Learning to Fly: An Uncommon Memoir of Human Flight, Unexpected Love, and One Amazing Dog by Steph Davis

Steph Davis has a pretty good life- she’s living life on her own terms, climbing when and where she can, is known in the climbing community, has sponsors, has a book coming out, and is married to a climber- a man who she loves and shares a passion with. Life is good for Steph- until her husband makes a controversial climb in a national park- and life quickly spirals out of control. The media runs with the story, the climbing community forms opinions, and many of Steph’s sponsors drop her. With her husband being unable to deal with the media fallout- the stress not only takes a toll on her marriage- it takes a hammer to her marriage- and breaks into a million pieces.

Steph, trying to regain her life- trying to pick up the pieces of herself, to find herself- begins to do something she said she would never do: skydive. It goes against everything in her climbing mentality; but since her world has been shattered- climbing has not been the same for her. She needs to find a way to get back to herself, to get back to a good place. With Fletch her dog and learning to skydive- Steph begins slowly picking the pieces of life back up and learning that she is stronger than the situation that broke her.

As she gains more confidence with her sky-diving abilities, Steph knows she also has to begin climbing again- that she has to regain the good feelings she associated with climbing before everything happened. With the help of friends and Fletcher- Steph explores a new world and puts a new perspective on her old world. She learns about trusting herself, trusting the choices she’s making. And she learns that even after life has been twisted around- even after your confidence and trust has been shaken- that with help from friends, sheer will and determination- that life can be good again. That life can be filled with adventures, friendships and love.

 

Literary Friday ya’ll….

Friday. Tomorrow going to a baseball game- fingers crossed for NO RAIN.

1. Book Blogger Twitter Con 2013– here are the details, the website, and more. Read and find out about it! #bbtc

2. Amazon Buying Goodreads. Here’s the thing: I don’t hate Amazon. I know some people are clutching their chest at that statement, but it’s the truth. Am I a total fan girl ready to defend Amazon to my last dying breath? No. But when you live in a small town, a town that barely has a grocery store- and never mind any Target/Walmart- Amazon becomes a place where you can shop, where you can get things that you can’t normally get. Now, I’ll admit: I’m a little cross with Amazon over stopping their “4 for 3” promotion because that is how I’d buy a ton of my cozy books, but not cross enough yet to cross them off my shopping sites.

Some scream “What about the indies?” And, yes, I suport the indies. Because, as much as I like Amazon- they haven’t figured out to have a bk signing virtually yet. I still like walking through the indie bookstore, seeing the books, and listening to people talk. I’ve even met some interesting people while I’m a indie store. I do my part to help keep the 3 indie bookstores that are near me in business- and I plan to continue. For me it all comes down to time, though. When you have to drive an hour to the nearest indie- it does get frustrating. But I do it as much as I can because I adore book signings. I walk in with my list of books that I plan to look at either before/after the signing- and I select a few. Sometimes, if I’m feeling super-generous- I buy an extra of the book that’s being signed- then I treat a friend.

For me- whether Amazon buying Goodreads is a good thing, bad thing, or will not change my opinion of Goodreads is yet to be seen. It’s just too early in the game- and there are too many variables (for me) at this point to formulate an educated response.

3. The Battle to Save Bookstores.

4. Deep South Mag and their #literaryfriday.

5. Tell Me Something True: A Visit With Lisa Wingate

6. The Magic of Childhood Reading

7. A Final Word From Rita Leganski

8. The Rita Leganski/The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow discussion is still happening at She Reads.

9. What is your #fridayreads? I have 2! And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry and Learning to Fly by Steph Davis.

Happy Reading 🙂