Book Worm

Note: If you don't like to read, you may want to skip this blog entry.

I have been on a serious reading kick over the last two weeks. My average seems to be a book every two days. Some of these are easy reads (a couple hundred pages), others are more like four-hundred pages. I'm flying through these books so fast that sometimes the characters and story lines run together. This causes me to read certain chapters twice, due to the fact I don't want to miss anything.

So, here's a brief overview of what I have been reading. The author's don't vary much in my choices, it just happens these were on my bookshelf. Two books stood out, making me think hard about the past and another was truly inspiring.

-"Resilience" by Elizabeth Edwards

My friend, Heather gave me this book for my birthday. On the cover, she writes "Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities". We all have bad days, some of those days are worse than others. Trust me, I know firsthand. I read this book in one day--it's very short, but sends the most warming message I have ever read or heard. Elizabeth Edwards has always been one of my heros. She embraced the life of a politician's wife, loves and cares for her children in the most amazing way, and endures her entire life beyond limits. She seems to have the picture perfect life, right? Not so much so after you read her words in this book. She lost her beloved son when he was sixteen years old, battles every single day with a disease that is killing her and is constantly struggling with John's "indescretion". Here's the message I received from her book: This life we have been given is not the one we may have hoped for or dreamt about, sometimes it lets us down, but it is the only one we have to live. In other words, never give up and enjoy every precious minute of it. Would I feel so strongly about this message if I hadn't have lost my father-- the man who will never hold my children, the man I will never see enjoy retirement, the man who made me who I am today?? I believe I would choose to read this book regardless of my own personal heartache. There are so many pages "dog-eared" in her book so I can revisit them when I need to, feel free to borrow it from me, you won't be disappointed.

Do you get the point about this book being inspiring? I will read it again and again. Love it!

-"Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult

I just recently began reading Picoult's books. Now, I can't seem to put them down. This book mirrors some of the recent High School tragedies--Columbine and Paducah. It also tells the story of a lonely boy who was the victim of bullying. Don't take this the wrong way, I do not condone any type of violence, but there is something so sad about the kid in this book. What he did was wrong, no doubt about it. The plot made me do some soul searching. There are always socio-economic boundaries within our lives, unfortunately it's unavoidable. I wish it wasn't that way, but it is and that saddens me. Old wounds surfaced by reading this book.

I always considered myself part of the "in" crowd. I had lots of friends, shopped at the best stores for clothes (thanks to my mom and dad), and lived the ideal life. I remember just how mean and cruel teenagers can be to others. I would like to think that I didn't actively participate in some of the mean things my fellow friends did to those that weren't "like them." But in reality, I was probably guilty by association. Even though I considered myself part of the "in" crowd, there were times when I was on the receiving end of bullying. It doesn't feel good, trust me.

After reading this book, I asked myself several questions. Why are kids so mean to each other? Is it a nature vs. nuture issue? Will the bullies of the world grow up and have children that will bully their way through school? Do teenage bullies grow up to be adult bullies? Can they admit they are a bully? And most importantly, what can I do to create awareness and keep everyone safe in the world of bullying? It's easy to prevent and/or cease this problem in early childhood (most children/students won't hesitate to tattle on a bully), but it's the pre-adolescent/teenage years that pose the biggest risk of being hurt (self-esteem goes down the tubes...it's really hard to get that back, no matter how hard you try).

Aargh! I could go on and on about this book. Other books I have read recently include: "Salem Falls" (highly recommend), "Picture Perfect" (not one of my favorites by this author), and "Handle with Care" (great book, but kind of reminds me of "My Sister's Keeper"), all by Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks' "The Lucky One" and "The Choice"...both of which I loved.

Now, I'm going to sit back and wait on the new Augusten Burroughs book to be published. By the way, he is one of my all-time favorites! Last, but not least, I caved into peer pressure and finished the "Twilight" series (in a week and a half). And, yes, I enjoyed them.

Hope everyone is enjoying life. I'm always looking for new favorites...share away if you have any recommendations!

Three Week Recap

My, oh, my...where does the time go these days? I just realized my last blog was on September 23rd. Either I've been too busy to write or I am just too boring and can't think of anything that would be interesting enough for anyone to read.

So, what have I been doing? Let me refresh my memory by checking my calendar.

We vacationed in Hilton Head, SC from September 26th until October 3rd. Our beloved dog, Cacy went with us. We had a splendid time, as all vacations should be. We biked the island, kayaked with dolphins (btw, amazing), ate lots of yummy seafood, hung out on the beach until the sun set, etc., etc., you get the idea. Then we packed up and drove home, where we were welcomed back by the chill of fall weather. I'm not complaining though, I love the kaleidoscope of colors and the chilly, turtleneck wearing weather.

Bill and I celebrated our anniversary on October 4th. I use the word "celebrate" very loosely. We have never really made a big deal out of birthdays, anniversaries and so on. We celebrated on our own terms, meaning I sat around watching Lifetime Movies and he went shopping.

I had another birthday on October 7th. The big 3-5. I do not feel like I am thirty-five (35) years old. The reality hasn't set in yet, although I did come close to crying when a high school senior pointed out that I could be her mom if I had her when I turned eighteen (18). Seriously?? Way to burst my bubble. She tried to back pedal after the fact by telling me just how "cool" it would be to have me as a mother. That comment didn't help. Ouch.

I've been substitute teaching a lot these days and working at the tanning salon. I just love getting called in at 5:30 in the morning (being factitious). Hopefully, it will pay off in the end and I will land a job soon. I'm dying to have my own classroom...bring it!

So there you have it, a lovely recap of the past three weeks of my life.

Hope everyone is healthy and happy!