438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea, by Jonathan Franklin

This is a non-fiction book about Salvador Alvarenga, an El Salvadorian/Mexican fisherman who survived 438 days adrift on the ocean.  It's an amazing story, well-told and compelling.  The ingenuity and desperate measures and fortitude…amazing.  The part with his pet duck…heart-breaking.

I liked how the book used quotes and info from interviews with other survivors and survival experts.  I also thought it was really important that it talked about the aftermath and Alvarenga's long-term trauma.  It didn't end happily the moment he saw his rescuers.

I did sometimes wonder how accurate it was, since it was all recounted by Alvarenga (through the lens of time), and the author never seemed to question any of it. He also never explained how on earth they would know the exact coordinates listed at the beginning of each chapter, and even if they did, how Alvarenga would remember exactly what happened when.  This sounds trifling, but it kept me from sinking as entirely into the story as I wanted to.  But it was still amazing.

Highly recommended if you like survival stories.

More accurate rating:  4.5 stars.  

 

A miraculously not-too-hot Phoenix summer evening.

Yesterday it was actually cool enough in Phoenix to willingly go outside!  The high was only 100 degrees, and in the evening the monsoon clouds (but no actual storm) brought up the humidity a bit, which drove down the temperature, and then nature obligingly threw in a breeze.  I took a sunset walk and actually enjoyed it.  Yipee! 

Anyway, here's a picture I took:

Writing lessons with Brandon Sanderson

I recently discovered these writing lectures by Brandon Sanderson, famed fantasy author, filmed and posted (with permission) free on Youtube.  I've only begun, but they seem very interesting and useful.  Check out the first one here.  Others follow.

The Magic of the Desert

Here's a video I made of the beautiful Arizona desert and all its unexpected color: