Getting Back to the Basics

One of my favorite things that I have been able to do so far this summer has been READ! It all started on my trip to Germany. I was determined not make the same mistake that I made on my London trip (I hauled four Phillipa Gregory books in my backpack, if you aren't familiar with her....her books are HUGE!), so I downloaded the Kindle app for my netbook.

After I returned from my trip I had a month of summer vacation before my last and final class started at the end of June. (My second class is actually tonight!) During that month, I started downloading more kindle books and reading them on my various computers. It became so obvious that I was obsessed with reading kindle books, that my husband even surprised me with a kindle fire for our 5 year anniversary. (I had been begging him to get me one for Christmas, so this was quite a surprise!)

Since my Germany trip I have read 10 novels in two months. It has been such a joy! And it even reminds me of summertime as a kid. If you haven't picked up on it by now....I'm a completely fair, blond Irish looking kid. I don't do sun, I don't do heat, and I don't do bugs. So what would I do in the Texas summertime? I would read books by the dozens all day and all night long. I became somewhat of a zombie with my head in a book, not even taking breaks to eat! (You only need one hand to hold the book, and the other to reach into the chip bag.)

What's even better is the type of books I've been reading. I'm back to my favorites, Young Adult books with elements of fantasy and romance! My undergraduate degree is in English and through that program I read all of the classics. Don't get me wrong I have such a great appreciation for them, and even have added a few to my reading list....but when you are forced to read stuff, it kind of loses it's fun. So when I get to choose, I go for fun, fantasy, romance! Young Adult is my genre, and in my dreams I will someday write a YA book myself.

I have also themed my reading around movies that have/will be releasing this summer. So I took time to read:

1. The Host -OMG I was shocked! This book is amazing, it's complex and so much better than the Twilight series. And I actually liked the Twilight series.
2. Beautiful Creatures Series -four books total, and so so good! The movie was terrible, and nothing like the book. So please disregard. I will say that I can see that the authors are striving to create elements of classical literature. For example there is an Odyssey style quest in one of the books. It's pretty transparent what they are trying to do, and therefore not quite effective. But regardless, give this one a chance, it was pretty good!
3. Ender's Game - A total boy book. I was a little bored, until all of the action blew up and I was intrigued. Very well written and it will definitely become a classic that our children will read in school. 
4. The Mortal Instruments Series - Ah! I'm in the thick of it right now just at the beginning of book 4. I have to say that I really think the series could have ended strongly with book 3, but I'm giving it a chance, and I have high hopes for the movies! 

I have so enjoyed reading this summer, and it's even more exciting to note that on July 24th I will be finished with grad school forever and can spend my free time reading if I so choose!