romanticized farm life

Children of the 80s, do you remember this book?

We had it in my house growing up.

(I'm fairly certain it was a product of a Scholastic book order circa 1983.)

I haven't been to many farms, but I've always thought it would be fun to live on one. I wonder if this is the book that put that thought into my mind.

Anyway, I can't recall the storyline or if it even had one, but I do remember loving it. For that reason alone, I am determined to buy it for Win. Hopefully, my four or five year old self had good taste in books and it will be a worthwhile purchase.

summer reading

I need a good book to read. Something I can lose myself in (that just reminded me of Eminem). It can be a classic, something modern, a biography...anything that keeps me engaged. Any suggestions? I am completely open.

If YOU happen to be looking for some great summer reading, I suggest the books below:

I recently finished Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games series, and I honestly read it in about 24-48 hours. I think I read the first one in about a day as well. I just couldn't put them down. They have me almost intrigued as the Harry Potter series, but that's tough to top. The third book comes out this summer, but...

I know there's time to squeeze something else in (as long as it's not Les Miserables or something).

Hope you're enjoying the summer weather. June gloom should disappear as of today, right? We'll see.

the need to read

Lately, I have felt the need to read, but I've been busy-not a lot of time to devote to a book. If I was a content skimmer I might be able to get through books faster, but I like the details; emotion is in the details. Anyway, I gave a book to Kent for Valentine's Day that seemed sort of interesting (and short). It is titled The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. Kent liked Tuesdays with Morrie, so I thought he might like another book by the same author.

Kent hasn't read it yet, but I zoomed through this little shorty in about 5 hours (more or less). It was a fascinating book, a book that made me think, and made me look at Heaven and people in a different light. Most importantly, the lessons learned rang true to me. I know this book is fictional, but I feel that most stories are built upon real experiences, viewpoints and people (Albom's uncle was an inspiration). Fiction or nonfiction, it makes me want to be a more understanding, better person.

The point of this post: If you are looking for a good book that you can read in a few hours, and that also makes you want to be a better person, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, is for you.

required reading is better when not required

Currently, I'm on page 467 of this....

and I can hardly put it down.

I neglect almost everything, including Kent (I'm sorry, lover) when it's in my hand. It took about 100 pages for me to get into it, but I'm definitely into it.

I highly dislike (basically, hate) Ellsworth Toohey.
I find Dominique Francon mysterious.
And I love Howard Roark.

Any author that can get me to hate a fictional character must be doing something right.

(By the way, this was never required reading for me in high school or college, but it seems like a book that should have been on the list. Good thing it wasn't because I don't think I would be enjoying it half as much.)

228 pages left to go.