2021 Books reading list

 I thought that I was going to expend 2021 in bed so I set up my reading goal to 100 books… fortunately life happened and I was able to enjoy a lot of fantastic non-book worm

 related activities:) so 81 books were a good compromise… the theme was around zen, Japanese culture, sci-fi, fantasy, AI and pain and disease management… 

It was sooo difficult because the first 60ish books are fantastic:) (pun intended) Grateful to the book clubs and friends for wonderful recommendations outside my comfort zone. “If you help someone, you help everyone.” -May Parker #bookstagram

I can recommend the books up to number 66… after, don’t bother ! Please buy books from smaller stores like Hive. Wishing you a happy 2022 full of good books, friends, love, hugs, kisses, peace, healthy, fun, sex, dance, learning, challenges, growth, kindness, compassion and laughs

1. Si supieras los que sabes, Margarita Mac leod

2. The ministry for the future, Kim Robinson

3. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, by John le Carre

4. Starsight, Brandon Sanderson

5. The fifth season, J K Jemisin

6. Exhalation, Ted Chiang

7. Zen the art of simple leaving, Shunmyo Masuno

8. Ikigai the Japanese secret to a long and happy life, Héctor García, Francesc Miralles

9. The wrinkle in time, Madeleine L'Engle

10. The midnight library, Matt Haig

11. Atomic Habits, James Clear

12. Leonardo Da Vinci, Walter Isaacson

13. 101 assays that will change the way you think, Brianna Weist

14. Cytonic, Brandon Sanderson

15. Skyward, Brandon Sanderson

16. The Thursday murder club, Richard Osman

17. In cold blood, Truman Capote

18. The bands of mourning, Brandon Sanderson

19. The catcher in the rye, J D Salinger

20. 100 años de soledad Gabriel Garcia Marquez

21. How to be a genius, Robert Allen

22. Dark ages, Pierce Brown

23. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie

24. The obelisk gate, J K Jemisin

25. Circe, Madeline Miller

26. Things fall apart, Chinua Achebe

27. The stone sky by J K Jemisin

28. Pride and prejudice, Jane Austine

29. 84 charing cross st, Helen Huff

30. The great gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

31. The promised land, Barak Obama

32. Dominicana, Angie Cruz

33. The count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

34. A clockwork orange, Anthony Burgess

35. The boys book 1, Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson

36. The boys book 2

37. The boys book 3

38. The boys book 4

39. The boys book 5

40. The boys book 6

41. The Cows, Dawn O’porter

42. Pachinko, Cheng Lee

43. Americanah, Chimamanda ngozi Adiche

44. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon

45. Water for elephants, Sara Gruen

46. Dragonfly in amber, Diana Gabaldon

47. Letters to a young poet, Rainer Rilke

48. Never let me go, Kashuo Ishigiro

49. Voyager, Diana Gabaldon

50. Steelheart, Brandon Sanderson

51. Charlie and the chocolate factory, Roald Dahl

52. The man who died twice, Richard Osman

53. Mitosis, Brandon Sanderson

54. The ocean at the end of the lane, Neil Gaiman

55. Firefight, Brandon Sanderson

56. The four agreements, Miguel Ruiz

57. Calamity, Brandon Sanderson

58. Witch, Finbar Hawkins

59. Hail Mary, Andy Weir

60. In praise of shadows, Tanizaki

61. Artemis, Andy Weir

62. The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid

63. Klara and the sun, Kashuo Ishigiro

64. 10% happier, Dan Harris

65. Dept of speculation Jenny Offill

66. The good doctor Damon Galgut

67. Broken, Jenny Lawson

68. Epidemiology WHO, R Bonita

69. It’s called a break up because it is broken, Amiira Ruotola and Greg Behrendt

70. No one is talking about this, Patricia Lockwood

71. Let’s talk about hard things, Anna Sale

72. Artic summer, Damon Galgut

73. Earthlings, Sayaka Murats

74. Ulysses, James Joyce

75. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurie

76. Greenlight, Matthew McConaughey

77. The subtle art of not giving a fuck, Mark Manson

78. The soul of a woman, Isabel Allende

79. Everything is figurable, Marie Forleo

80. Crying in H mart,

81. Everything happens for a reason and other lies, Kate Bowler

82. Lincoln in the bardo, George Saunders

    
    

An ode to fitness

 Caring about your body is important,

it shows your will, your grit, your interest to be better, to improve

and that you are constant,

that you can be trusted and loved.

Touching a toned body is a wonderful feeling,

the powerful muscles built up with effort and sweat,

making every skin contact exiting,

increasing the heat.

Fitness brings more fitness,

being around runners, PTs, sporty pals,

will bring you a partner that looks and feels like a god

and you will mirror him turning into a goddess for reals.

It is not only the six-pack with zero fat,

that toughness and rigor, strength and bravado

that makes your heart go to 120 beats,

it is all the hard work that makes that "adorado".

You are an ode to fitness and you teach with your example,

and we follow...

in the gym, the streets, on the dance floor, in the temple,

anything that you will allow.

Just to touch, to feel that electricity coming from strong muscles

that show a hero who cares, a kind person who wants to improve

to be healthy and share the hustle

for me, you are the best partner, aiming for both to be in our best form to move.

Take my advice ladies and gents, 

don't settle for skinny, don't settle for beer bellies,

don't settle for flaccid, for bent backs and weak arms or legs,

aim for the best, be your best and this will attract the best allies.

This is a negative poem about being positive

 The shock of seeing two lines,

always followed by the eagerness to take a second test

to stay positive thinking it might be a false negative...

After 16 double lines, only one was single.

YAY for the efficiency of tests

and the evolution of science.

How to stay positive when all is negative,

your life will be destroyed from now on,

should you hide it?

no, you can't... too many people are involved

and will suffer the consequences,

but they might suffer even more if you share the news.

Meanwhile your mind is going down a rabbit hole

more and more messages showing support invade your world,

the missing phone calls number keeps adding,

the unread messages accumulate like sand after a sand storm.

This result is rain over flooded land,

you were already sick and in pain,

barely managing, and now more.

Why you? you have been the champion for being careful,

telling everybody to use protection,

not only to stay safe from the common viruses 

but for ALL the other diseases and problems you can get.

You were careful, always... well not always...

regrets for one night.

Now the ripple effect has started and you can't stop it,

so many people want to help in their own way,

even after you clearly communicated how they can help you.

Presents and roses arrive every day, more kind words, more I am here for you...

Your best friend asking you how are you gonna make this the best day so far?

Calma

 Con calma senorita,

repetis por segunda vez

la primera me llamaste bonita

tratando de hacerme sonreir, tal vez.

Respira profundo y disfruta esta segundo

Solo el ahora existe y es un presente

un regalo de los dos disfrutando el mundo

juntos en este presente.

El ahora en el que los dos escuchamos la misma cancion

el momento en el que la conexion es perfecta

y solo se rompre porque yo vuelo a otra dimension

a las apuradas corriendo para alcanzar la meta.

Bonita, baila mas calmada,

es tu consejo porque queres que mejore,

experientando el ser amada,

con la paz que decis que ore.

Evitando malentendidos, manteniendo el mismo plano

buscando un momento de paz,

Cuando me escribiste "te llamo" pero yo lei "te amo",

y toda nuestra historia paso rapaz.

Live music is more than air, it helps you to breath

 We decided to stay home,

to pause the busy life

to set in with what we become

to avoid any strife.

I melt myself in the soft big sofa

reading my sci-fi book,

while you gift me live music on fa,

that works on me like a hook.

You play Vivaldi, Pachabel and Ravel,

because "they are your favorites", you said...

"they were your father favorites too", you reveal

"and so the faves of thousand of others", I replied.

"Sometimes, I forget how funny you are...

sometimes", is your response return,

we both smile and connect in the air

the art we share at every surprising turn.

I don't want small rewards

 

You Can’t Always Want What You Like, my podcast said,

quiescence appeared in front of me.

I choose to engage in improving others lives, even when this dries me to the bone

I am not enjoying it when I am doing it, but I will enjoy after, type 2 reward

if there is no effort, type 1 fun, margaritas orgasm

that is how all relationships should be

just flow, enjoy, no pushing, no effort, no overthinking

just letting go and letting be.

I want deeper satisfaction, long-lasting effects

that will make me proud of what I did and what I am.

better every day, looking forward to more improvement...

Oh but sometimes distractions are soooo much fun :)

Sleeping with the love of my life

 I sleep next to the person I love,

the person next to me is the person 

I have been dreaming to meet my whole life.

My bed partner is sharing my dreams,

I am sharing my resting place with my teammate

this person wraps her arms

around me for a checkmate.

She has been there all this time, 

hoping I let her shine,

because as my friends repeated time after time

I am my own light shrine.

I am sleeping with the love of my life

I found her inside me and now she will always

walk with me like a wife

whose separate footpaths merged in the same main pathways.

You are sexy, elegant, smart, funny, gorgeous,

educated, caring, kind and full of compassion,

you can do better and be with someone glorious,

in a relationship exploding with passion.