Gold

I just got back from a beautiful trip to Murchinson Falls which I will post about very soon. On the bus ride home, I finished Gold, a book about three gold medal cyclists and their struggles between sacrifice and success. Chris Cleave, the author, writes, "I try to write these stories that take universal themes- what Faulkner called 'love, pity, pride, compassion, and sacrifice', the things we care about, the things that define our lives- and I try to make them small enough to see because those are all big words that mean very little unless you can enshrine them in a story."  

This book will make you feel grateful for what you have and really value life. I finished it just in time before the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics and it couldn't have been more appropriate. I recommend it to anyone looking for a heart-pounding, touching story, perfect for getting ready to watch the Olympics and cheering on our athletes.

If you are interested in this and other books by Chris Cleave, check out http://www.chriscleave.com/

Long bus rides and early nights in have allotted plenty of time for reading while I have been here. Caitlin is already done with book 4 of Game of Thrones, a series which she started only three weeks ago. I hope to read more books and am open to any good travel reads people recommend for my last few weeks here.