Books are part of my life - they always have been.  And although I cannot brag about the great literature I read in high school, I can certainly say that I have read more than the average person, and that's saying quite a bit since, if you know me at all, I am a social butterfly and I seem to have very little time to read.  I remember growing up and not having much money to spend on books, but mom would always find a way to give me some money for those Scholastic book sales we had on a regular basis.  I also spent hours at the library. I will even admit to my first and only "theft" right here for all to see. When I was in kindergarten I stole a book from my class library because I wanted to take it home and reread it over and over again, even though my teacher specifically told me that books were not to be taken from the classroom.  Needless to say, I did suffer the consequences - I have a guilty conscience 43 years later.

Anyway, I honestly believe that I am who I am today because of the books I read because I formed opinions of the world around me based on what I read. I see the world through different eyes, I believe.  If you are a reader, you know what I mean. And pair my love of reading with my desire to write and I am a different "animal" altogether. But that's for another blog.

Today is the first of June and although I have a full time job, I still think of it as "reading season" because everyone tends to take vacations and catch up on some of the reading that they have been putting off other times of the year. So, in the next couple of days I am going to batten down the hatches and read voraciously and turn around and put a few book reviews here so that maybe you can start your own list of books to add to the "TBR (To be Read) stack."

(Please ignore the additions to pic)

 

 

I just finished reading this book, "The Carrie Diaries" by Candace Bushnell.  I bought it for a quarter at the Peddlar's Mall this past week and had to dig right in.  If you find foul language offensive or of you have no interest in the tv show of the same name, you will likely not enjoy this book. But I love reading all genres and this one appealed to me for several reasons.  First, I happen to enjoy the 'adult' series of the show on occasion and I find my style of writing similar to that of the ficticious Carrie Bradshaw. Therefore, this book intrigued me.  I was not disappointed in it all.  I enjoyed reading about a young woman struggling to be herself and find her place in the 'place of her dreams", doing that which she loved to do - write. I find myself on a similar journey, albeit in Kentucky and not NYC, although I would love to "make it there." This book was the first book I have read, that I can recall, in some time that was written in the present tense. This appealed to me as a writer and therefore I will expound upon it further in another blog. But I found the book to be a quick read - can be read in a long evening - and very enjoyable.

 

 

So, I wanted to let you know the reason, in case you cared to know, why I placed that introductory picture at the top. Because that is what I feel as if I have sitting on my 'nightstand.' I pile of opened books waiting to be finished. Sad, but true. In fact just last night I started not one but two books and I am going to enjoy them both equally. I hope that I eventually will actually be able to finish the stack of twleve plus books that I have started and not finished in the last few months, but that will be a cross I will have to bear I suppose. I can think of worse things in life.

 

I am in hopes to share the next two reviews on "Heart of the Matter" by Emily Giffin and "My Own Mr. Darcy" by Karey White with you next time. Until then, here's hoping your stack of TBR books shrinks this summer. (I am hoping mine will shrink in direct proportion to my belly but THAT is a whole other subject!)

 

Going through life one page at a time,

 

Petra

 

 

And in case you want to know some of the titles I hope to attack this summer:

 

Anything my James Patterson (Have never read anything by him yet)

Anything by John Grisham (Have never read anything by his yet either, although I love all the movies)

Something  by C.J. Box - in the last two years I have been atuned to his name and thoroughly enjoy his style of writing, done mostly in first person)

I want to re-read something by Mary Higgins Clark

I want to try a Horror/thriller and MAY tackle something by James Rubart

I want to re-read Ted Dekker's Circle series, adding "Green" to the mix

And I would also like to read "Rhett Butler's World"

 

This is just the beginning, as I KNOW I will find other titles that intrigue me enough to buy either the kindle/nook or paper versions and start, if not finish, even more.