessarily everyone's cup of tea, for me it was near 300 pages of sheer fascination.  I was skeptical about my abilities to absorb all those words and diagrams in just 10 days, but I absorbed enough to pass my test, so there you go.  I'm pleased to have it in my library for reference, and refreshers.

The one I read for pleasure (and here is where I decided that I would count the graphic novels I read this year) was called Here, by Richard McGuire.  I came across a review on NPR, and the concept intrigued me, so on to the list it went!  It was a beautiful little book, even if the art wasn't my exact aesthetic.  I liked the way it made me contemplate the passage of time and they cyclical nature of life, and how stirred up both joy and sadness.  It probably deserved a closer read than I gave it, but I was in the middle of trying to Learn Things.

The recommendation was Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain.  My RL recommended it to me after a conversation in which I told him, "I'm an introvert who expresses as an extrovert."

"Huh," he replied.  "That's complex.  There's a book you should read."  And since I admire and respect him, I decided to give it a shot.  The funny thing is, not one but two different people in my WFR class saw me toting it around on the last day (to keep me occupied between the written and practical exams) and said, "Oh I'm reading that, too!" which led me to think that probably most of us were, in fact, introverts.  Makes sense, when you think about it- there's a whole lot of solitude to be found in the wild, and a whole lot of soul-restoration.

I liked the book a great deal, although it wasn't really me learning a bunch of new stuff so much as it was me nodding my head going, "Yup, knew that.  Nice to have it validated by studies."  But then again, I tend to read up on things that interest me, and as soon as I discovered the actual meanings of extrovert/introvert (and that I was not, in fact, an extrovert, no matter how well I socialize) I started paying more attention to articles that touched on it.  Still, I would definitely recommend the books to others, especially if you a) are interested in how our inherent personality-type shapes us (or not), b) suspect you might actually be an introvert in spite of not having a shy bone in your body, or c) are an extrovert who deals with introverts in your personal and/or professional life, and need some tips on how to make the most of those interactions.

Next up on the reading list?  Well, I have one more library book to get through (another non-fiction), plus I need to finish up Fiery Cross (which was put entirely aside during WFR).  Then there are several short stories and a novella, plus the rest of the Outlander series, and a sci-fi book recommended by a friend.  Plus the still-teetering stack of magazines by my bed.  So that ought to keep me good and occupied through March or even April!  Not to mention, I think I'm going to start a little self-study on  anatomy and search and rescue basics.  Because why the hell not?


2015 Book Count: 4