What I Read -- Greyfriars Bobby

Here I am again, catching up on my 2024 Reading Challenge!  I picked up Greyfriars Bobby when I was in Scotland (how appropriate), but didn't get to reading it until late last year. 

Because it's a vintage original, I didn't take it with me on our trip to Cyprus because I didn't want to beat it up any more than necessary.  It took me a little while to get back into it when we got home, but once I did I couldn't put it down.

It's the true and very sweet story of a loyal and lovable Skye terrier who, after his master's death, spent every night sleeping on his master's grave in the Greyfriars churchyard.  The neighborhood kids and local barkeep kept an eye on him, and he loved them back, but his loyalty was always to his deceased master.

If you like a dog story, this is a delightful read.  It would be a fairly short read too, but for the fact that much of it is written in Scottish dialect which takes a bit of getting used to to decipher. 

And with that, I'm up 7 of my 12 books for 2024!

What I Read -- Since We Fell

I really shouldn't be pickup up recreational reading since I'm so behind on my 2025 Reading Challenge (and really, my 2024 Reading Challenge, too).

But, I was out in Colorado and found a copy of Since We Fell waiting for a good home.  So, I picked it up.

If you just need to turn pages, this book will do it.  But as Dennis Lehane books go, it wasn't Mystic River.  Since We Fell opens with the main character shooting her husband.  Then we flash back to how she got to that point.  Someone dying is always a good hook.  And some of the justification that followed made sense, but then at some point -- as is often the case in books with convoluted plots -- it just goes a bit off the rails. 

What's great about a found book is that you can so easily pay it forward just by leaving it somewhere.  The Durango airport has a bookshelf sponsored by the local library -- by now I'm sure that the initial library donation of books has been fully turned over by travelers (including myself) -- where I left this when I was finished with it. 

If you happen to find yourself in Durango and want a page-turner, maybe it'll still be there for you!

What I Read -- Faster: How a Jewish Driver, an American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Beat Hitler’s Best

Faster was on my 2024 Reading Challenge, but I didn't even begin it until I was on the way home from Cyprus.  So, it was already 2025.  Obviously, I'm crushing it.

For anyone interested in the history of auto racing, it's a good read.  Though I like particular modern auto racing (namely, Formula 1), I haven't spent much (if any) time with the history of the sport.  Faster gives a lot of color and background which I knew nothing about.  The "American Heiress" referenced in the subtitle refers to Lucy Schell, whom I am now very interested to learn more about.  Maybe she will be the biography I write! 

And, it was recommended by a friend of mine, so now we have something we can chat about next time we see each other.

Where Have I Been?

Great question.  As soon as I figure it out, I'll let you know!