Another three weeks....

I have officially been in Maryland for three weeks and one day. Pretty much all that I have accomplished in the time that I have been home is a lot of reading. Well...I have applied to a few jobs as well and had one screening interview but that is really about it.

Since I've had so much time to spend reading, I thought I would include the much requested book list. I want to preface this by saying that I very rarely recommend books/movies/shows to people because it is always hard to judge what exactly people find offensive. So while I may have enjoyed the book, I am not saying that you will enjoy it! That said, here it is:

1. When in Rome by Gemma Townley-a cute story about a twenty something girl trying to figure out if it's best to take the safe route or the more exciting but more dangerous route...while I can't relate to the love part of it (since my love life is non-existent at this point), I can certainly relate to the decisions she had to make. Not a literary masterpiece but a light and enjoyable summer read.

2. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli-this is one of my young adult fiction books that I have read thanks to Brittany and her master's class on juvenile fiction! I loved this book..I thought it was an excellent portrayal of what happens when we start judging other people or even ourselves. It's a good reminder that we should just be ourselves and allow others to do the same. I would say a must read.

3. Isabel's Daughter by Judith Ryan Hendricks-I also loved this one. Not as light as the first book I read but not super deep either. This is a story about a girl trying to figure out who her mother is and hoping that it will explain who she is. In the meantime she finds herself pushing away the people that love her and not letting herself get too attached to anyone or anything.

5. Knitting Under the Influence by Claire LaZebnick-another light hearted read about three best friends trying to figure out their place in the world. (Sidenote...I'm starting to notice a theme with the books that I have read...either all books are actually about people trying to find their place in the world or I just read a lot of books about this subject!) This one was really cute and made me seriously want a boyfriend but I should mention that there is some language so be careful.

6. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards-this one is not light hearted although it was one of my favorites. It can be a little depressing at times and there are some sad parts but it was a good read. It also made me think a lot about where my life would be had I made different choices in the past (I'm not trying to imply that I have given away a child...just so you don't start to wonder!).

7. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella-now is the time to admit that Sophie Kinsella books are a little bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I love the breezy way that she writes and I can't help but love the fact that everything always works out in the end. Sometimes you just need a book like that...it might not be realistic but it makes you feel good. I would recommend this book for anyone needing something to just make them feel happy.

8. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld-this one was addicting for me and I could hardly put it down but is also one that I wouldn't recommend for most people. There were a few parts that were highly questionable and I still haven't decided if the plot/writing/feel of the book is worth getting through those parts. It's a story about a girl who decides to go to prep school during high school and it paints a fairly realistic picture of what high school is like. At least, I imagine what it is like for most people. Of course, how many of us really want to revisit high school?

9. Wednesday Night Witches by Lee Nichols-I honestly couldn't help but liek this one. Another story about three best friends trying to figure out where they fit in the world. The difference between this book and the rest is that there is a little Buffy the Vampire Slayer like twist. I enjoyed it and I loved the love story. The only word I can think to describe it would be cute.

10. Girl Talk by Julianna Baggott-this was probably my least favorite book out of all the ones I have read so far. The plot wasn't completely developed and I didn't love any of the characters. I don't really have much to say about it but I did finish reading it which I guess says something.

11. Three Bedrooms in Chelsea by Liz Ireland-so I actually liked this one which is also a light hearted summer read. I am noticing that I read a lot of the light hearted books! Maybe my life is so full of drama I don't need anything else to add in! This book is about three unlikely roommates living in Chelsea who end up becoming friends mostly because they have no one else. I liked the fact that all three of them had something to offer and they all needed to get over their judgements of eachother to figure that out.

12. The Dairy Queen by Allison Rushby-this one is about a girl going back to where she came from to figure out what it is that she really wants. I probably relate to this since I feel like I am pretty much going through the same thing. Except of course that I'm not living in Australia and I'm not super rich. Still, another cute book.

13. Bread Alone by Judith Ryan Hendricks-this book is written by the same lady who wrote Isabel's Daughter and I have to say that I very much enjoy her style of writing. It keeps me interested and I love her character development. I actually feel that I am actually there going through the same things. This one is about a woman who is figuring out that there is more to life (and to her) than she had ever imagined. It's also about finding what you love and doing it. I loved this one.

14. Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin-this is one book that would definitely not be called cute. It's a boy writing a letter to his sister explaining what their family had been through. It's a story about abuse and about figuring out how strong you are. It's not light by any means but it was a quick read. It reminded me that I have a good life and that I can make it through anything. It's all about figuring out what you need to do to survive. I would recommend it but with the caution that it is serious.

15. I just started reading Mr. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman=this one is set in Cananda in the early 1900's and so far it is completely endearing. I already love the two main characters and I'm tempted to go explore some uninhabited place.

Well that's my book list for now. It just goes to show you how much time that I have had on my hands! I've also read about a billion kid books so maybe next time I can include some of those too!

Oh and Morgan...I am so happy that you are reading the Twilight series...they are another of my guilty pleasures. I haven't reread them yet this summer because it would mean that I would be locking myself into my room for the next few days in order to get through all of them. I can't stop once I start!