be happy you're not covered in greasy seal soot

Recent reading: just finished The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party, by Kelly Tyler-Lewis. Imagine being marooned on Antarctica for two years. Now imagine feeling obligated to bury thousands of pounds of supplies in several depots 700 miles into the continent. On foot. In blizzards. Antarctic blizzards. Trust me, you can't even begin to imagine it. If you've read any of the Shackleton stuff you'll be amazed by what you missed--this is an incredible story, every bit as incredible as the Endurance saga, and masterfully told. There are many characters and few photos, but Tyler-Lewis manages to make the various individuals recognizable and palpable. Four stars plus.

I might not pick up a new book before we leave for Berlin on Thursday. I like to have a fresh read on a long trip. These are the books I'm bringing with me:

Doctor Zhivago
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Devil and the White City
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies

I'll knit between now and then. I'm also bringing three sock projects and NO OTHER KNITTING. And my yoga mat. And my laptop. Roughing it.